Department of Agriculture, Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

Department/Agency: Department of Agriculture

Position:

Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services

Executive Schedule: Executive Level IV - Presidential Appointment with Senate Confirmation

Major Responsibilities:

Administers the Department of Agriculture’s nutrition and food security programs
Promotes dietary guidelines through the Food Guide Pyramid
Oversees food assistance programs, including food stamps and the National School Lunch Program

Key Competencies and Preferred Qualifications:

Social service background
Management experience

Insight:

The Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services (FNS) administers the social service arm of the Department of Agriculture. The FNS requested a fiscal 2009 budget of $64.1 billion to provide children and needy families with healthful food.

The flagship food stamp program receives the largest share, directing $43 billion to serve 28 million participants each month. The Food Stamp Program underwent a name change to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in October 2008 to reflect the administration’s new emphasis on nutrition and anti-obesity initiatives.

“Our programs provide nutrition assistance, including both access to healthy food and nutrition education and promotion to support and encourage a healthy lifestyle,” Nancy Montanez Johner, FNS under secretary since 2006, testified to Congress in March 2008. “With this nutrition mission in mind, we play a critical role in the integrated federal response to the growing public health threat posed by overweight and obesity, which affects well over half of adult Americans.” Johner said the agency’s investment in nutrition education has grown 65 percent since 2001, now topping $788 million.

A critical part of the under secretary’s job is developing partners at the state and community level to help promote and administer FNS programs. A priority of the agency under the Bush administration has been building ties with faith-based organizations. “The Administration is committed to ensuring that people who are eligible for food stamps can access benefits with dignity and respect,” Johner said in September 2008. “Faith and community-based organizations are uniquely positioned to help us reach those in need with information about critical nutrition assistance benefits.”

Americans who do not need federal food benefits can turn to the Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion for information and advice on healthy eating habits. The traditional food pyramid has been upgraded to a personalized model on MyPyramid.gov, one of the most-visited public federal Web sites. “We are currently at the very beginning of developing of the 2010 Guidelines, an initiative that we will lead over the next three years,” Johner said.

The next under secretary will take the lead on the 2010 Guidelines, helping to shape the serving sizes of American diets. He or she will also face the difficult task of developing cost-effective ways to ensure the nations needy have access to nutritional foods — an increasingly challenging goal as the economy falters.

Key Relationships – Within the Department or Agency:

Secretary
Deputy Secretary
Under Secretary for Food Safety
Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs
Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics
Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations
General Counsel

Key Relationships – Within the Government:

Assistant Secretary for Health, Department of Health and Human Services
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, DHHS
Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration
Director, National Institutes of Health, DHHS
Congress

Key Relationships – Outside the Government:

American School Food Service Association
Women, Infants and Children Directors Association
Health care advocacy groups
Consumer groups
American Farm Bureau Federation
Agricultural and general food marketing associations
State departments of health and human services
Faith-based and community social service providers

Nomination Referred to:

Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry

Current Position Profile:

1. Kevin W. Concannon (Confirmed: July 31, 2009). Former Director, Human Services Department, State of Iowa; Former Commissioner, Human Services Department, State of Maine.

Recent Position Profiles:

2. Nancy Montanez Johner (2006-2009). Former director of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services with more than a decade’s experience running programs for low-income children and families. Trained as a social worker.

3. Eric Bost, M.A. (2001-2006). Former chief executive and administrative officer of the Texas Department of Health and Human Services. Later ambassador to South Africa.

4. Shirley Robinson Watkins, M.S. (1997-2001). Former USDA deputy secretary for food, nutrition and consumer services and deputy secretary for marketing and regulatory programs. Former director of nutrition services for Memphis City Schools.