Director of External Affairs in the Office of Congressional Relations

Brian Sowyrda

Brian Sowyrda joins USDA with years of strategic engagement and planning experience after serving in senior positions on Capitol Hill and campaigns across the country.

He most recently served as Chief of Staff for Rep. Yadira Caraveo (CO-08), and before that for Rep. Xochitl Torres Small (NM-02), who is currently the Deputy Secretary 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 worked in a leadership role at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), managing multiple federal, state, and local campaigns and advising congressional members and candidates on messaging, coalition building, and communications. Sowyrda holds a Master of Science in International Relations from Trinity College Dublin and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA.