Brad Pfaff is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wisconsin Farm Service Agency executive director, serving in the Obama administration. He is a member of the Democratic Party

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 and served on the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors from 2007 to 2009, representing the 29th district of La Crosse, Wisconsin

La Crosse, Wisconsin

La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...

. Prior to a career in public service, Pfaff served as a legislative assistant and a staff member for Congressman Ron Kind

Ron Kind

Ronald James "Ron" Kind is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district is located in the western portion of the state and is anchored by La Crosse and Eau Claire and Platteville....

 and United States Senator Herb Kohl

Herb Kohl

Herbert H. "Herb" Kohl is the senior U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and a member of the Democratic Party. He is also a philanthropist and the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks National Basketball Association team...

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Education

Pfaff was an instructor at Marymount University

Marymount University

Marymount University is a coeducational, four-year Catholic university that has its main campus located in Arlington, Virginia. Marymount offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in a wide range of disciplines and has a diverse and welcoming academic community with approximately 3,600...

 in government studies. He holds a master's degree in public administration from George Mason University

George Mason University

George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...

 and a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

The University of Wisconsin–Green Bay is a public university located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers both bachelor and master degrees....

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Early career

Prior to being named the state executive director, he served more than 12 years on the congressional staff of Congressman Ron Kind

Ron Kind

Ronald James "Ron" Kind is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district is located in the western portion of the state and is anchored by La Crosse and Eau Claire and Platteville....

, assisting the congressman with agriculture and rural development issues. He also served on the staff of United States Senator Herb Kohl

Herb Kohl

Herbert H. "Herb" Kohl is the senior U.S. Senator from Wisconsin and a member of the Democratic Party. He is also a philanthropist and the owner of the Milwaukee Bucks National Basketball Association team...

 and was elected to serve on the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors for his second term in 2009. On the board of supervisors, he represented 3,600 residents, and in 2004 was a candidate for the 32nd district of the Wisconsin State Senate

Wisconsin State Senate

The Wisconsin Senate, the powers of which are modeled after those of the U.S. Senate, is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature, smaller than the Wisconsin State Assembly...

. He was a member of the Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development Council.

Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency

The Obama Administration announced on June 29, 2009 that Brad Pfaff would serve as Wisconsin

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...

 State Executive Director

Executive director

Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...

 for the Farm Service Agency

Farm Service Agency

The Farm Service Agency is the USDA agency into which were merged several predecessor agencies, including the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service . The ASCS was, as the FSA is now, primarily tasked with the implementation of farm conservation and regulation laws around the country...

 at the USDA. "Brad Pfaff has a solid understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our rural communities and will help build on the Obama Administration's efforts to rebuild and revitalize rural America," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack

Tom Vilsack

Thomas James "Tom" Vilsack is an American politician, a member of the Democratic Party, and presently the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He served as the 40th Governor of the state of Iowa. He was first elected in 1998 and re-elected to a second four-year term in 2002...

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Personal

He and his family live in La Crosse County where they are able to stay involved with his family’s farm.

External links