USDA Announces Key Staff Appointments
Washington, November 15, 2023 Today, the USDA announced the names of individuals who will serve in senior positions in Washington, DC
Eric Womack has been appointed Deputy General Counsel in the Office of General Counsel
Most recently, Womack served in the detailing department as associate counsel for the Litigation Group in the Office of White House Counsel. In this role, he provided legal advice on issues of critical importance to the administration, including the debt ceiling, artificial intelligence, and competition policy. Prior to joining his position, Womack served as Assistant Director of the Federal Programs Branch in the Civil Division of the Department of Justice. In all, he worked for 18 years in the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, starting as a prosecuting attorney in the Honors Program. Prior to that, he served as a staff attorney on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and a law clerk to Judge James Turk of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia. Womack holds a J.D. from New York University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C.
Brian Swerda has been appointed Director of External Affairs in the Office of Congressional Relations
Swerda joins USDA with years of experience in strategic engagement and planning having served in senior positions on Capitol Hill and in campaigns across the country. He most recently served as Chief of Staff to Rep. Yadira Caraveo (CO-08), and before that to Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (NM-02), who is currently Deputy Minister of Agriculture. In both roles, he helped establish offices for first-term members by building their teams, developing priorities, and creating outreach plans. As a campaign official, he served in a leadership role at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), where he managed numerous federal, state, and local campaigns, advising members of Congress and candidates on messaging, coalition building, and communications. Swerda holds a Master of Science degree in International Relations from Trinity College Dublin and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.
Eileen Trevino has been appointed Assistant Administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).
Trevino most recently served on detail for the Department of Transportation to address bottlenecks and improve the movement of U.S. exports and imports with a focus on agriculture. In this role, Trevino’s work was integral to the success of the White House Supply Chain Disruption Task Force. Prior to his work in the Biden-Harris administration, Trevino was president of the California Almond Alliance, a trade association for the almond industry while also serving on the USDA’s Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC). Trevino was deputy secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture for two governors overseeing export and international trade programs.
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