Staff Office

Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM)

The OHRM provides leadership and direction for administering USDA’s human resources programs and initiatives.

The OHRM provides related analysis and advisory assistance to the Secretary, Mission Areas, Staff Offices and other policy officials to support informed decision-making regarding USDA’s human resources programs.

Leadership

Anita R. Adkins

Chief Human Capital Officer, Office of Human Resources Management

Ms. Anita R. Adkins currently serves as the Chief Human Capital Officer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and has occupied this position since October 2021. More...

Michelle Long

Acting Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer, Office of Human Resources Management

Mrs. Michelle Long is USDA’s new Acting Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer. She began her federal career three and a half decades ago as a student intern at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Her experience sparked an appreciation for student internships and the opportunities they provide for bringing good candidates into a career of Federal service. More...

What We Do

Our Goals Are To:

Build Future Leaders
Leverage Technology to Improve the Delivery of HR Support
Support USDA Programs’ Human Capital Requirements
Provide Sound Human Resource Policy Guidance

Division Breakdown

Executive Resources Management Division: The Executive Resources Management Division (ERMD) oversees HR policies and programs for Senior Executive Service (SES), Senior Level/Scientific or Professional (SL/ST), Senior Science and Technology Service (SSTS), excepted service positions, and political appointments across USDA. ERMD also manages the Secretary’s Executive Resources Board and USDA’s Performance Review Board; works closely with the Secretary’s Office on various executive policy initiatives; and serves as the liaison between the Office of Personnel Management OPM, Office of Management and Budget OMB, and other Federal Departments affecting executive-level employees.

Human Resources Operations Division: The Human Resources Operations Division provides human resources services, including classification, recruitment and placement, pay and compensation, personnel action processing, performance management; employee benefits; awards and recognition; eOPF recordkeeping, and personnel security to non-executive and non-political employees to all staff offices under Departmental Administration, Office of the Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Budget and Program Analysis, Office of the Chief Economist, Office of the Chief Information Officer, Office of Communications, Office of the General Counsel, and the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement.

Employee Relations Division

The Employee Relations Branch provides employee relations advice, guidance and assistance to employees, managers and supervisors on employee performance and conduct matters, and administrative grievances. The Branch also administers the Drug Free Workplace Program, Reasonable Accommodation Program, and the Personnel Misconduct Investigation Program.

Employee Relations Resources

Human Resources Policy Division

The Policy Division administers human resources policy pertaining to pay, leave, performance management, employee recognition and awards programs, employment, classification, position management, organization, safety, worker’s compensation program, special retirement coverage for firefighter and law enforcement officer positions, delegations of authority, transit subsidy program and federal employee retirement and benefits programs. The Division provides policy guidance and coordination on a variety of management initiatives and serves as liaison with USDA agencies, Office of Personnel Management, Office of Management and Budget, and other Departments. The Policy Division monitors human capital management by analyzing compliance with merit systems principles, identifying and reporting on necessary improvements, and monitoring corrective actions.

Human Resources Enterprise Systems Management Division

The mission of Human Resources Enterprise Systems Management is to lead and manage strategic alignment of HR systems resources to support faster decision making, more effective workforce management, and improve resource alignment with agency missions. HRESM team is also charged with taking HR business strategy and then defining information technology systems architecture to support and execute that strategy.

Point of Contacts

If you need immediate assistance, please reach out to a point of contact referenced below:

Name	Title
Amelia (Amy) Ngo (Program Management Officer)	Director of HR Enterprise Systems Management Division
Wendy Sonnabend (Program Manager/HR (IS) Specialist)	Enterprise Performance Management System Departmental Program Manager Data Calls & Reporting WebTA 4.2 System Departmental Program Manager
Crystol Armstrong (Program Manager/HR (IS) Specialist)	eOPF System Departmental Program Manager LR/ER Information Systems (LERIS) Departmental Program Manager Retirement Calculator Departmental Program Manager SF-52 Tracker System Departmental Program Manager
Darcelle Walker (COR and Funding/Program Manager)	Governance/COR (Contract Management) Funding (Inter-Agency Agreement Management) NFC Software Change Request (SCR) Department Administrator HR Systems Training Management Data Calls & Reporting
Julie Paulk (Program Manager/HR (IS) Specialist)	EmpowHR System Departmental Program Manager NFC Mainframe System Applications Departmental Program Manager Distributed Security Administrator (DSA)/Department Administrator Robotics Process Automation Business Owner (Reassignments)
Gina Koch (Program Manager/HR (IS) Specialist	USAStaffing/Onboarding System Departmental Program Manager eRecruit Legacy System Departmental Program Manager
Vacant (HR (IS) Specialist/Program Support)	WebTA 4.2 USAStaffing/Onboarding eRecruit Legacy
Olivia Lubinski (HR (IS) Specialist/Program Support)	EmpowHR NFC Mainframe LERIS Enterprise Performance Management Application (EPMA) SF-52 Tracker Workflow Case Management Retirement Calculator eOPF ConnectHR HR Departmental Program Administrator
Vacant (Program Review/Program Analyst)	Data Calls & Reporting Support HR Systems Training Support Funding Program Support Program Review and Quality Control Officer
Vacant (Program Analyst)	Communications Management eOPF Program Support TMGT Administrator Support ConnectHR Program Support NFC SCR Administrative Support

Utilize the HRESM mailbox, HRESM@usda.gov, for General Questions - subject line (reference only one topical area per email)

Name	Title	Email	Phone
Amelia Ngo	Director, HRESM	Amelia.Ngo@usda.gov	202-875-4609
Crystol Armstrong	Program Manager	Crystol.Armstrong@usda.gov	202-720-6535
Darcelle Walker	Program Manager	Darcelle.walker@usda.gov	202-692-0263
Gina Koch	Program Manager	Gina.Koch@usda.gov	202-430-7122
Julie Paulk	Program Manager	Julie.M.Paulk@usda.gov	202-510-1787
Wendy Sonnabend	Program Manager	Wendy.Sonnabend@usda.gov	202-604-5783
Olivia Lubinski	Program Support	Olivia.Lubinski@usda.gov	202-280-8478

Labor Relations Division

The goal of the Labor Relations Branch is to promote the development and growth of collaborative Labor-Management relationships, and provide accurate and comprehensive guidance that will empower Management to make informed decisions as labor challenges arise. Pursuant to delegations of authority, the Labor Relations Branch provides expert advice, technical guidance, training, and policy to the Department, Mission Areas, Agencies, and Staff Offices concerning labor-management and labor relations matters arising under 5 U.S.C. Chapter 71, et seq. (“the Statute”) and the national unions representing employees in collective bargaining units across USDA Agencies and Staff Offices.

Talent Management Division

The USDA Talent Management Division (TMD) plans, coordinates, and executes USDA’s Department-wide Talent Management Strategies. TMD provides leadership, policy, and accountability for employee, supervisor and executive training, leadership development and Student Intern and Pathways programs.

TMD designs and implement talent management strategies that train and retain a high achieving workforce with emphasis on ensuring all employees, including remote employees, are provided opportunity to excel and grow in their careers.

Fosters a culture that support employee and leader’s development
Encourages employees to be engaged in their own development through use of IDP’s
Develop and implement policies and programs so there are no gaps in the training and development opportunities available to all employees.
The Key Tenets of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility is embedded into all TMD strategies, policies, and programs.

Employee Experience Division

The Employee Experience Division (EED) is a collaborative organization dedicated to enhancing the employee experience lifecycle across the Department by partnering with Mission Areas, agencies, and Staff Offices. Serving as thought leaders in cultural change, EED prioritizes employee engagement and proactively addresses employee feedback to foster a positive work environment.

Focused on the holistic employee lifecycle, EED diligently identifies employee pain points and opportunities for improvement and implements innovative solutions. Leveraging best-in-class Human-Centered-Design (HCD), change management, and Voice of the Employee (VoE) strategies and techniques, EED evaluates and enhances processes related to human resources, employee health and wellness, employee benefits, training, awards, technology, internal communications, and more. Through a comprehensive approach spanning recruitment to alumni transition, EED creates a robust and adaptive employee experience. This commitment aims to attract, inspire, and retain a diverse workforce reflective of America and the customers USDA serves.

Please contact us at EmployeeExperience@usda.gov