From Virginia to the White House: First African American Confirmed for High-Ranking Role at USDA
Dr. Jewel H. Bronaugh
Updated: May 13, 2021
Dr. Jewel Hairston Bronaugh is making history again as the first African-American Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
“I am grateful for today's confirmation of Jewel Bronaugh as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Bronaugh’s confirmation is historic, as she will serve as the first Black woman and woman of color to serve as Deputy Secretary. Dr. Bronaugh has a long, distinguished career as an educator and champion for farmers and rural communities,” USDA Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an announcement released May 13.
President Joe Biden named Bronaugh as his pick for the position in January, and she sailed through confirmation hearings held in April and May.
Bronaugh has a strong background in farm programs, Cooperative Extension, education and research. Her expertise could not be more needed at a time when the agriculture industry is facing unprecedented challenges stemming from the impacts caused by COVID-19, as well as climate change, affordable health care, broadband access and restrictive trade policies.
As the second in command at the USDA, Bronaugh will help oversee more than 29 USDA agencies and nearly 100,000 employees who serve more than 4,500 locations in the United States and abroad.
With more than 20 years of experience in the agriculture industry, she is a well-respected agricultural leader and knowledgeable in many facets of the industry. More than 60 agriculture industry associations voted in favor of her nomination by submitting a joint letter supporting her appointment.
Bronaugh is no stranger to the USDA and its programs. In 2015, she was appointed to serve as Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in Virginia. She was appointed to this position by Vilsack during his first term as USDA Secretary under the Obama-Biden Administration.
“Dr. Bronaugh inspired many first-generation college students from rural communities to become outstanding leaders in their fields. That is understandable considering her positive, uplifting nature,” Vilsack said. “She speaks respectfully of producers and rural Americans, and believes that as a public servant, her job is to find a way to help those who need it. I look forward to working with Dr. Bronaugh to ensure USDA lives up to its calling as the People’s Department, to be a Department that serves all people equally and fairly.”
Bronaugh first made history in May 2018 when she was appointed by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to serve as the Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). She was the 16th commissioner of VDACS and the first African-American woman in the U.S. to serve in this capacity.
In that role, Bronaugh worked to promote agriculture, ensure food security, address farmer mental health, and advance diversity, equity and inclusion in the industry. She created the Farmer Stress and Mental Health Taskforce to address stress and mental health issues facing farmers and families in rural communities. Bronaugh also helped create the Virginia Food Access and Investment Fund Grant Program to help create new and expanding grocery stores and food retailers and to support innovative projects that address food insecurity in underserved communities. She also established a Career Development Scholarship Program within the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA) to provide opportunities for minority students to study and participate in national agricultural policy development.
Prior to VDACS, she served as dean of the College of Agriculture at Virginia State University (VSU) for five years. VSU is where Bronaugh, who grew up in Petersburg, got her start in agriculture as a 4-H Extension specialist with the Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) at VSU. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in education from James Madison in 1989, she had planned on following the path of her parents, who were educators. Bronaugh became a teacher then earned her master’s degree in education and a doctorate in career and technical education from Virginia Tech before joining VSU in 2001.
“Taking the position in 4-H and youth development in VSU’s College of Agriculture changed the trajectory of my career; I was planning on building a career as a college professor,” Bronaugh said in a May 2020 interview with FFA.
Her work as an Extension specialist cultivated a new world in agriculture, as she rose through the ranks. While dean of VSU’s College of Agriculture, she oversaw the VCE at VSU, the Agricultural Research Station and the three academic departments within the college, giving her extensive experience in extension outreach, research and academics.