Brian Ronholm
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has named Brian Ronholm, the deputy undersecretary for food safety, as acting undersecretary, Food Safety News reported this week.

Agriculture Undersecretary for Food Safety Elisabeth Hagen left earlier this month to become a food safety senior adviser with Deloitte & Touche LLP.

Before coming to USDA, Ronholm worked for Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., on a wide range of Agriculture appropriations issues and on legislative authorizing measures including the 2008 farm bill, the reauthorization of child nutrition programs and the Food Safety Modernization Act. He also worked on public health policy in the private sector.

Ronholm holds a master's degree in political management at The George Washington University and an undergraduate degree in finance, with an emphasis on political science and economics, from California State University at Hayward.