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On Friday, the Biden Administration announced the nomination of Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Alexis Taylor as USDA Undersecretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs. Taylor has served as ODA’s head since her appointment by Governor Kate Brown in December 2016. Prior to her time at ODA, Taylor oversaw the USDA’s Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, where she traveled internationally, working on opening new markets and improve the competitive position of U.S. agricultural products in the marketplace.

Taylor is an Iowa native, who moved to Oregon after working 12 years in Washington D.C. focused on U.S. agricultural and trade policy. She grew up on her family farm in Iowa, graduated from Iowa State University, and served in the U.S. Army Reserves. During her junior year in college her army reserve unit was deployed to Iraq, where she served one tour with the 389th Combat Engineer Battalion. While no longer an active reservist, Taylor continues to advocate for veterans.

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“Alexis Taylor has dedicated her life to public service,” noted Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.  “She has not only spent her career serving the American people through her work in U.S. agricultural and trade policy, but also as a Veteran of the U.S. Army. Her nomination builds upon USDA’s commitment to link U.S. agriculture to the world to enhance export opportunities for American farmers and producers and increase global food security. Alexis currently serves as the Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, a position she was appointed to in December 2016 by Governor Kate Brown, where she oversees policy directives for Oregon’s 38 programs and its 500 employees. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and minor in Communications from Iowa State University.

“Alexis is a collaborative leader with a track record of working towards large-scale solutions in partnership with the communities she serves,” Vilsack continued.  “This spirit and approach position her uniquely for this role and will ensure cohesiveness between USDA and the Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs team. I am confident Alexis is the right person to lead as we continue to address global food security, promote American exports across the globe and strengthen trade relationships with our global partners.”

“NAWG welcomes President Biden nominating Alexis Taylor to this key role and encourage the Senate Agriculture Committee to work diligently and expeditiously in considering this nomination, said National Assocation of Wheat Growers CEO, Chandler Goule. “I have worked with Alexis for over fifteen years and know the industry appreciates her experience and understanding of the agriculture community and trade issues. We are eager to see this key leadership role be filled quickly and encourage timely Senate consideration so she may begin important work at the USDA to advocate for U.S. wheat farmers and be an advocate for American agriculture around the world.”

“Ms. Taylor has worked to open new markets for American agriculture in her previous position at FAS and as director of Oregon’s Department of Agriculture,” said U.S. Wheat Associates President Vince Peterson. “Looking ahead to the next Farm Bill negotiations, we know she will be an experienced advocate who can help explain to policy makers how important export market development programs are to our country’s farmers and ranchers.”

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“This position is essential to the health and well-being of American agriculture, and especially the nation’s dairy farmers, who last year exported over 17% of the milk they produced,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of National Milk Producers Federation. “We are extremely pleased that the Biden Administration has selected such a well-qualified nominee as Ms. Taylor. She has done an excellent job in her prior government service roles and we know will be a strong advocate for U.S. dairy and agriculture as Under Secretary of Trade. We look forward to supporting her throughout the nomination process and working closely with her in her new role once confirmed by the Senate.” 

“Consumers around the world seek out American dairy products when making their food decisions,” said Krysta Harden, president and CEO of USDEC. “Unfortunately, ensuring our products reach international store shelves is an unending struggle, working to overcome barriers to trade while also striving to create new market access opportunities. With her wealth of leadership experience at both USDA and at the state level, Ms. Taylor is perfectly positioned to serve American farmers, the broader agricultural industry, and American workers throughout the agricultural supply chain in this indispensable role. The Senate should act quickly to confirm this outstanding nominee.”

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“U.S. Meat Export Federation is very anxious to see this important position filled, and Alexis Taylor is an outstanding nominee,” said USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom.  “USMEF and our member companies had many opportunities to work with Ms. Taylor in her previous roles at USDA and we are confident she will be a strong and effective advocate for U.S. exporters and all of U.S. agriculture.

"While I would have preferred to see this nomination much sooner, I am pleased President Biden has selected Alexis Taylor to serve as the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs,” said House Ag Committee Republican Leader Glenn “GT Thompson. “This position is immensely helpful to our producers, will expand market access and trade promotion opportunities, and can assist the Administration in navigating the unyielding global supply chain crisis. Today’s announcement is one step of many needed to demonstrate this Administration prioritizes trade. I urge the Senate to move expeditiously with the confirmation process and look forward to working with Ms. Taylor."

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“I’ve known Alexis from her previous time served at USDA and more recently as she served as a National Association of State Departments of Agriculture member from Oregon. From these experiences, I offer my enthusiastic endorsement for her candidacy. We know Director Taylor’s passion for seeking market opportunities for American farmers, ranchers and food producers of all types. Her previous experience at USDA, her character and her deep understanding of how regulations across the globe matter for individuals in our communities will benefit all Americans,” said NASDA CEO Ted McKinney.

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