WASHINGTON, March 23, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced the names of individuals who will hold senior staff positions in Washington, D.C.
Kenneth Walker, Assistant Chief for the Natural Resources Conservation Service
Walker comes to USDA from the Mississippi House of Representatives, District 27. As a State Representative, Walker served as Vice Chair on the Workforce Development Committee and Member of the Agriculture, Water and Conservation, Education, Energy, and Forestry Committees. As a lifelong farmer, Walker grew up on a farm in Leake County, Miss., supporting the farms' cattle production. He was also a member of the local cattleman’s association and a volunteer firefighter for the Ofahoma Volunteer Fire Department. Before serving as a State Representative, Walker was a Project Manager at United Water, overseeing the maintenance and operation of the Jackson, Miss., wastewater treatment plant. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from Jackson State University.
Ramón Correa-Colón, Oversight Director for the Office of Congressional Relations
Correa-Colón joins USDA from the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served as Legislative Counsel for a Member of the House Committee on the Judiciary, handling a portfolio that included immigration, civil rights, civil liberties, the federal judiciary, and oversight. Before that, he worked at the Puerto Rico Federal Affairs Administration, Office of the Governor of Puerto Rico in Washington, D.C., as General Counsel and Policy Advisor. In this role, he advised on proposed rules, pending legislation, and responses to Congressional inquiries and covered public policy issues around economic development, appropriations, public safety, and disaster recovery. Correa-Colón is a licensed attorney admitted before the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Puerto Rico U.S. District Court, and the U.S. First Circuit Court of Appeals. Previously, Correa-Colón held roles as a judicial law clerk at the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico and the Puerto Rican Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation, among others. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Puerto Rico and a Juris Doctor from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law.
Jaime Jackson, Senior Advisor for the Rural Utilities Service
Jackson will join USDA after years of public and private service. Most recently, Jaime served as Director of Investments at a clean energy finance authority where she led over $25 million in deployment of capital that benefited affordable community housing. Before that, she spent 11 years at the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (EXIM) where she led a $1.2 billion portfolio of power and high-technology corporate and project finance transactions spanning across Asia Pacific, Europe, Africa, and Latin America. Prior to EXIM, Jaime also held leadership roles in hospitality and data integrity industries. She is a member of Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy and The Association of Women in International Trade. Jaime holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Finance from Clark Atlanta University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland.
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