COLUMBIA CITY, IN. – Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.) released the following statement after U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced presidential appointments for Indiana leadership at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA): Steve Howell as State Director for Indiana Rural Development and Steve Brown as State Executive Director of the Indiana Farm Service Agency.
Senator Jim Banks (R-Ind.): “President Trump and Secretary Rollins are putting America’s farmers first. Steve Howell and Steve Brown will help our farmers get the support they need and ensure Indiana’s agriculture industry remains strong for a long time to come.”
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins: “President Trump is putting Farmers First, and so is the incredible team we are building at the Department of Agriculture. Our latest additions to the USDA family are personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper. I look forward to seeing the work they will do supporting farmers, ranchers, and producers across the country by implementing President Trump’s America First policies,”
Background:
Steve Howell – State Director, Indiana Rural Development:
Howell previously served as Director of Community Affairs for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and as Deputy District Director for Congressman Mark Souder. He is also engaged in his family farm in Jay County, Indiana.
Steve Brown – State Executive Director, Indiana Farm Service Agency:
Brown formerly served as the Indiana State Executive Director for FSA in the first Trump Administration. He has been actively involved in his family farming operation for over 40 years. Steve is a former USDA employee with 32 years of experience working in Porter and Carroll counties as well as the Indiana State FSA Office. He was inducted into the Carroll County Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2023