# United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture

The United States deputy secretary of agriculture is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The deputy secretary becomes acting secretary of agriculture in the event of the Secretary's resignation, death, or other inability to fulfill the duties of the position. The deputy secretary performs whatever duties are prescribed to him or her by the secretary of agriculture. The deputy secretary of agriculture is paid at level II of the Executive Schedule.
The position of deputy secretary of agriculture was originally called the under secretary of agriculture, until the title was changed in 1976. Previous deputy secretaries by recency include Chuck Conner (September 2005–January 2009), Jim Moseley (August 2001 – April 2005), Richard Rominger (May 1993 – January 2001), Ann Veneman (1991–1993), and Jack Parnell (1989–1991). On July 13, 2017, President Donald Trump announced his intent to nominate Stephen Censky, the CEO of the American Soybean Association, as deputy secretary. Censky was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on October 3, 2017, and served until November, 2020. Jewel H. Bronaugh previously served as the senate-confirmed Deputy Secretary from her confirmation on May 13, 2021 until her departure in March 2023. She was the first African-American to serve as deputy secretary. Xochitl Torres Small was nominated by Joe Biden in February 2023, and served as the deputy secretary from July 2023 to January 20, 2025.
Two deputy secretaries have gone on to head the Department of Agriculture, Ann Veneman and Richard Lyng.

## List of deputy secretaries of agriculture

denotes Acting Deputy Secretary

### Parties

Democratic (7)  Republican (8)
| No. | Name | State of residence | Took office | Left office | President(s) |
| 1 | John Coyle White | Texas | 1977 | December 1977 | Jimmy Carter |
| 2 | Jim Williams | Florida | 1979 | January 20, 1981 | Jimmy Carter |
| 3 | Richard Edmund Lyng | California | 1981 | January 1985 | Ronald Reagan |
| 4 | John R. Norton III | Arizona | 1985 | 1986 | Ronald Reagan |
| 5 | Peter C. Myers | Missouri | June 4, 1986 | 1989 | Ronald Reagan |
| 6 | Jack Parnell | Washington | April 20, 1989 | May 1, 1991 | George H. W. Bush |
| 7 | Ann Veneman | California | June 27, 1991 | January 20, 1993 | George H. W. Bush |
| 8 | Richard Rominger | California | May 12, 1993 | January 20, 2001 | Bill Clinton |
| 9 | Jim Moseley | Indiana | July 17, 2001 | April 2005 | George W. Bush |
| 10 | Charles F. Conner | Indiana | May 2, 2005 | January 20, 2009 | George W. Bush |
| 11 | Kathleen Merrigan | Massachusetts | April 8, 2009 | March 14, 2013 | Barack Obama |
| 12 | Krysta Harden | Georgia | July 23, 2013 | February 29, 2016 | Barack Obama |
| – | Michael Scuse | Delaware | March 1, 2016 | January 20, 2017 | Barack Obama |
| – | Mike Young | Washington D.C. | January 20, 2017 | October 10, 2017 | Donald Trump |
| 13 | Stephen Censky | Missouri | October 11, 2017 | November 8, 2020 | Donald Trump |
| 14 | Jewel H. Bronaugh | Virginia | May 17, 2021 | March 3, 2023 | Joe Biden |
| 15 | Xochitl Torres Small | New Mexico | July 17, 2023 | January 20, 2025 | Joe Biden |