Deborah
Tannenbaum
State Executive Director
Deborah
Tannenbaum
State Executive Director
Farm Service Agency
U.S. Department of Agriculture
About
Deborah Alford Tannenbaum was appointed by the Biden Administration to serve as the State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Florida in February 2022.
Tannenbaum is a sixth generation native Floridian from Lake City. She most recently served as Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services where she oversaw daily operations of more than 1,000 agency employees across six regulatory divisions including Aquaculture, Cannabis, Plant Industry, Animal Industry, Fruit and Vegetables, and Agricultural Environmental Services. She also worked to expand the department’s strategic partnerships, alliances, and stakeholder relationships within Florida’s $149 billion agriculture industry as well as manage the development of Florida’s hemp program.
Tannenbaum previously served as the founding Executive Director of the Florida Peanut Federation, a leading agricultural trade association that promotes, educates, and markets the benefits of Florida-grown peanuts to the public. In this role, she recruited members, oversaw public education events, and managed the organization’s charitable efforts to support hurricane disaster relief efforts and fight chronic hunger. Prior, she served as Chief of Staff at a Washington-based governmental affairs firm, working closely with several former U.S. House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee members, Congressional committee professional staff, and Executive Branch regulatory agency staff, including USDA. Tannenbaum also served as a Senior Fellow for the 57th Presidential Inaugural Committee as well as senior leadership roles in trade associations, national non-profit organizations, and political and issue advocacy campaigns over the last two decades.
Tannenbaum earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Florida State University and a master’s degree in political management from The George Washington University.