Tom Vilsack Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Official Website
WASHINGTON, May 29, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of several individuals to senior staff positions in Washington, D.C.
Crestina Martinez has been appointed Colorado State Director for Rural Development. Martinez previously served as Director of Strategic Outreach & Advocacy at Xcel Energy, where she developed and implemented initiatives focused on environmental justice, energy equity, and Tribal relations. Her experience includes roles as Adams County Director of Long-Term Recovery & Major Initiatives and Chief of Staff in the Office of the Colorado Lieutenant Governor. Martinez also worked as Regional Manager in the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and served as a Costilla County Commissioner. She owns a small cattle ranch in Southern Colorado and holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Sociology and Spanish from Colorado College, along with certificates from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business.
Yeshimebet Abebe has been appointed Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration. Since 2022, Abebe has served as Director of Organizational Management and Cultural Transformation at USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Business Center. Her prior roles include Assistant County Attorney in Black Hawk County, Iowa, and District Representative for Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer. Abebe holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Miami School of Law, a Master of Arts in International Law and the Settlement of Disputes from the UN Mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica, and a Bachelor of Science in Urban and Regional Studies from Cornell University.
Nina Anand has been appointed Speechwriter in the Office of Communications. Anand returns to USDA after previous roles as Speechwriter and Public Affairs Specialist at the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and Acting Communications Coordinator in the Office of Communications. Most recently employed by the Milken Institute working on global programming and events, Anand's career also includes positions such as Director of Communications at both the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) where she led USISPF’s Food & Agriculture committee promoting business-friendly policies with global food companies, and at the Plant Based Foods Association. She began her career on Capitol Hill as a Speechwriter for U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (MD) and as a Women’s Congressional Policy Institute Fellow for former U.S. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (NY). Anand holds a master’s degree in conflict resolution from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Davidson College.
