President Biden Nominates Basil Gooden for USDA Under Secretary of Rural Development

President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Basil Ivanhoe Gooden for Under Secretary of Rural Development in the Department of Agriculture. Gooden currently serves as the Director of State Operations for the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Office of Rural Development. Appointed to this position in July 2021, he is responsible for providing leadership, support, and supervision to the 47 State Directors in USDA Rural Development. Gooden has led the efforts in planning and establishing the newly created State Operations Office in Rural Development. Before this, he served as the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia from 2016 to 2018. As Secretary, he provided strategic vision and leadership to two of Virginia’s largest private industries, agriculture and forestry, with an annual economic impact of $91 billion on the Commonwealth.