Along with the new Biden/Harris administration, we get new key staff appointees to lead our federal nutrition programs. Of the appointees is a longtime supporter of the CACFP and friend of the CCFP Roundtable, Kumar Chandron!
Secretary of USDA, Tom Vilsack (Nominee, as of 1/26/21, he has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.) "President-elect Joe Biden nominated Vilsack, a former Iowa governor and Democratic presidential candidate, to return to his old job at the Agriculture Department, saying his eight years of experience there under former President Barack Obama would ensure quicker help to rural and poor areas that are “reeling” from the pandemic and economic downturn." (Associated Press)
Undersecretary Jewel H. Bronaugh (Nominee, as of 1/26/21, he has not yet been confirmed by the Senate.) is an American government official serving as the 16th commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services since 2018. She is President Joe Biden's nominee for the United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. If confirmed, Bronaugh would be the first African-American to serve in the position. (Wikipedia)
Stacy Dean, Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS). "Prior to joining USDA, Dean served as Vice President for Food Assistance Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, D.C. She directed the Center’s food assistance team, which publishes frequent reports on how federal nutrition programs affect families and communities and develops policies to improve them. She joined the Center in 1997 and has deep experience understanding the delivery of health and human services programs at the state and local levels. Previously, as a budget analyst at the Office of Management and Budget, she worked on policy development, regulatory and legislative review, and budgetary process and execution for a variety of income support programs. Dean earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public policy from the University of Michigan." (USDA Press Release)
Kumar Chandran was named Senior Advisor, Nutrition, in the Office of the Secretary. "Most recently, Chandran was Policy Director for FoodCorps and led the Washington, D.C. office. Prior to that, he served as Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services in the Obama Administration. Prior to his tenure at USDA, Chandran served at the national nonprofit Share Our Strength." (USDA Press Release)