• Serve as the Deputy Administrator for Field Operations, Deputy Vice President of the Commodity Credit Corporation and an active member of the Executive Leadership Council for the Farm Service Agency, one of the largest agencies in the Federal Government.• Supervise and oversee 51 State Offices and 2200 County Offices including approximately 10,000 staff nationwide, and an operating budget of nearly $1.1 billion. This includes personnel issues at all levels of the agency.• Manage 51 State Executive Directors and 235 State Committee Members.• Coordinate and manage state budgets and staffing ceilings.• Serve as the primary liaison for field staff to the headquarters office of the agency and with the Office of the Secretary on issues of policy or programs.• Direct and oversee all outreach activities for the agency and investigations of EEO and civil rights violation allegations, including a major overhaul of the outreach programs in 2012.• Play an integral role in deficit reduction initiatives including the Secretarial Initiatives: Administrative Solutions Project and Blueprint for Stronger Service which have resulted in significant cuts to discretionary spending while ensuring good service to producers.

• Served as the principal coordinator and director of the National Food and Agriculture Council (NFAC) for 13 field agencies at USDA across the country.• Developed, in coordination with the Office of the Secretary and the Office of Communication priorities, implementation strategies, communication goals and message points for the State and National FAC to execute.• Developed and directed consistent practices in terms of collaboration, implementation, communication and scheduling, based on the priorities of the NFAC Chairperson and board members or the Office of the Secretary.• Created performance goals and recommends performance ratings for National and State FAC participation and interagency collaboration.• Coordinated closely with the Office of Communications to ensure that the story of USDA and its successes is being told in mass media in the field. • Developed and recommended training programs to assist in achieving FAC objectives.

DEPUTY AND ACTING ASSISTANT SECRETARY 12/09-5/11• Manage all operations of the Office of Congressional Relations and Intergovernmental Affairs, including supervision of professional staff and interns.• Coordinate strategic scheduling and communications with the Office of the Secretary, Director of Scheduling and Communications Director.• Sit on the Secretary’s sub-cabinet and Senior Policy Group.• Staff the Secretary, sub-cabinet officials and senior staff in interactions with Members of Congress, Governors and other elected officials.• Prepare and edit testimony, prepare for and participate in mock hearings/briefings for the Secretary, sub-cabinet and senior staff prior to interactions on Capitol Hill.• Serve as the Department Liaison’s liaison with the White House Legislative Affairs office, the Office of Management and Budget and the Council on Environmental Quality.WHITE HOUSE LIAISON 1/09-12/09• Served as the principal liaison between the Office of the Secretary and the Executive Office of the President.• Responsible for placement of 248 Presidential appointees; political appointees on over 200 boards and commissions, and the personnel actions for each.• Served as a Senior Advisor to the Secretary for personnel management, budget and organizational structure, meeting daily with the Secretary and key Department officials on strategies for improving USDA.• Prepared weekly reports to the President and Executive Office of the President Staff regarding Agriculture Policy.• Attended weekly White House meetings with Senior Administration officials.

• Directed all departments including political, communications, operations, and field in a historic and successful bid for a split electoral vote in Nebraska. • Managed a staff of 16 and had direct supervisory responsibility for 3 additional State Party Partnership staff.• Managed and directed a budget of $314,000.• Developed and nurtured relationships with both traditional and non-traditional constituency groups.• Coordinated and staffed Senator Hillary Clinton’s rally in Omaha.*Took a leave of absence from Western Nebraska Community College to serve on the Obama for America campaign.

• Managed and funded an endowment valued in excess of $4 million dollars. Fundraising included direct asks, planned giving, staff and community outreach and appreciated asset giving.• Administrative oversight and supervision of foundation professional staff.• Work in concert with the President of the college and the President of Foundation Board of Directors to establish appropriate strategies for fundraising and spending Foundation resources.• Establish giving and spending guidelines for restricted and unrestricted funds.• Direct policy for the Foundation and serve on the College President’s cabinet.*Took a leave of absence from Western Nebraska Community College to serve on the Obama for America campaign.

• Oversee the Senate staff operations in 52 counties of western and central Nebraska, including the supervision of two professional staff.• Work with community leaders on special projects, including the successful addition of $250,000 to the Western Nebraska Community College Harms Advanced Technology Center, and spearheaded the successful effort to resume sales of Nebraska dry edible beans to the Iraqi government, reportedly a $6 million economic impact for the local economy of western Nebraska.• Performed casework and advised the Senator, specializing in agriculture and natural resource issues, including the revision of flood plain maps in North Platte, Grand Island and Fremont, leading to the removal of several thousand residents from the floodplain, saving millions of dollars in federal flood insurance premiums.• Participate and represent the Senator at outreach meetings statewide, including several major speaking engagements, primarily agriculture policy related.

• Coordinate and organize coalition building with traditional and non-traditional supporters for Senator Nelson’s re-election campaign.• Aid in the development of campaign and communications strategy.• Target the Senator’s support on issue basis and geographically.• Communicate the Senator’s message and issue positions to recruit supporters and volunteers for the campaign’s political program.• Provide oversight and supervision to 27 staff members in 5 regional offices in Nebraska.

• Served as the senior policy and strategic advisor for the candidate.• Coordinated media communications for the campaign.• Executed an unprecedented voter outreach effort for a down-ballot race.

• Served as the Director of a major branch of an agency whose mission was to provide avenues to self-sufficiency to those in poverty.• Led a staff of 22 people in administering 17 federal and state grant programs.• Assisted in the development of a human service web portal in eastern Nebraska.• Assisted in the development of a coalition to fight homelessness.

• Served as the Senior Policy Chief Executive Officer of a Federal Agency including direct budgetary and personnel oversight of a $22 million operating budget and 537 employees in 81 offices.• Led the agency in distributing $1.7 billion to Nebraska’s farmers and ranchers, and oversaw a loan portfolio valued at over $700 million.• Sought to boost morale and vision in an agency that was racked with ongoing delivery of disaster programs.• Instituted many new and innovative ways to serve Nebraska’s producers including a partnership with the State of Nebraska Office of Rural Health to ensure the medical coverage of farm families during economic crises.• Served as the Chairman of the Food and Agriculture Committee (FAC), a standing committee of USDA’s sister agencies in Nebraska; Served as the Chairman of the State Emergency Board whose mission was to prepare for natural and unnatural disasters.

• Performed casework and served as a policy advisor, specializing in agriculture and children/family issues.• Acted as the Administrative Director for the Lincoln Office, including the compilation and maintenance of employee and intern files, and assuring compliance with ADA, OSHA and Senate employment regulations. Responsible for all purchasing/orders for the Lincoln Office.• Participated in, and represented the Senator at outreach meetings statewide.• Composed official correspondence for the Senator and senior staff.• Coordinated the internship program in the Lincoln Office.

• Served as the primary assistant in the Development office, helping oversee and fund a $1.2 million budget• Researched and wrote private foundation and government grant applications for a capital campaign.• Maintained a database of approximately 20,000 donors and potential donors.• Served s the events coordinator for the organization.• Compiled daily deposits, daily financial reports, and served as a back-up assistant to the Controller.

• Represented the Senator to the public and in various meetings.• Assisted legislative and policy staff with research, primarily relating to commerce issues (e.g. telecommunications and transportation).• Performed administrative duties as an assistant to the office manager including the maintenance and compilation of employee records.• Coordinated White House and congressional tours.• Aided in the supervision of the Washington interns.