Farmers, ranchers, longtime U.S. Department of Agriculture employees and others were among the 11 Farm Service Agency and Rural Development state directors announced Feb. 24.
President Joe Biden announced the appointment of 11 individuals to USDA regional positions, including three in farm service administration and eight as Rural Development state directors. Farm service administration appointees are expected to oversee USDA's operations and agricultural policy implementation in their states. Rural Development appointees serve as CEOs of their organizations.
"I am thrilled to welcome these talented and experienced public servants to USDA at a critical time in the Biden-Harris administration," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "I look forward to working alongside these individuals to build a better America."
U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack
| usda.gov
Chris Kanazawa, who was USDA's Rural Development state director for Hawaii during President Barack Obama's administration, is returning to that role, according to the USDA Feb. 24 news release. Kanazawa reportedly facilitated more than $2.5 billion in loans and grants following his appointment during the Obama years. Those loans and grants helped pay for residential, public infrastructure, commercial, renewable energy, agriculture and utility projects. Kanazawa previously served as president and CEO of Parker Ranch Inc. in Waimea, Hawaii, the nation's fifth largest cattle ranch at that time.
Another returning USDA appointee is Scott Soares, Rural Development state director for Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island. Soares, who previously owned and operated Boston Bay Consulting, was state director in the New England states from 2015 to 2017, when he oversaw the delivery of more than 50 programs. Soares previously was the U.S. Cranberry Marketing Committee's executive director.
Dr. Trina George also is returning as the Rural Development state director of Mississippi. Her initial appointment was historic when she became the first woman and first African American woman to be appointed to the position. In her first appointment, George was the special projects/community outreach and development coordinator in Congressman Bennie G. Thompson's office. George previously was president of a local parent teacher association.
Among the farmers and ranchers appointed is Amy Knapp Pettit, now Farm Service Agency executive director for Alaska. Pettit grew up on a cow-calf operation on Oregon's southern coast where her family raised premier beef cattle for more than a century. An Oregon State University graduate with a bachelor's degree in agricultural business management in 2003, Pettit relocated to Alaska in 2005 and took up a career in the state's agriculture division, leading its marketing and development team.
