Kari Jo Lawrence Appointed To USDA Equity Commission - Subcommittee on Agriculture

The Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC) is proud to announce that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the members of the newly established Equity Commission and its Subcommittee on Agriculture. Executive Director of the Intertribal Agriculture Council, Kari Jo Lawrence, has been appointed to the agriculture subcommittee. Kari Jo stated, “I am excited and honored to serve on the USDA Equity Commission, Agriculture Subcommittee. I look forward to continuing my conversations with all producers who work in the field across the country and communicating the solutions so we can strengthen our entire food system. I see this role as an opportunity to uplift the voices of producers across the country, and to bring their issues and solutions to this Subcommittee."

As stated in the press release: "The 15-member commission and its Subcommittee on Agriculture will provide recommendations to the Secretary on policies, programs, and actions needed to address equity issues, including racial equity issues, within the Department and its programs, including strengthening accountability and providing recommendations to the Secretary on broader and more systemic equity issues at USDA."

The new commission members are:

• Arturo S. Rodriguez, California

• Hazell Reed, Arkansas

• Toni Stanger-McLaughlin, Washington

• Derrick Johnson, Mississippi

• Ronald Rainey, Arkansas

• Mireya Loza, District of Columbia

• Charles Rawls, Virginia

• Shorlette Ammons, North Carolina

• Poppy Sias-Hernandez, Michigan

• Todd Corley, Ohio

• Yvonne Lee, California

• Elizabeth Lower-Basch, Virginia

• Shirley Sherrod, Georgia

• Ertharin Cousin, Illinois

• Rick Smith, Missouri

The new agriculture subcommittee members are:

• Shari Rogge-Fidler, Illinois

• Savonala Horne, North Carolina

• Alexis Racelis, Texas

• Gina Eubanks, Louisiana

• Michelle Hughes, Virginia

• Kari Jo Lawrence, South Dakota

• PJ Haynie III, Virginia

• Russell Redding, Pennsylvania

• Janssen Hang, Minnesota

• Erica Lomeli Corcoran, California

• Sarah Vogel, North Dakota

• Gary Matteson, New Hampshire

• Jennie Stephens, South Carolina