Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 8/19/19


U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has sworn in Brandon Lipps as deputy under secretary of the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS) and Pam Miller as the administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

The appointments come as work has begun on updates to federal dietary guidelines, which are due by law in 2020.  

“Both Brandon and Pam have extensive experience in nutrition policy and have already been serving in FNCS leadership positions,” said Perdue. “I am confident they will hit the ground running and continue the great work the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services does to feed those in need.”

Lipps has served as administrator of the Food and Nutrition Service, and also as acting deputy under secretary of the Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services since July 2017. Before being appointed to his current position, he worked for the Texas Tech University System as the chief of staff and director of federal affairs in the Office of Chancellor Robert Duncan.

Prior to joining the Texas Tech University System, he served as counsel and senior professional staff to the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture where he led the nutrition policy team.

Miller has served as the USDA’s Food and Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS) senior associate administrator for policy since September 2018. In this role she has worked on a wide range of policies promoting self-sufficiency, program integrity, and instilling public confidence in USDA’s oversight of the 15 nutrition programs.

Prior to joining USDA, Miller worked for the U.S. House of Representatives for 20 years. During her career she was senior professional staff for the House Agriculture Committee where she helped craft three farm bills focused on nutrition and specialty crop issues. She also served as lead professional staff for the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee specific to USDA’s FNS, Agricultural Marketing Service and Food Safety and Inspection Service in developing annual spending bills.

Dietary guidelines
Lipps and Miller will likely have roles to play as the government discerns changes to the dietary guidelines, which it reassesses every five years.

Hearings are already underway and a comment period for stakeholders is open.

The first of four open meetings on the guidelines occurred in July. The three remaining include:
• October 24-25, 2019 at USDA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
• January 23-24, 2020 at USDA Agricultural Research Service in Houston and
• March 12-13, 2020 at USDA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

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