Department of Agriculture

June 27, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC – President Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to key Administration posts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture:

Krysta Harden, Nominee for Deputy Secretary, Department of Agriculture

Krysta Harden is the Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a position she has held since 2011.  Prior to this, Ms. Harden served as Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations at USDA from 2009 to 2011.  From 2004 to 2009, she served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Conservation Districts.  Previously, Ms. Harden was the Senior Vice President of Gordley Associates from 1993 to 2004.  She served as Staff Director for the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Peanuts and Tobacco from 1992 to 1993.  From 1981 to 1992, she held a number of roles including Legislative Director, Chief of Staff, and Press Secretary for Congressman Charles Hatcher.  Ms. Harden received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Georgia.

Robert Bonnie, Nominee for Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture

Robert Bonnie is a Senior Policy Advisor at the United States Department of Agriculture, a position he has held since 2009.  Prior to this, he worked for the Environmental Defense Fund where he held a number of roles from 1995 to 2008, including Vice-President of Land Conservation and Wildlife and Managing Director of the Center for Conservation Incentives.  Mr. Bonnie served on the Board of Visitors at the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences.  He was a member of the Board of Directors for the Piedmont Environmental Council and Scenic America.  Mr. Bonnie received a A.B. from Harvard College and an M.F. and M.E.M. from the Duke University Nicholas School of the Environment.

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