Trump to fill key leadership roles at USDA
On Jan. 16, President Donald Trump announced several key nominations for leadership positions within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
In a social media announcement, he nominated four agricultural leaders to enhance the USDA’s capacity to support farmers, ranchers and agricultural industries across the country.
One of his first nominations was Dudley Hoskins, who serves as counsel for the Senate Agriculture Committee, for the position of USDA under secretary for marketing and regulatory programs.
In this role, Hoskins would be responsible for overseeing the Agricultural Marketing Service and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, which focus on animal health and veterinary services.
Currently, Hoskins works as counsel on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry.
He previously spent four years at the USDA during Trump’s first term, serving as chief of staff for marketing and regulatory programs and as a senior advisor to the secretary.
Under secretary for farm production and conservation
Osborn Barr Paramore (OBP) Director of Agricultural Business Richard Fordyce has been selected to serve as the USDA under secretary for farm production and conservation.
A fourth-generation farmer, Fordyce grows corn, soybeans and raises cattle on his farm in northern Missouri.
With over 30 years of experience, Fordyce has held leadership positions in agriculture at local, state and national levels.
Prior to his role at the USDA, he was appointed by former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon to lead the Missouri Department of Agriculture from 2013-17.
Before joining OBP, he served as the administrator of the USDA’s Farm Service Agency during Trump’s first administration.
In this position, he managed a nationwide network of over 2,000 county officials and 50 state officials dedicated to supporting farmers and ranchers during particularly challenging periods.
On Truth Social, Trump states, “Fordyce will work closely with our wonderful Secretary of Agriculture Nominee Brooke Rollins to ensure our incredible American farmers and ranchers have the support they need to feed our great nation and the world.”
If confirmed by the Senate, Fordyce will oversee the Farm Service Agency, the Risk Management Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, among others.
This prestigious appointment reflects Fordyce’s exceptional reputation, dedication and expertise in the field of agriculture.
Under secretary for trade and foreign agriculture
South Dakota Trade Chief Executive Officer Luke Lindberg has been named the USDA under secretary for trade and foreign agriculture.
“I’d like to thank President Trump for the opportunity to serve our farmers and ranchers in this capacity,” Lindberg says in a statement provided to The Dakota Scout. “Rural Americans are staring down the largest agricultural trade deficit on record, and we’re going to fix it. America will once again feed the world.”
This position is a key role in international relations within the USDA, as Lindberg would supervise the Foreign Agricultural Service and collaborate with the U.S. Trade Representative on behalf of the agriculture sector.
Currently held by Undersecretary Alexis Taylor, this job is regarded as the department’s top diplomatic role, responsible for negotiating trade agreements in foreign markets for farmers and ranchers.
If confirmed, Lindberg will manage the Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs staff across 95 offices located in various countries.
During Trump’s first term, Lindberg served as the chief of staff and chief strategy officer at the Export-Import Bank.
“Lindberg will work to make sure American farmers and ranchers get the smart trade deals they deserve,” Trump posts on his Truth Social account, announcing the nomination and congratulating Lindberg on the distinction.
Lindberg is the latest South Dakotan to take a high-profile job in Washington, D.C.
After the November election, Sen. John Thune (R-SD) was elected as the Senate majority leader, and Gov. Kristi Noem is expected to be confirmed by the Senate as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security later this month.
Under secretary for natural resources
Michael Boren, a businessman from Idaho, has been nominated as the USDA under secretary for natural resources and environment.
If confirmed, he will oversee the U.S. Forest Service and the 193 million acres of forest and grasslands it manages.
According to Trump’s announcement, Boren has founded six companies, including Clearwater Analytics, and served as a volunteer firefighter for Sawtooth Valley Rural Fire Department and as a board member of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation.
“Boren would work to reinvigorate forest management at a time when it is desperately needed,” Trump states via social media.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little supports Boren’s nomination, stating in a press release, “This appointment is a win for all Western states, especially Idaho. As a resident of Idaho’s Sawtooth Valley, Boren understands rural America and will work hand in hand with Trump to fundamentally transform how lands and fires are managed here in the West.”
All nominees will work alongside Rollins, whose Senate confirmation hearing is scheduled for Jan. 23.
Rollins’s confirmation was initially set for Jan. 15, but it was delayed due to paperwork issues.
Rollins, a 52-year-old native of Texas and a former White House aide during Trump’s first term, was nominated on Nov. 23, 2024.
Future nomination
Trump is expected to nominate Tyler Clarkson as the general counsel of the USDA.
Clarkson previously served as the USDA’s deputy general counsel during Trump’s first term and worked at the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the same administration.
Currently, Clarkson is the vice president and deputy general counsel of Ginkgo Bioworks, a biotechnology company which specializes in ingredients for vaccines, fertilizers and alternative proteins.
Melissa Anderson is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
