USDA Announces Tribal Advisory Committee Appointments and Opens Nominations for Additional Members

(Washington, D.C., October 23, 2026) - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the appointment of four members to the USDA Tribal Advisory Committee and a call for nominations to serve on the Committee.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins appointed three members, each for three-year terms.

Appointments by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins

• Mark Fox, Chairman, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arikara Nation - Great Plains Region
• Enjady Godfrey, General Manager, Mescalero Apache Telecom, Inc. - Southwest Region
• Evan Whitley, Director of Agriculture, Choctaw Nation - Eastern Oklahoma Region

"Under President Trump's leadership, USDA is putting America's farmers and ranchers first, including agricultural producers across Indian Country," said U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins. "Tribal Nations have a proud agricultural heritage and play an important role in strengthening American agriculture and rural economies. These appointments reinforce our commitment to respecting Tribal sovereignty, expanding economic opportunities, and ensuring Tribal perspectives help inform USDA's work. We look forward to working with congressional leaders as they make the remaining appointments to the Committee."

Representative Angie Craig, Ranking Member of the House Committee on Agriculture, appointed Dr. Bradford Hall, President of Blackfeet Community College, to serve the remainder of a vacant term ending in December 2026.

In addition to the four appointments, USDA is soliciting nominations for eight upcoming appointments to be made by the Chair and Ranking member of the House Committee on Agriculture; the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs; and the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Appointments made under this new solicitation will be for three-year terms. USDA encourages nominations from federally recognized Tribes, Alaska Native Corporations, Tribal organizations, or national or regional organizations with expertise in Tribal food, forestry, and agriculture issues.

Nominations must be submitted in accordance with the procedures contained in the Federal Register notice.

The nomination period will remain open through December 8, 2026. Specific information and nomination instructions are available in the Federal Register.

About the USDA Tribal Advisory Committee

Authorized pursuant to the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, the USDA Tribal Advisory Committee provides advice and guidance to the Secretary of Agriculture on matters relating to Tribal and Indian affairs. The Committee identifies evolving issues affecting Indian Tribes, develops recommendations and proposed solutions, discusses USDA policies and procedures affecting Tribes, and provides advice concerning Tribal consultation. By law, the Committee facilitates, but does not supplant, government-to-government consultation between USDA and Indian Tribes.

The Committee is required to meet in person at least twice each year. USDA's Office of Tribal Relations administers the Committee. At least one Office of Tribal Relations representative and the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior, or a designee, participate at Committee meetings as nonvoting representatives.

In May 2025, Secretary Rollins issued Secretarial Memorandum 1078-010 (PDF, 756 KB), reaffirming USDA's relationship with federally recognized Tribes and clarifying that USDA activities, services, and programs are distinct from DEI, gender ideology, or non-merit-based programming.

More information about the USDA Tribal Advisory Committee is available at: www.usda.gov/about-usda/general-information/staff-offices/office-tribal-relations/tribal-advisory-committee.

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