Former NGA Staffer Joins USDA

Among the appointments made to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services (FNCS) division is Maggie Lyons, formerly with the National Grocers Association (NGA) as chief of staff and senior adviser to the acting deputy undersecretary, Brandon Lipps, previously with the Texas Tech University System, who will serve in the position until the U.S. Senate confirms a permanent presidentially nominated appointee. Additionally, Kailee Tkacz, formerly of the Corn Refiners Association, was appointed policy advisor.

“The health and nutrition programs administered by USDA play a tremendous role in the Administration’s efforts to improve education and job readiness,” noted U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. “I have no doubt that Brandon, Maggie and Kailee will help further our mission of feeding the world and making decisions in our nutrition programs that are science-based and data-driven. I welcome Brandon, Maggie and Kailee to the USDA family, and I thank them for their desire to serve this nation.”

At Arlington, Va.-based NGA, Lyons was the senior government relations, in which role she coordinated on all issues, including the SNAP and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) programs at the retailer level, and assisted independent member stores with licensing issues and questions regarding those transactions, among other duties. Before joining NGA, she worked in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.