Harden Leaving USDA Post

Deputy Secretary Built Long Record Working on Ag Policy Issues

Chris Clayton
By  Chris Clayton , DTN Ag Policy Editor
Connect with Chris:
Krysta Harden has worked at USDA since the early days of the Obama administration in 2009 and served as deputy secretary at USDA since August 2013. (Photo and logo courtesy of USDA)

OMAHA (DTN) -- Agriculture Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden is leaving the department at the end of February, USDA announced Thursday.

Harden has worked at USDA since the early days of the Obama administration in 2009 and served as deputy secretary at USDA since August 2013. The USDA announcement did not indicate why Harden was leaving her post or offer details on her future plans.

Harden said her decision was a bittersweet one.

"I am proud of what our department has accomplished since 2009 to bring economic opportunity that will help rural America thrive for generations to come," she said. "And although I will not be part of the many great and transformational things USDA will accomplish over the next year, I am more committed than ever to USDA's mission."

In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Hardin has a special bond with rural America that is deeply rooted in her family's history in Georgia.

P[L1] D[0x0] M[300x250] OOP[F] ADUNIT[] T[]

"I greatly appreciate her many years of service to the Obama Administration and to USDA. But more than anything, I am grateful for her friendship, sound judgement and leadership as a key member of my team since 2009," Vilsack said. "When I asked her to serve as deputy secretary, Krysta shared her priorities with me, which included strengthening our civil rights record and the inclusivity of USDA programs and policies, expanding opportunities for the next generation of farmers and ranchers, and emboldening rural communities with the resources they need to thrive. Looking back, she has delivered decisively on each one."

In her stint at USDA, Harden worked on both getting a farm bill passed and program implementation. She also stressed the need for various groups in agriculture to broaden the diversity of their organizations. Attending the event Commodity Classic in 2014, Harden stressed the need to increase women and minorities on commodity checkoff boards.

"It's about increasing the pool of people, or the bench of people who play a role not only in agriculture, but in the decision-making process and the decision table," Harden said in an interview with DTN at the time.

Harden was raised in Georgia and worked her way through various positions in Washington, including serving as staff director for a House Agriculture Subcommittee on peanuts and tobacco. She also was a vice president at Gordley Associations for 11 years where she primarily worked as a lobbyist for the American Soybean Association. Prior to coming to USDA, Harden had been chief executive officer of the National Association of Conservation Districts.

The American Soybean Association praised Harden, noting her decade of work with the group.

"Krysta Harden is the kind of public servant that comes along only too rarely. She has blended a personal background, professional knowledge base, and exceptional passion for agriculture into a career that has served farmers at every level," said Richard Wilkins, president of ASA and a farmer from Greenwood, Delaware. "As deputy secretary, she has been a visionary leader and a willing partner for soybean farmers across the country as we work to contend with the changing realities of our market, both here in the U.S. and overseas. We are of course sad to see her go, but happy to know that she will continue her service and her outstanding advocacy for farmers and rural Americans wherever she goes. We thank her and wish her nothing but the best of luck."

Michael Scuse, the current undersecretary for Food and Foreign Agricultural Services, will serve as acting deputy secretary. Alexis Taylor will assume the duties of undersecretary.

Chris Clayton can be reached at Chris.Clayton@dtn.com

Follow him on Twitter @ChrisClaytonDTN

(AG)

P[L2] D[728x90] M[320x50] OOP[F] ADUNIT[] T[]
P[R1] D[300x250] M[300x250] OOP[F] ADUNIT[] T[]
P[R2] D[300x250] M[320x50] OOP[F] ADUNIT[] T[]
DIM[1x3] LBL[] SEL[] IDX[] TMPL[standalone] T[]
P[R3] D[300x250] M[0x0] OOP[F] ADUNIT[] T[]

Chris Clayton