Chief Assistant to Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner and Deputy Chief of Staff
Elizabeth (Beth) Johnson, M.S. R.D. was named Chief Assistant to Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner and Deputy Chief of Staff by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on May 10.
Johnson, who has served since 2002 as a senior advisor to the Secretary on food and health related programs, will continue her advisory responsibilities in her new role. A registered Dietitian, she joined USDA in 2002 after having served as vice president of Fleshman-Hillard, Inc., in Washington, D.C. where she worked with a variety of food and agricultural clients.
Before joining Fleshman-Hillard in 1998, Johnson was a senior professional staff member at the Senate Agriculture Committee where she coordinated policy in the areas of nutrition, farm credit and livestock. In addition, she was formerly associate director for food policy at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.
Her previous government experience includes positions at the Food and Drug Administration as a nutritionist for the food labeling division and as a research dietitian at the USDA Agricultural Research Service.
A native of Madison, Indiana, Johnson holds a Master of Science degree in Nutrition from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics from Ball State University.
Beth and her husband Bill have two daughters, Sara and Hanah.
