(Radio Iowa) – The U.S. Senate has confirmed the appointment of a northeast Iowa native to a key role in the U-S Department of Agriculture. Alexis Taylor is now the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs in the U-S-D-A. During a confirmation hearing in late September, Taylor told senators she’d work to remove trade barriers and ensure countries adhere to science-based regulations. Taylor also said she expects to work on the international food crisis created by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Taylor grew up on a farm near Holy Cross and earned a political science degree from Iowa State University in 2005. She served in the Army Reserves and did a tour of duty in Iraq. Taylor, who was appointed director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture in 2016, previously worked in the U-S-D-A, overseeing the Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services division.