Rep. Roger Chase, R-Huron, listens to Gov. Kristi Noem during her 2023 budget address on the House floor of the South Dakota Capitol on Dec. 5, 2023. (Makenzie Huber/South Dakota Searchlight)
A former legislator is the new executive director of the South Dakota Farm Service Agency, according to a Tuesday announcement from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Roger Chase is the Trump administration’s appointee for the position. The Huron Republican served in the state House of Representatives from 2017 through 2024, including a stint as chair of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. He is an owner and partner in Chase Grain and Cattle.
The USDA also announced Tuesday that Lorraine Polak will serve as director of South Dakota Rural Development. Polak grew up on a dairy farm in Nebraska and has worked in public service for more than 30 years, most recently as a housing policy specialist for U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-South Dakota.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins issued a statement commenting on those and numerous other recent appointments.
“Our latest additions to the USDA family are personally invested in ensuring farmers and rural America prosper,” Rollins said.
