Krysta Harden — Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of Public Policy at E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company

Ms. Krysta Harden has been the Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of Public Policy at E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company since March 2, 2016. Ms. Harden served as Deputy Secretary of the United States Department Of Agriculture (USDA). She has responsibility for leading the company's public policy and government affairs strategies, as well as its sustainability, philanthropy, product stewardship and global regulatory activities. She shaped food and agriculture policy, including leading the implementation of the 2014 Farm Bill. At USDA and throughout her career, she has focused on expanding opportunity for women, young people, immigrants, socially disadvantaged producers, returning veterans and retirees. Prior to her service as Deputy Secretary, she held USDA leadership positions as Chief of Staff to the Secretary of agriculture, Tom Vilsack and Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations. Preceding her service at USDA, she spent five years as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), providing national leadership for natural resource conservation and representing thousands of conservation districts across the nation. She also has worked with the American Soybean Association as Senior Vice President of Gordley Associates, where she concentrated on conservation and renewable energy issues. She also served 12 years on Capitol Hill, as Staff Director for the House subcommittee on peanuts and tobacco and as Chief of Staff and Press Secretary for former Congressman Charles Hatcher. Ms. Harden received her B.A. in Journalism from the University of Georgia.