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President-elect Donald Trump caught many ag industry insiders off guard by nominating Brooke Rollins as Agriculture Secretary to lead the USDA. During Trump’s first administration, Rollins served as the director of the Domestic Policy Council and assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives where she helped shape key domestic policies.

She then co-founded and was president and CEO of the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a think tank that promotes conservative policies. The AFPI advocated curbing foreign ownership of U.S. farmland.

Rollins grew up on a farm and earned a degree in agricultural development from Texas A&M University. She also holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Texas School of Law.

Rollins served as president and CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) from 2003 to 2018 where she positioned it as the leading state-based think tank.

Read more about Brook Rollings here.