Karla Thieman will move from chief of staff for Deputy Agriculture Secretary Krysta Harden to the same post for Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the USDA announced. After five years as a senior staff member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Thieman joined USDA in 2014, working first as a senior adviser to Vilsack and then becoming Harden’s top staffer. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri and worked in political campaigns for three incumbent senators. “Karla brings to this position strong leadership, sound judgment, and a fierce passion for agriculture and rural America,” said Vilsack in a statement.