Dear USDA Colleagues,

Just a short time ago, Joseph R. Biden Jr. took the oath of office as the 46th President of the United States and Kamala D. Harris took the oath of office as the 49th Vice President of the United States. As you know, President Biden has nominated Thomas J. Vilsack, the 30th Secretary of Agriculture, to be the 32nd secretary. While he awaits confirmation by the Senate, I will serve as the acting secretary. I am honored to ensure continuity of our important work.

During his previous tenure, Secretary Vilsack often said that USDA touches Americans “every day and in every way.” We have many important duties and functions that we must carry out even as new leadership comes into the department. Many hungry families desperately need us to provide access to food, especially now. Farmers, ranchers, homeowners and rural businesses count on us to process their loans and make payments due to them. Consumers rely on us to inspect and grade the food they eat. All Americans expect that we will protect our forests and grasslands. Current and future producers are waiting for the breakthroughs from research and analysis. Economic recovery requires opening up new and maintaining existing foreign markets. Pests and diseases do not pause for transitions, and we must keep our guard up against them. We have many other missions, and no less important is the work that goes into supporting them, like hiring people, accounting for taxpayer dollars, providing IT support, and managing and safeguarding our facilities. Please go about your duties with the usual high level of dedication, knowing that so many value the work you do.

President Biden clearly intends to make beating the COVID-19 pandemic and restoring the economy his top priorities, and USDA must play an important role in both. We all hope that vaccines will turn everything around as soon as possible, but we all know it will take some time before enough Americans are vaccinated to see progress. In the days ahead, the president will issue an executive order requiring masks and social distancing in federal buildings and on federal lands. We will be asked to develop a detailed, data-driven COVID safety plan for USDA that prioritizes the health and safety of all federal employees and contractors—whether they work in offices or out in the field, in food processing plants or in our labs—as well as their communities, families and loved ones.

For now, I ask that everyone follow the simple, but powerful guidelines that every public health expert recommends: wear a mask; maintain social distance; wash your hands frequently; avoid crowds, especially indoors; defer visits to families and friends if at all possible; and get your vaccine shot as soon as it is available and you are eligible. For many of you, it is possible to continue working remotely, and you should continue to do so. For those of you reporting to your usual worksite because you are doing essential work that must be done at a specific place at a specific time, please use all necessary protective equipment as well as following the actions noted above. Your health and safety are paramount. As the U.S. government comes together to beat the pandemic, please be prepared to contribute by, for example, making use of our facilities and our expertise whenever called upon. We are uniquely situated to help in rural America in that regard.

Secretary Vilsack made employee engagement and job satisfaction a major priority before and, if confirmed by the Senate, I suspect he will do so again. He took special pride when his leadership helped move USDA from near the bottom of the list to seventh among all federal departments in the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. The Biden-Harris Administration is sensitive to the priorities of workers and the incoming team tells me that, if confirmed, you can expect to hear more on Secretary Vilsack’s thinking and some early actions to demonstrate his commitment to making careers at USDA more rewarding and fairer for all employees.

Finally, the insurrection at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and its aftermath affected us all and we must take seriously the possibility of ongoing threats. I am grateful to USDA’s Office of Homeland Security for working with other federal agencies to monitor threats and protect USDA people and facilities. While most of our DC area employees have been teleworking because of the pandemic, some have been going into the office several times per week or occasionally. For your safety, please do not go into the Whitten or South buildings this week. Only mission essential employees will be able to access the buildings. Unless you receive explicit direction from a supervisor, work from home. Sadly, state capitals and other federal buildings outside of Washington, D.C., are also targets for disruption and violence. If you work near a state capitol, please maximize telework and pay close attention to direction from your state, county or city government regarding the safety of entering certain areas, and follow that direction.

Thank you for what you do every day for USDA and the American people.

Kevin Shea

Acting Secretary