In an ongoing effort to staff key leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue named Richard Fordyce as the new administrator of the Farm Service Agency (FSA) and also promoted Carmen Rottenberg and Paul Kiecker to key leadership positions at the Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS).

“Providing all Americans access to a safe and secure food supply is one of USDA’s critical missions,” Perdue said. “Carmen and Paul have been instrumental in carrying out this mission and will continue to lead FSIS in their new roles.”

Rottenberg most recently served as deputy administrator for FSIS and, since August 2017, has been acting deputy undersecretary for USDA’s Office of Food Safety. She has held several leadership roles in FSIS’s Office of the Administrator, including the chief operating officer and chief of staff.

In these roles, she has spearheaded FSIS efforts to modernize inspection systems and implement science-based and innovative solutions to better protect consumers from foodborne illnesses. Through her leadership, she has ensured that FSIS programs are customer-focused and delivered efficiently, effectively and with integrity. Rottenberg holds a bachelor’s degree from Hope College and a Juris doctorate from American University. She will continue to serve as acting deputy undersecretary for food safety until a nominee for this position has been confirmed by the Senate.

Paul Kiecker has been serving as acting administrator for FSIS since August 2017. In this role, he has led and strategically guided FSIS’s mission-critical programs aimed at protecting public health. He came to this position with decades of experience in the field and on the front lines of food safety, having begun his career as a food inspector. He has held numerous leadership positions within FSIS, including as a district manager, executive associate for regulatory operations and, most recently, deputy assistant administrator for the FSIS Office of Field Operations.

In the role of FSA administrator, Fordyce will provide leadership for FSA and its mission to support agricultural production across America through a network of more than 2,100 county and 50 state offices.

“As a fourth-generation farmer, Richard brings firsthand knowledge and experience to this role,” Perdue said. “I am confident that he will continue to help USDA become the most efficient, effective, customer-focused agency in the federal government as he leads this customer-focused mission area.”

Fordyce most recently served as state executive director for FSA in Missouri. Prior to his appointment by the Trump Administration, Fordyce served as director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture from 2013 to 2017. In 2015, Fordyce was awarded the Missouri Farm Bureau Distinguished Service Award and the Agricultural Leaders of Tomorrow Alumnus of the Year. He and his wife, Renee, have two children and grow soybeans, corn and beef cattle on the family farm.