Summit Speakers
Luncheon Keynote Speaker
Sanah BaigDeputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics
United States Department of Agriculture
Sanah Baig has served USDA across two Presidential administrations. She was appointed by President Biden to serve as the Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics (REE) in November 2022. In her role as Deputy Under Secretary, Baig leads the management of the more than $4 billion USDA Science enterprise responsible for ensuring U.S. agriculture’s success through the advancement of science, technology, and innovation. Under Baig’s leadership, REE is focused on increasing research and extension support for underserved communities and strengthening partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions, advancing precision nutrition research in support of more equitable health outcomes, and positioning agricultural transformation as a fundamental solution to fighting the climate crisis.
Prior to this role, Baig served for one and a half years as the REE Chief of Staff. Before returning to federal service in 2021, Baig served for three years as Chief of Staff for the global nonprofit the Good Food Institute. She also served as Program Director at the National Association of Counties in Washington, D.C. Baig worked at USDA for six years during Obama Administration, in a variety of capacities including serving as an advisor in the Office of the Secretary, Rural Development, and the Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) mission area.
Baig started her federal career at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) after working at the Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) Woodbridge campus. She is a proud D.C. resident and graduate of the University of Virginia.
Speaker: Workforce trends in the agri-food landscape
Mark C. White, Ph.D.
Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACE), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Interim Assistant Dean and Program Leader, Community and Economic Development
University of Illinois Extension
Dr. Mark C. White is the Interim Assistant Dean and Program Leader for Community and Economic Development with Illinois Extension and a Clinical Associate Professor with the Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics (ACE) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). His recent applied research projects include an examination of rural vitality in Illinois and a workforce analysis of the Midwest’s food, agriculture, and forestry industries. This latter project is part of a larger USDA-funded, multi-state project focused on encouraging young people to explore careers in food and agriculture. Previously at the University of Missouri, Dr. White conducted labor market analyses of Missouri’s food and agriculture industries for the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the St. Louis life science industry for BioSTL. Dr. White serves on the Board of Directors for the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER)—a national membership organization for professionals involved in applied economic and community development research. Each spring, Dr. White also teaches an undergraduate course on Business and Industry Data Analysis.