Lillian Salerno(born 1961) is an American attorney andentrepreneurwho serves asUSDA Rural DevelopmentState Director in Texas from 2022. She served as the Deputy Under Secretary of Rural Development of theUnited States Department of Agriculture[1][2]from 2015 to 2017.[3]She is the Principal of Armadilla Strategies and previously served as the Executive Director and Senior Policy Advisor at Safe Healthcare International Institute, as Executive Director of the International Association of Safe Injection Technologies, and as Principal and Chief Operating Officer of Retractable Technologies, Inc.[4]
Lillian Salerno | |
---|---|
Deputy Undersecretary for Rural Development,United States Department of Agriculture | |
In office 2015–2017 | |
President | Barack Obama |
Preceded by | Doug O'Brien |
Succeeded by | Vernita Dore |
Personal details | |
Born | 1961 (age 62–63) |
Alma mater | University of Texas(BA) University of North Texas(MA) Southern Methodist University(JD) |
Early life and education
editSalerno was born at theBaylor University Medical Center at Dallas,one of nine children in her family, and raised in the farming community ofLittle Elm, Texas.[5]She attendedLittle Elm High Schooland was both student council president and head cheerleader. Her graduating class had eighteen people in it.[6]
Salerno attended the University of Texas on aPell grantfor undergraduate studies, the University of North Texas for graduate school, and then Southern Methodist University for law school.[7][6]
Career
editSalerno has held positions in government, non-governmental advocacy organizations, as well as the private sector.
2015–2017
editIn 2015, the White House appointed Salerno to serve as an administrator in the Department of Agriculture.[8]
2017–2022
editIn March 2017, Salerno was under consideration to become a commissioner of theFederal Trade Commission.[9][10][11]
A member of theDemocratic Party,Salerno ran forUnited States House of RepresentativesfromTexas's 32nd congressional districtin 2018, but lost the Democratic primary toColin Allred.[12][7][13]
Salerno started a podcast, Pod Bless Texas, in 2018.[14]
Salerno's tenure with the USDA, specifically how her department ran what was essentially a bank with $220 billion in assets inside the USDA, was profiled inThe Fifth Risk,Michael Lewis's 2018 book about thetransitionandpolitical appointmentsof thefirst Donald Trump presidency.[6][15]
2022-present
editOn June 23, 2022, the White House announced that Salerno has been appointed as Texas state director for theUSDA's Rural Development.[16]
References
edit- ^Larson, Jordan; Stieb, Matt (10 January 2018)."What's at Play in the 2018 House of Representatives Races".New York Magazine.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^"USDA Expands Public-Private Partnerships to Create Economic Opportunities through Regional Food Supply Chains".
- ^Ross, Robyn (21 February 2017)."A Fork in the Road".Texas Observer.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^"Lillian Salerno's Biography".
- ^Jeffers, Gromer Jr. (12 September 2017)."Obama appointee Lillian Salerno joins race for congressional seat held by Pete Sessions".Dallas Morning News.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^abcLewis, Michael (2019).The Fifth Risk.New York and London: W. W. Norton & Company.ISBN9780393357455.
- ^abLivingston, Abby (15 May 2018)."Democrats have their eye on Pete Sessions' seat. Who will they pick to challenge him?".Texas Tribune.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^"The Fifth Risk: Undoing Democracy".The Independent Review.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^Bartz, Diane (13 March 2017)."Small business expert under consideration for FTC commissioner".Reuters.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^Salerno, Lillian (20 April 2017)."Want to rescue rural America? Bust monopolies".Washington Post.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^McCabe, David (14 March 2017)."Ex-USDA official said to be up for trade commission".Axios.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^Rocha, Alana (15 April 2018)."Meet The Democrats Vying To Unseat U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions In The Fall".Houston Public Media.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^Hagan, Lisa (23 May 2018)."Primary victories fuel new 'Year of the Woman' for Dems".The Hill.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^Wise, Kathy (1 March 2019)."Lillian Salerno Has Turned Her Political Loss Into a Podcast Mission".D Magazine.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^Kaiser-Schatzlein, Robin (5 December 2018)."How to Manage the Future".Los Angeles Review of Books.Retrieved19 September2020.
- ^"President Biden Announces Key Regional Appointments for USDA".The White House.Retrieved23 June2022.