USDA colleagues,

Thank you to all who were able to join Secretary Vilsack and me for our "Fireside Chat" Town Hall this week. I hope our conversation was informative and allowed you to learn a little bit more about me, what I hope to accomplish at USDA working with the secretary and all of you, and the work that has been done to address many of your ongoing questions and concerns since the secretary’s first town hall.

As Secretary Vilsack pointed out during our discussion, what unites us here at USDA isn’t just policies and programs—it is a shared sense of purpose and the knowledge that the work we do brings value to the American people every single day. I feel deeply honored to get up each day and know I am working alongside some of the best and most committed public servants in government. You all inspire me more than you know!

If you were unable to attend or if you would like to watch it again, you can do so here: https://youtu.be/zoZlqHpEI3k.

Finally, thank you to those who took the time to fill out the post-event survey and to those who submitted questions during the questions and answer portion of the event. Please know that we value your feedback and we review all of it. Later this month, we will make an FAQ available responding to the common themes from all the town hall meetings that have taken place over the last several months. Note: The post-event survey is closed. If you would like to provide feedback, please email: OneUSDA@usda.gov.

The secretary and I look forward to partnering with you in continuing to deliver our critical missions and working to make USDA a great place to work for all.

Talk with you again soon.

Dr. Jewel Bronaugh
Deputy Secretary
U.S. Department of Agriculture

You can also view this message at OneUSDA (internal link).