USDA announces more political appointments

Washington, D.C., June 25, 2025 – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins today announced the latest slate of presidential appointments for key positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“American farmers and ranchers work tirelessly to feed, fuel, and clothe America. The incredible team we are building at USDA will make it easier—not harder—for farmers to fulfill their calling. I welcome the latest group of appointees and look forward to continuing our work to put Farmers First at USDA,” said Secretary Rollins.

Chris Berardi Appointed as Senior Legislative Advisor for the Office of Congressional Relations
Chris Berardi is a Senior Legislative Advisor for the Office of Congressional Relations. Prior to being appointed, Chris was the Senior Advisor and Director of Communications for Congresswoman Harriet Hageman. Previous to that position, Chris was the Deputy Director of Federal Policy for Council for a Strong America, a bipartisan nonprofit organization.

Brandon Borke Appointed as Legislative Advisor for the Office of Congressional Relations
Brandon Borke is a Legislative Advisor for the Office of Congressional Relations. Brandon has over seven years of experience in nonprofit development, executive leadership, and strategy implementation, along with more than a decade of political experience with field operations, media coordination, and policy development. Brandon is a Michigan native and a Texas transplant.

Casey Conlee Appointed as Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of Congressional Relations
Casey Conlee serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the Office of Congressional Relations. Conlee served as District Coordinator for Congresswoman Yvette Herrell in the 117th Congress and later worked for the New Mexico House of Representatives. Most recently, he was the Administrative Chief of Staff for the City of Roswell, New Mexico—his hometown—where he helped guide local government operations and intergovernmental coordination.

Elena I. Crosby Appointed as Chief of Staff for the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
Elena I. Crosby, J.D., serves as Chief of Staff for the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights. Previously, she was the State Director for then-U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, overseeing in-state efforts and leading a team across Florida. Before her legislative career, Elena worked at AdventHealth, focusing on research compliance and healthcare law. She also held leadership positions at Digital Fusion, Inc., and Connextions, Inc.

Caleb Crosswhite Appointed as Deputy General Counsel for the Office of the General Counsel
Caleb Crosswhite serves as Deputy General Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel. Crosswhite most recently served as Chief Counsel for the Republican staff of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Crosswhite also served for over a decade on the House Committee on Agriculture staff, and in the USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs mission area under the previous Trump Administration.

Chris Esparza Appointed as Senior Advisor to the Secretary
Chris Esparza serves as Senior Advisor to the Secretary. Esparza most recently served as a Professional Staff Member and Acting Subcommittee Staff Director on the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies. Prior positions included Chief Counsel for the House Committee on Small Business and Senior Counselor to the USDA General Counsel under the previous Trump Administration.

Halee Fisher Appointed as Senior Advisor for Research, Education, and Economics
Halee Fisher serves as the Senior Advisor for Research, Education, and Economics. Most recently Halee served as Legislative Assistant for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Purdue University.

Matthew Myers Appointed as Deputy Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs
Matthew Myers serves as Deputy Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs. Most recently, he served as Public Policy Analyst for the American Farm Bureau Federation. Previously, Matthew served as an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant for Agricultural Finance sections at Oklahoma State University.

Edward Newburn Appointed as Senior Advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs
Edward Newburn serves as Senior Advisor in the Office of the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Most recently, Edward served as Chief of Staff at South Dakota Trade, based in Sioux Falls, SD, and as a member of the transition and beachhead teams at the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM).

Patricia Patnode Appointed as Special Advisor in the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement
Patricia Patnode serves as Special Advisor in the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement. Most recently, Patricia worked as a Research Fellow for the Competitive Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C. She previously worked as a Program Manager for the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and was a Junior Fellow for the Independent Women’s Forum.

Courtney Stevens Appointed as Chief of Staff for Natural Resources and Environment
Courtney Stevens serves as Chief of Staff for the Natural Resources and Environment mission area. Most recently, Courtney served as Professional Staff on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations, Interior and Environment subcommittee. She previously served as Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to U.S. Representative Steven Palazzo and as Professional Staff on the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations under the late U.S. Senator Thad Cochran.

Dr. Lauren Stump Appointed as Deputy Under Secretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs
Lauren Stump, DVM, serves as the Deputy Under Secretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs and oversees the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Dr. Stump most recently served in legislative affairs at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. A veterinarian, Dr. Stump has worked in animal health for Nestlé Purina PetCare Company as well as the American Veterinary Medical Association and began her career in the public sector working for a U.S. Senator.

Stacy A. Swanson Appointed as Director of Oversight
Stacy A. Swanson serves as Director of Oversight within the Office of Congressional Relations. Most recently, Stacy served as a Policy Advisor in the private sector at an international law firm. Prior to that, she served at the U.S. Department of Labor during the George W. Bush Administration.

Braxton Wenk Appointed as Chief of Staff in the Office of Congressional Relations
Braxton Wenk serves as Chief of Staff in the Office of Congressional Relations. Most recently, he served as the Administrative Director and Agriculture Legislative Assistant to U.S. Senator Tom Cotton. Previously, Braxton served as Special Assistant to U.S. Senator James Lankford. Braxton was raised in Altus, Oklahoma, where his family has lived and farmed for six generations.

Jeremy Witte Appointed as Deputy Under Secretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs
Jeremy Witte serves as Deputy Under Secretary of Marketing and Regulatory Programs. Witte, a native of New Mexico, most recently served as Professional Staff on the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee under Senator John Boozman (AR). Before working in the Senate, Witte was Professional Staff on the House Agriculture Committee for Chairman Mike Conaway (TX).

This slate of appointments also includes key leadership at the Rural Development (RD) mission area, the Farm Service Agency (FSA), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

RD appointees help affirm the mission of the Trump Administration by focusing on finding ways to empower rural America and unleash economic prosperity. FSA leadership helps implement President Trump’s America First agenda and execute USDA’s policies in planning, organizing, and administering FSA programs through state offices across the country. NRCS staff offer resources to America’s farmers, ranchers, and landowners to conserve national resources through voluntary programs and science-based solutions.

Rural Development

J.R. Claeys Appointed as Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service
J.R. Claeys serves as Administrator of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBCS) in Rural Development. Claeys most recently served in the Kansas Legislature, where he worked extensively on rural economic development policy and state budget issues. His experience includes creating rural lending and grant programs targeting major agriculture and aerospace manufacturers.

Karl Elmshaeuser Appointed as Administrator, Rural Utilities Service
Karl Elmshaeuser serves as Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) in Rural Development. Elmshaeuser most recently served as the Executive Director for the Nebraska Environmental Trust. Prior positions included Legislative Liaison for the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy and State Director for USDA Rural Development in Nebraska under the previous Trump administration.

Joe Gilson Appointed as Chief of Staff, Rural Development
Joe Gilson serves as Chief of Staff at Rural Development. Joe previously worked at American Farm Bureau Federation as Director of Government Affairs. Prior to joining AFBF, Joe worked for Senator Chuck Grassley as the legislative assistant for agriculture, trade, energy, and environmental issues.

George Kelly Appointed as Administrator, Rural Housing Service
George Kelly serves as Administrator of the Rural Housing Service (RHS) in Rural Development. George spent the majority of his career as a commercial real estate developer with Hines Interests Limited Partnership. He has had roles in banking, affordable and workforce housing, strategy consulting, and government. He was a scholar in residence at the Urban Land Institute.

Farm Service Agency

Trina L. Brake Appointed as Deputy Administrator for Field Operations for the Farm Service Agency
Trina L. Brake serves as the Deputy Administrator for Field Operations at the Farm Service Agency, where she brings nearly 35 years of leadership and institutional knowledge. Since joining the Agency in 1991, Trina has held several key roles, including Acting Deputy Administrator and Acting Assistant Deputy Administrator for Field Operations, exemplifying her steadfast commitment to agricultural service and rural communities.

Mary Catherine Cromley Appointed as Chief of Staff for the Farm Service Agency
Mary Catherine Cromley serves as Chief of Staff for the Farm Service Agency. She previously served as the Executive Director of the South Carolina Soybean Board, South Carolina Corn Board, and the South Carolina Corn and Soybean Association. Mary Catherine spent over six years in the United States Senate, working as an aide for late Senator Johnny Isakson and Senator John Boozman, and she served on the staff of Senate Committee for Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Marissa Findlay Appointed as Confidential Advisor to the Deputy Administrator for Field Operations for the Farm Service Agency
Marissa Findlay serves as the Confidential Advisor to the Deputy Administrator for Field Operations (DAFO) of the Farm Service Agency. Most recently, Marissa served as the Director of Operations in the office of West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey and led the transition of then-Governor-elect Morrisey. Marissa has worked with numerous Presidential and statewide officeholders for nearly two decades, including Governors, Lieutenant Governors, Attorneys General, and other dignitaries.

Payton (Englert) Manning Appointed as Senior Policy Advisor for the Farm Service Agency
Payton Manning serves as the Senior Policy Advisor for the Farm Service Agency. Most recently, she served as the Director of Government Affairs at the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA). Prior to ASTA, Payton worked on agriculture policy for Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO).

Natural Resources Conservation Service

Kyle L. Allen Appointed as Special Assistant for the Natural Resources Conservation Service
Kyle L. Allen serves as the Special Assistant for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Most recently, Kyle served as the Texas Outreach Coordinator for the National Association of Resource Conservation and Development Councils.

Kaytlin Bemis Appointed as Policy Advisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service
Kaytlin Bemis serves as a Policy Advisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Most recently, Kaytlin served as Manager of Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs at the National Corn Growers Association. Kaytlin was born and raised in central Minnesota on a corn and soybean farm.

Cody T. Cornell Appointed as Policy Advisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service
Cody T. Cornell serves as a Policy Advisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Most recently, Cody served as a three-term elected Board of Trustees member at Western Illinois University and was elected twice as Secretary of the Board. He previously served as a Conservation Program Coordinator at Prairie Hills Resource Conservation and Development. He also serves on the National Alpha Gamma Rho Collegiate Advisory Council Board.

Jimmy Emmons Appointed as Assistant Chief for the Natural Resources Conservation Service
Jimmy Emmons serves as Assistant Chief for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He and his wife, Ginger, operate Emmons Farm, a century-old integrated row-crop and livestock farm in Leedey, Oklahoma. In the first Trump Administration, Jimmy served as a Regional Coordinator for USDA’s Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) mission area.

Kelli Evans Appointed as Senior Advisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service
Kelli Evans serves as Senior Advisor for the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Most recently, Kelli served as Chief Executive Officer of Evans Ag Consulting. Kelli has been an active leader in California agriculture with over 17 years of serving on numerous agricultural boards including the Almond Board of California and Yuba-Sutter Farm Bureau. Kelli is a third-generation almond and rice farmer from northern California.