Secretary Perdue appoints new leadership for food safety
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has appointed Carmen Rottenberg as acting deputy under secretary for food safety, and Paul Kiecker was named acting administrator for the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS). The two will serve in those capacities until presidential nominees are confirmed by the Senate for those roles.
Rottenberg will oversee development, implementation and enforcement of all of FSIS regulations, policies and programs. This appointment follows nearly six years in leadership roles in the FSIS Office of the Administrator, including serving as chief of staff, chief operating officer and, most recently, deputy administrator.
Rottenberg joined FSIS as an Equal Employment Opportunity specialist in 2007, and went on to become the deputy director of the Civil Rights Staff. She began her federal government career in the Federal Trade Commission’s Office of General Counsel, and previously worked as law clerk at a small law firm in Fairfax, Virginia. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from Hope College in Holland, Michigan, and a law degree from American University’s Washington College of Law.
Paul Kiecker was named acting administrator for the FSIS. Throughout his 29 years with FSIS, he has been committed to a strong public health vision that has guided him to overcome obstacles, identify opportunities for improvement, manage resources efficiently, and achieve food safety objectives to prevent foodborne illness.
Since joining FSIS in 1988 as a food inspector, Kiecker has served in a number of roles at the agency, most recently as deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Field Operations. He came to Washington, D.C. to serve as executive associate for regulatory operations, after serving as the district manager in Springdale, Arkansas, and Madison, Wisconsin, as well as deputy district manager in Madison, Wisconsin. Kiecker’s experience with FSIS also includes work with the Office of Investigation, Enforcement and Audit, where he has served as a compliance investigator and as supervisory compliance officer.
