Under Secretary for Food Safety for the Food Safety and Inspection Service
Dr. Richard Raymond was appointed as Under Secretary for Food Safety on July 18, 2005. In this position, Dr. Raymond is responsible for overseeing the policies and programs of the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and he chairs the U.S. Codex Steering Committee, which provides guidance to U.S. delegations to the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
Dr. Raymond has extensive experience in developing and implementing policies and programs designed to improve public health. Prior to joining USDA, Dr. Raymond served as the director of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Regulation & Licensure division where he oversaw regulatory programs involving health care and environmental issues.
While serving as Nebraska's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Raymond directed a large number of public health programs including disease prevention and health promotion. He also developed several anti-bioterrorism initiatives and a statewide health care alert system. He also played an integral role in developing health districts in each of Nebraska's 93 counties.
Dr. Raymond served as president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) and has been a member of the association's Preparedness Committee for three years.
A life-long resident of Nebraska, Dr. Raymond practiced medicine in rural Nebraska for 17 years. Dr. Raymond established and directed a community-based Family Practice Residency for Clarkson Medical Center, served as president of the Nebraska Medical Association, chaired Nebraska Governor Mike Johanns' Blue Ribbon Panel on Infant Mortality and served on numerous state committees related to public health.
Dr. Raymond graduated from Hastings College and earned his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
