Challenges to the Economic Well-Being of Rural America
Lisa Mensah, Under Secretary of USDA Rural Development:
Lisa Mensah was confirmed by the US Senate in November of 2014 as the Under Secretary of USDA Rural Development. Ms. Mensah provides leadership for several USDA agencies focused on problems experienced throughout rural America – high-speed broadband access, renewable energy generation and conservation, small business development, local and regional food systems, rural poverty, and access to health care, among other issues. Don’t miss this opportunity for an engaging conversation on critical issues faced daily by residents of the Eastern Shore of Maryland and other rural areas of the country.
Prior to joining USDA, Lisa Mensah was the founding Executive Director of the Aspen Institute Initiative on Financial Security. Born and raised in Oregon, she is the daughter of an immigrant from Ghana and a former Iowa farm girl. Ms. Mensah holds an MA from the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of The Johns Hopkins University and a BA from Harvard University.