Following a press release from President Joe Biden announcing several regional appointments, the U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the appointments of two Rural Development (RD) State Directors and two Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Directors.
“We are very fortunate these four individuals are choosing to dedicate their talents and expertise to USDA,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Each will be an incredible asset to our Department and carry out our mission at the state and local level as we work to improve the lives of the American people.”
In Arizona, Charlene Fernandez has been appointed RD State Director for Arizona. She was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2014. Her district in Southwestern Arizona contains many farmers and ranchers who contribute to the state’s role as the United States’ top producer of winter lettuce. Elected House Minority Leader in 2019, Fernandez was integral to the Drought Contingency Plan agreement in 2019, bringing states, tribal nations, farmers, and other stakeholders together to ensure a sustainable water supply for Arizona. Prior to entering elected office, she worked for Congressman Ed Pastor and Congressman Raúl M. Grijalva in constituent services in Yuma County office. Fernandez also served Governor Janet Napolitano as a liaison for the Arizona Department of Environment Quality. She is a former member of the Arizona Department of Agriculture’s Food & Agriculture Policy Advisory Committee.
RD State Directors serve as the chief executive officer of Rural Development in the states and territories and are tasked with carrying out the mission of rural development to the benefit of everyone in rural America. In conjunction with the guidance and support of the National Office, State Directors are responsible for promoting the mission and strategic goals of Rural Development and provide key leadership to develop and support a productive, diverse, and inclusive state workforce.
Additional appointments include Julie Lassa as RD State Director for Wisconsin and two appointments for Farm Service Agency Executive Directors in Mississippi and Wisconsin.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural, tribal and high-poverty areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/az. If you’d like to subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.