Apr 28, 2021Former organic walnut firm director Moffitt nominated for federal post
California resident Jennifer Lester Moffitt has been nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.
Moffitt is undersecretary at the California Department of Food and Agriculture, where she previously served as Deputy Secretary from 2015-18. Prior, Moffitt spent 10 years as managing director at Dixon Ridge Farms, her family’s organic walnut farm and processing operation. Growing up and working on the farm, Moffitt learned first-hand the importance of taking care of the land and the people who farm it. Additionally, she served on the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board from 2012-15 and worked for American Farmland Trust from 2002-05.
As a farmer and policymaker, Moffitt has engaged with agricultural stakeholders on the critically important balance of sustaining our environment, strengthening our rural economies, and building healthy communities. Moffitt is a graduate of Brown University and the California Agricultural Leadership Program. She resides in Davis, California with her husband and daughter.
Statement from California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross:
I am thrilled that someone of Jenny Lester Moffitt’s caliber has been selected by President Biden to serve as USDA Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs.
In Jenny’s seven years at CDFA (as undersecretary and deputy secretary) she has shown herself to be a tireless advocate for agriculture and the people of California. I have deeply valued her counsel and her leadership. She is detail-oriented and a talented problem solver who brings all stakeholders together, and her experience as a farmer places her in a very strong position to understand the challenges and opportunities ahead. I have no doubt that she’ll show the same acumen and dedication on behalf of all Americans. We are a remarkable nation with the greatest agricultural story in world history, and we have people like Jenny – working in both the production and policy arenas – to thank for it.
Jenny Lester Moffitt is a trusted colleague and a good friend, and she will be missed here in California. But I am gratified that she will be serving a larger cause. She is a shining example of the next generation of agricultural leadership.
Photo above: Jenny Lester Moffitt
