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The Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development in the United States is Vernita Dore.
Vernita F. Dore
Vernita Dore serves as Deputy Under Secretary of Rural Development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As Deputy Under Secretary, Dore's responsibilities include overseeing Operations and Management, the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Civil Rights, and 47 State Directors across the nation. Additionally, Dore served as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary for Rural Development, and has held management positions throughout the agency, building a wealth of experience during her 30 years of leadership and support for rural communities. Dore was appointed by President Barack Obama as USDA’s Rural Development State Director of South Carolina in August 2009.
Ms. Dore has dedicated her professional career to improving the quality of life in rural communities. She has been especially impactful in educating and empowering our children; she has elevated the quality of life for rural youth and their families by securing financial resources to re-build and renovate schools, children’s hospitals and new libraries equipped with state-of-the-art technology. She has also been a consistent leader in Rural Development's efforts to create jobs and economic opportunities for rural citizens across our nation.
A native of Beaufort, South Carolina, Ms. Dore earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. She has received additional professional development from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, the University of South Carolina's Darla Moore School of Business, the Federal Executive Institute, and USDA Graduate School. Ms. Dore is a fellow of the Diversity Leadership Institute at Furman University.