Jewel Bronaugh, Virginia state agriculture commissioner, has been nominated for deputy ag secretary, the number-two post at USDA. She was one of five women in the running for the position, and if confirmed, will become the first black deputy ag secretary at the federal agency. In the role, Bronaugh will be charged with managing day-to-day operations for USDA, which currently has 84,000 employees and an annual budget of $150 billion. The announcement was widely praised by ag groups and leaders with whom she’s worked in Virginia, especially for her leadership on farmer mental health, rural economic development and getting young people involved in agriculture. Her nomination, along with that of secretary of agriculture nominee Tom Vilsack, now requires Senate confirmation. See more about the nomination.