Brad Pfaff


Brad Pfaff is an American politician who was the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wisconsin Farm Service Agency executive director and USDA Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, serving during the Obama administration.
Pfaff was the Secretary-designee of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in the administration of Wisconsin Governor-elect Tony Evers. The Republican controlled State Senate rejected his nomination after he had served more than a year.
He is now a candidate for State Senate.

Early life and education

Pfaff was born and raised on a farm in La Crosse County, Wisconsin. Pfaff was an instructor at Marymount University in government studies. He holds a master's degree in public administration from George Mason University and a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Career

Pfaff served more than 12 years on the congressional staff of Congressman Ron Kind, assisting the congressman with agriculture and rural development issues. In 2004, Pfaff was a candidate for the 32nd district of the Wisconsin State Senate. He was a member of the Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development Council. He also served on the staff of United States Senator Herb Kohl and for Wisconsin State Representative Virgil Roberts. Pfaff was elected to serve on the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors in 2007.

Obama Administration

In 2009 Pfaff was appointed the Wisconsin State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency at the USDA. In 2015, Pfaff was appointed to serve as the USDA Deputy Administrator for Farm Programs, a position responsible for the implementation and delivery of all Title 1 crop commodity programs and the Conservation Reserve Program. After President Obama left office in 2017, Pfaff rejoined the staff of Congressman Ron Kind as Kind's deputy chief of staff.

Evers Administration

In December 2018, Governor-elect Evers announced his nomination of Pfaff to serve as secretary of DATCP for the State of Wisconsin, subject to confirmation by the Wisconsin State Senate. On Nov. 4, 2019, the Senate voted 19-14 along party lines to deny Pfaff’s nomination. One week after the Senate vote, it was announced that Pfaff had been hired to serve as Director Of Business and Rural Development for the Wisconsin Department of Administration.