Chalmers to serve as FSA and Rural Development state director

WASHINGTON - Sandy Chalmers, Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has been tapped by U.S. Secretary of Ag Sonny Perdue to be a state director of the FSA program.

Chalmers was among the slate of Farm Service Agency (FSA) and Rural Development (RD) State Directors to serve as appointees under the Trump administration.

FSA State Directors help implement U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) policies in planning, organizing, and administering FSA programs in their respective states. They are also responsible for running the day-to-day activities of the state FSA office.  Similarly, RD State Directors work to help improve the economy and quality of life in rural America.

“These state directors will help ensure that USDA is offering the best customer service to our farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural producers across the country,” Secretary Perdue said. “FSA and RD both play a critical role in helping the people of agriculture, and are able to connect with people in their home states.  They are the initial points of contact for millions of our USDA customers.  Our goal is to help rural America prosper, and these state leaders will be of great assistance in that task.”

Prior to her role as Assistant Deputy Secretary, Chalmers served as the Executive Officer of the Wisconsin Farm Service Agency. In her state FSA role, Chalmers was responsible for managing the operations of 57 Wisconsin offices, a $1.1 billion loan portfolio, and $500 million in annual payments.

In 2010, she received the coveted FSA Administrator’s Award for excellence in leadership and management.  Earlier in her career, she worked as Legislative Director for U.S. Representative Jan Meyers (KS) and for U.S. Representative Virginia Smith (NE), focusing primarily on energy, environment, budget, and transportation issues.