The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced several key presidential appointments who will hold senior staff positions at the agency. The appointments include:

• Kailee Tkacz Buller, USDA Chief of Staff: Most recently, Ms. Tkacz Buller served as the President and CEO of the National Oilseed Processors Association and the Edible Oil Producers Association. Previously, she served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and held numerous leadership roles across USDA in the first Trump Administration. Virginia Governor Youngkin appointed Ms. Tkacz Buller as the 8^th Congressional District Representative of the state Board of Agriculture and Consumer Services. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University at Buffalo.
• Preston Parry, USDA Deputy Chief of Staff: Mr. Parry most recently served as Strategic Assistant to the President and CEO at the America First Policy Institute. During the first Trump Administration, he was the Executive Assistant to the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, where he supported operations and served as Policy Coordinator and primary liaison to the Office of the Staff Secretary. Previously, Mr. Parry was an Associate Director in the White House Visitors Office. He holds a degree in Political Science from Utah Valley University.
• Jennifer Tiller, M.B.A., M.P.A, Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary and Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services: Ms. Tiller most recently served as the Deputy Staff Director for the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and holds graduate degrees from Marist College and Syracuse University.
• Ralph Linden, J.D., USDA Principal Deputy General Counsel: Mr. Linden served in various capacities in the Office of the General Counsel between 1982 and 2021, including serving as an Acting Deputy General Counsel during the first Trump Administration. He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame School of Law.
• Audra Weeks, M.S., M.B.A., USDA Deputy Director of Communications: Ms. Weeks previously served in the first Trump Administration as Deputy Press Secretary of USDA before joining the national press team for President Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign. Audra later served as Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Roger Marshall and most recently specialized in crisis and issues management for food and agricultural clients in the private sector. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and Communication from the University of Florida, a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University, and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University.
• Dominic Restuccia, USDA White House Liaison: Mr. Restuccia previously served as a legislative assistant for U.S. Representative Mike Bishop and U.S. Senator Mike Lee. Dominic is from Michigan and is a graduate of Hillsdale College.

According to USDA, the new appointments have been selected to implement President Trump’s “America First” agenda, tasked with prioritizing the needs of “America’s farmers, ranchers, and producers.”