Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has chosen Doug McKalip as his acting chief of staff, said a USDA spokeswoman, who said McKalip “has a long record of service to American agriculture.” McKalip was senior adviser on rural policy at the White House before returning to the USDA in February. “Secretary Vilsack expects to permanently fill the role of chief of staff soon, and he appreciates Doug’s service in the interim,” said the spokeswoman. Brian Baenig, who was the USDA chief of staff, was named by the Biotechnology Industry Organization as its executive vice president for food and agriculture, effective next week. The personnel changes were first reported by the Hagstrom Report.