WASHINGTON, May 25, 2021 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the names of individuals who will hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C.
Kim Peyser was named Deputy Assistant Secretary for Administration. Most recently, Peyser served as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Department of Commerce. Prior to taking on that position, she was a member of the President Biden’s transition team leading on appointments for both the Department of Commerce and the Small Business Administration. Peyser brings deep experience building and leading teams both in and outside of government. Peyser spent six years of service in two agencies during the Obama-Biden Administration. She received a master’s in public policy from Georgetown University and a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University.
Tien Nguyen was named Deputy Director of Scheduling and Advance in the Office of the Secretary. Nguyen was most recently an Advance Associate in the Executive Office of the President. Previously, she served as the Advance Lead on the Biden-Harris transition team and as the National Advance Lead and Studio Producer on the Biden for President campaign. Nguyen previously held positions with Mike Bloomberg 2020, Kamala Harris for the People, and Hillary for America. She also served as an Advance Associate in the Executive Office of the President during the Obama-Biden Administration. Nguyen graduated from Colorado College with a Bachelor of Arts in international political economy and a minor in Asian studies.
Katie Zenk was named Chief of Staff for Marketing and Regulatory Programs. Previously, Zenk was the Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture, full Committee economist, and Professional Staff during consideration of the 2018 Farm Bill on the House Agriculture Committee. Prior to her time with the committee, Katie served in several roles with Land O’Lakes, Inc. Katie is a native of Danube, Minn., and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and a master’s of science in agricultural economics from Purdue University and a master’s of business administration from Indiana University.
“Kim, Tien and Katie each bring years of valuable experience to USDA,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “With their leadership, we will strengthen how USDA delivers programs fairly and equitably to all people.”
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