The Biden administration will be naming Alexis Taylor, a former deputy undersecretary at USDA, to be the department’s top trade official, sources informed of the decision tell Agri-Pulse.
The decision to tap Taylor for the job of USDA trade undersecretary was first reported by Politico. Spokespersons for the White House and the Department of Agriculture did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Farm groups and lawmakers on Capitol Hill have pressed the administration to fill the role, which has been vacant for the duration of the Biden administration.
Taylor served as deputy undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services during the Obama administration before going on to lead the Oregon Department of Agriculture in late 2016.
Taylor is already well known on Capitol Hill. Before going to USDA she served as the legislative adviser to Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, and later, Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. During her time on the Hill, Taylor was involved in discussions about the 2008 and 2014 farm bills.
A native of Iowa, Taylor grew up on her family's farm and is a graduate of Iowa State University. She was also a member of the U.S. Army Reserve and served a deployment in Iraq with the 389th Combat Engineer Battalion.
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