(Updated) President-elect Joe Biden has selected former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack for the same role in his administration.
According to several anonymous sources, the Associated Press reports Biden will ask Vilsack to take the role he served for eight years in the Obama administration, when Biden was vice president.
Vilsack is also former governor of Iowa and has a relationship with Biden going back many decades.
During the United Fresh Produce Association’s BB #:145458 virtual Washington Conference in September, Vilsack addressed attendees as a representative of Biden’s campaign and said if elected, Biden’s administration would build a more resilient supply chain in agriculture, which includes improving the food bank network and improving infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and ports.
“United Fresh is pleased to see Secretary Vilsack return to USDA,’ said United Fresh CEO Tom Stenzel.
“Under his steady leadership we worked together to further the gains of the industry and broaden access to fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly for children. There is no shortage of issues to work on over the next four years – from trade to climate change. Given the COVID-19 pandemic, it is vital that we have experienced leaders who can hit the ground running to ensure that there is a seamless transition from the Trump administration to the Biden administration, including making sure that the supply chain is utilized to address the immense and immediate food insecurity needs being faced around the country – and there is no one more familiar with how to make USDA work for the American people than Tom Vilsack.”
