Team USDA,

Thank you for attending “The State of the USDA” on Jan. 19. During the event and in the January First Friday email, I reiterated USDA’s priorities for 2022 centered and driven by our values of equity, inclusion, respect, integrity and attention to customer service. I highlighted the remarkable accomplishments that you have made possible over the past year, and the critical work ahead. Thank you to Rural Development Under Secretary Xochitl Torres Small for facilitating the conversation and for her leadership. I’ve said it before and will say this many times over: I am proud of the work this department has done, and will continue to do, to meet the needs of the American people. 

Thank you for submitting questions during and prior to the town hall. We will continue to create ways to meaningfully listen and engage with you throughout this year. My senior team has received the questions you shared. While I was not able to address them all, with the help of your agency leadership and leaders across the department, we will work to answer those questions in the coming weeks and months. 

If you missed the “State of the USDA” address, or if you would like to watch it again, you can do so in the video embedded below. Closed captions are not available. Please contact the employee experience mailbox at employeeexperience@usda.gov to request a live transcript. 

Finally, please take a few moments to complete the post-event survey which closes by COB on Monday, Jan. 31st. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, 

Secretary Vilsack

U.S. Department of Agriculture