Minnesotan Ellen Goldberg Luger has been appointed to serve as a minister counselor of agriculture in Rome for the U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service.
That makes two Luger family appointees for the Biden administration. President Joe Biden nominated her husband, Andrew Luger, for U.S. attorney of Minnesota in November 2021, and the Senate confirmed his appointment in March.
Goldberg Luger said her new job will involve working with United Nation agencies on global food security and representing U.S. agriculture.
"Given the significant food and hunger issues that we're facing globally, I hope to work with the team in Rome to make an impact and help feed more people," she said.
She previously worked at the Minneapolis Foundation and, before that, focused on global philanthropy and volunteerism for the General Mills Foundation. There, she worked to increase food production in Africa and India, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She was also on the board of the Global Foodbanking Network that supports food banks in more than 40 countries.
"This experience has provided Ellen with invaluable knowledge of some of the most challenging issues facing the world's food insecure," the USDA stated.
The Foreign Agricultural Service's work includes helping buyers get information on U.S. agricultural products and offering expertise in policy and trade discussions.
