USDA Announces Tribal Advisory Committee Appointments, Opens Nominations for Eight More Seats Through December 8
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on October 23 that Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has appointed three new members to the USDA Tribal Advisory Committee, each for a three-year term: Mark Fox, Chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation (Great Plains Region); Enjady Godfrey, General Manager of Mescalero Apache Telecom, Inc. (Southwest Region); and Evan Whitley, Director of Agriculture for the Choctaw Nation (Eastern Oklahoma Region).
Representative Angie Craig, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, appointed Dr. Bradford Hall, President of Blackfeet Community College, to serve the remainder of a vacant term ending in December 2026.
USDA is also soliciting nominations for eight additional appointments, with the nomination period open through December 8, 2026, following the procedures in the Federal Register notice. The Tribal Advisory Committee was authorized by the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 to advise the Secretary of Agriculture on matters relating to Tribal and Indian affairs, and submits at least one report each year to the Secretary and to Congress.
"Under President Trump's leadership, USDA is putting America's farmers and ranchers first, including agricultural producers across Indian Country," Secretary Rollins said. "Tribal Nations have a proud agricultural heritage and play an important role in strengthening American agriculture and rural economies. These appointments reinforce our commitment to respecting Tribal sovereignty, expanding economic opportunities, and ensuring Tribal perspectives help inform USDA's work."
Source: GSM·USA
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 美国农业部总部的部落民族大厅（资料图）。 Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
