Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development

The Under Secretary for Rural Development (USDA(RD)) is a high-ranking official in the United States Department of Agriculture and principal advisor to the United States Secretary of Agriculture responsible for oversight of the department's rural development programs and policies.

United States Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development
Seal of the Department of Agriculture
Website	usda.gov

The Under Secretary is appointed by the President of the United States with the consent of the United States Senate to serve at the pleasure of the President. The most recent Under Secretary was Basil Gooden, who was nominated in September 2023, assumed office on March 4, 2024, and served until January 20,2025.

Overview

The Under Secretary for Rural Development, as head of the Rural Development Mission Area, provides assistance to rural communities in the United States. In particular, this assistance comes in three areas: business, utilities, and housing. The Under Secretary for Rural Development oversees loans, grants, and technical assistance to rural residents, communities, and businesses.

With the rank of Under Secretary, the USDA(RD) is a Level III position within the Executive Schedule.^[1]

Reporting officials

Officials reporting to the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development include:

• Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development
• Administrator of the Rural Business-Cooperative Service
  • Rural Business-Cooperative Service
• Administrator of the Rural Housing Service
  • Rural Housing Service
• Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service
  • Rural Utilities Service

Office holders

Under Secretary Torres-Small was confirmed by voice vote on October 7, 2021.^[2] The previous Under Secretary was Lisa Mensah, who was appointed by President Barack Obama on May 8, 2014, and confirmed by the United States Senate on November 20, 2014.

Between the two, Anne Hazlett served as Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, from June 12, 2017,^[3] to February 7, 2019, when Hazlett joined the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.^[4]

  Denotes an Acting Under Secretary for Rural Development

No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	President serving under
1		Jill L. Long	1995	2001		Bill Clinton
2		Thomas C. Dorr	2002	2008		George W. Bush
3		Dallas P. Tonsager	May 12, 2009[5]	2013		Barack Obama
4		Lisa Mensah	November 20, 2014	January 2017
5		Xochitl Torres Small	October 13, 2021	July 17, 2023		Joe Biden
6		Basil Gooden	March 4, 2024	January 20, 2025