Governor Gavin Newsome has reappointed Karen Ross Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture ( CDFA ).

Ross has served as Secretary of the CDFA since being appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. 8 years ago. Prior to joining CDFA , Ross was chief of staff for U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Ross grew up on a farm in Western Nebraska. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The appointment requires Senate confirmation.