Source: POLITICO'S MORNING AGRICULTURE, 2/8/19

After serving as assistant to the secretary for rural development at USDA, Hazlett is headed to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, yours truly scooped on Thursday. She’ll head up the council’s work on addressing substance abuse in rural communities, which involves interagency coordination and building grassroots strategies.

A statement announcing Hazlett’s departure highlighted her work at USDA dealing with opioid abuse, pointing to her efforts spearheading a directory of federal resources that help rural areas address the opioid crisis as well as a database of drug overdose deaths in the U.S.

Hazlett is joining the ONDCP as part of a major shakeup at the office led by newly confirmed drug czar Jim Carroll, with career staff reassigned and teams reshuffled or eliminated, our Pro Health colleagues report.

Baxley steps in for a while: Rural Housing Service Administrator Joel Baxley will fill her old post in an acting role. Baxley has a real estate background: He previously worked as a director and consultant for RSM US’ Financial Advisory Services consulting practice. Before that, he was managing partner at his own firm, Baxley Property Advisors.

RD undersecretary job returns: In June 2017, Hazlett walked into a newly created position at USDA in the wake of Perdue’s reorganization plan that eliminated the undersecretary for rural development position. Some lawmakers were upset by that move and the 2018 farm bill reinstated the job.

Perdue said he’s working with the White House to find a nominee, who will need to be confirmed by the Senate. After that process is complete, the assistant to the secretary position will be nixed.