The Agriculture Department announced the addition of Kailee Tkacz Buller, Jennifer Tiller and Audra Weeks, among others, to the agency’s senior staff to “implement President Trump’s America First agenda.”
Tkacz Buller, who has been president and CEO of the National Oilseed Processors Association since 2023, was named chief of staff for Ag Secretary-nominee Brooke Rollins. Buller is an alumnus of the first Trump administration where she served in numerous positions at USDA, including as chief of staff to then-Deputy Secretary Stephen Censky, a senior adviser on biofuels and an advisor in the Office of Congressional Relations during the 2018 farm bill process.
Devin Mogler, senior vice president for investor relations at Green Plains Inc., was named Tuesday to replace Tkacz Buller at NOPA.
Tiller, who has been deputy chief of staff for the Republican staff on the House Ag Committee, will serve as chief of staff to Deputy Ag Secretary-nominee Stephen Vaden, and as a senior adviser to the Secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services. She has led House Ag Committee Chair Glenn “GT” Thompson’s committee work on nutrition assistance programs.
America First Policy Institute staff member Preston Parry will serve as deputy chief of staff for Rollins. He has worked with Rollins for about five years, first at the White House Domestic Policy Council and then at the Trump-backed AFPI.
Rollins founded AFPI after the first Trump administration. Luke Lindberg, another AFPI staff member, has been nominated as USDA trade undersecretary.
It’s easy to be “in the know” about what’s happening in Washington, D.C. Sign up for a FREE month of Agri-Pulse news! Simply click here
The first individual named on the communications team, Audra Weeks, will serve as deputy director of communications. She was a deputy press secretary during the first Trump administration before joining Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. She also served as press secretary for Senate Ag Committee member Roger Marshall, R-Kan., and in crisis and issues management at private firm, DJE Holdings.
The agency’s communications director has not yet been announced.
A former USDA career staff employee, Ralph Linden, is returning to the department as principal deputy general counsel. He was previously associate general counsel for the Commodity Credit Corporation and associate general counsel for international affairs, food assistance and farm and rural programs during the first Trump administration.
Dominic Restuccia was appointed the department’s White House liaison. He was previously a legislative assistant for Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, focused on the military portfolio and has worked on numerous political campaigns, including as adviser to the transition team for personnel with the Trump 47 Transition Team.
For more news, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com.
