Executive Director, Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems
Kathleen Merrigan is a leader in sustainable food systems and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. She currently serves as the inaugural Executive Director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems and the Kelly and Brian Swette Professor of Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University. During her time at USDA (2009–2013), she launched the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative and helped shape First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign. Merrigan was named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2010.