Our Leadership
My Rural America's diverse leadership team comes from a cross-section of the U.S.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS – Executive Committee
Caren A. Wilcox, President
Caren Wilcox is the president of Caren Wilcox & Associates LLC, a firm based in Washington, DC that provides strategic advisory services concerning agriculture and food issues. An experienced business executive and public servant, Caren's professional experience includes having served as the first deputy under secretary for food safety at USDA, and as CEO of an agriculture based trade association. She has worked for most of her life in the field of food production and processing.
Larry Mitchell, Vice President
A former Texas corn and cotton farmer, Larry Mitchell is a past Vice president of the national Farmers Union and was Deputy Administrator at USDA's Farm Service Agency. Mitchell currently represents the American Corn Growers Association on farm program and energy policy.
Lloyd E. Wright, Secretary & Treasurer
Lloyd served as Director of USDA's Office of Civil Rights during the period of the black farmer settlement. He has also directed numerous projects for Conservation, Community Assistance, Resource Development and Watershed Protection Divisions of the Natural Resources Conservation Service at USDA.
POLICY ADVISORS
Linda A. Lingle, Chair. Linda Lingle grew up in Piggott, Arkansas. Her first job out of college was working as a VISTA volunteer with the South Carolina Commission for Farm Workers, which was headed by Representative Jim Clyburn, now Majority Whip for the U.S. Congress. Now, Linda runs a successful consulting practice with an emphasis on community college projects, energy and environmental issues.
Mathew Cary. Matt Cary, a Viet Nam veteran from Elmira, New York, is Founder and President of Veterans and Families of Military Progress, a new grassroots organization dedicated to ensuring that the rights and needs of veterans, military service members (active-duty, National Guard and Reserve) and their families are understood by the American public and protected by legislation, regulation and public policy initiatives.
Robert Cashdollar. A native of Tennessee, Bob Cashdollar grew up working on his dad's cattle farm and watching Tennessee politics. Bob worked on his first Farm Bill in 1972 and continues to represent clients to Congress on issues like food, agriculture, rural economics and natural resources. He also serves on the boards of the Friends of the National Arboretum and the Capitol Hill Community Garden and Land Trust.
Christopher A. McLean. A Nebraska native, Chris is a principal partner in e-Copernicus, a firm specializing in telecommunications, transportation and technology policy. Chris is also a former Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service and served as counsel to former Senator Bob Kerrey and the late Senator Jim Exon.
**Note: Barbara M. Leach, Founder — Ms. Leach can no longer be involved in any role at My Rural America because she has taken a position at USDA.
