WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2015 – Alexis Taylor, who currently serves USDA as the Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, has been nominated for the top agricultural job in Oregon.
Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced Friday that Taylor was her pick to lead the Oregon Department of Agriculture. She will begin serving Jan. 23, pending confirmation by the Oregon Senate.
"Alexis brings a passion for agriculture, rooted in her Midwest, family-owned farm upbringing," Governor Brown said in a release. "I look forward to welcoming Alexis, who will be a strong advocate for our rural communities and Oregon's incredibly diverse agriculture sector."
In her role at USDA, Taylor is responsible for advancing international trade policy and leads efforts with states to support and open new, international market opportunities for U.S. food and agriculture producers. Additionally, Taylor leads the USDA's Women in Agriculture Initiative , dedicated to fostering and growing a mentoring network for women pursuing careers in agriculture across the country.
Before joining USDA, Taylor served as the legislative advisor to Rep. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, and later, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-MT. During her time in Congress, Taylor negotiated key provisions of the 2008 Farm Bill, as well as the Senate version of the 2012 Farm Bill which was ultimately enacted into law as the 2014 Farm Bill.
Taylor was raised on an Iowa farm and graduated from Iowa State University. She served in the United States Army Reserves from 1998 to 2006. During her time in the Reserves she did one tour in Iraq with the 389th Combat Engineer Battalion.
If confirmed by the Oregon Senate, she will succeed Lisa Hanson, who was appointed Oct. 1 as interim director of the Department of Agriculture.
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