WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2009 - U.S. Department of Agriculture Chief Economist Joseph Glauber today announced the selection of Carol Kramer-LeBlanc as USDA's new Director of Sustainable Development in the Office of the Chief Economist.

"Carol Kramer-LeBlanc brings both government and international experience that have well prepared her to fill the demands of this position," said Glauber.

As the USDA's Director of Sustainable Development, Kramer-LeBlanc is responsible for advancing the principles and goals of sustainable development through partnerships, collaboration, and outreach.

Carol Kramer-LeBlanc is an agricultural economist with broad experience in the federal government, in academia, and with international organizations. After completing her doctoral work at Michigan State University, Kramer-LeBlanc held academic appointments at Kansas State and Cornell Universities and then worked for 4 years at Resources for the Future, a Washington, D.C., think-tank.

Kramer-LeBlanc has worked for several years as an associate director at USDA's Economic Research Service in the natural resources area as well as served as Deputy Executive Director of the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion and Director of the Foreign Agricultural Service's Research and Scientific Exchange Division. Kramer-LeBlanc has extensive international development experience (with U.S. Agency for International Development, Millennium Challenge Corporation) and has served in the international affairs office of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.