Basil Gooden, a former Virginia agriculture secretary who has been directing state operations for USDA Rural Development for the past two years, was nominated Monday by President Joe Biden to be the department’s new undersecretary for rural development.
If confirmed by the Senate, Gooden would replace Xochitl Torres Small, who became deputy agriculture secretary in July.
Gooden "is a widely respected, accomplished champion for affordable housing, community advancement, and economic development, and I applaud President Biden for nominating him to take the helm of our critical Rural Development mission area," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a press release.
Gooden, who has a doctorate in social work from the University of North Carolina, served as USDA’s rural development director for Virginia before becoming state agriculture secretary, a post he held from 2016 to 2018.
He is a native of Buckingham County, in central Virginia, where he and his family own and operate a cattle farm.
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In his career, he also has been an extension specialist at Virginia Tech, where he earned his bachelor’s degree; a county committee adviser for USDA’s Farm Service Agency; and chief deputy director for the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development.
Gooden's "firsthand knowledge of USDA programs and the needs of people who depend on them, his track record for advancing and improving polices that benefit agriculture and rural America, and his tenacity for teaching, advocating and learning make him an outstanding nominee for this position and a true asset for our department," Vilsack said.
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