The Native American Agriculture Fund (NAAF) CEO, Toni Stanger-McLaughlin, J.D. (Colville) is appointed to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Equity Commission to address historical discrimination against minority farmers within USDA.

 Stanger-McLaughlin contributes many years of experience as a newly appointed member of the USDA Equity Commission. In her previous role working in the USDA Office of Civil Rights, Stanger-McLaughlin was engaged in the Keepseagle v. Vilsack class action litigation; the settlement of those civil rights and access to credit claims ultimately led to the creation of NAAF, of which Stanger-McLaughlin currently serves as the Chief Executive Officer.

“I am both honored and humbled to be selected to serve on the Equity Commission. Service to others is a fundamental part of my cultural upbringing, and I believe this effort will go beyond simply amplifying issues that need to be changed and instead identify actionable solutions to make institutional changes. I want to bring a unique perspective as an agricultural advocate to my role on this commission,” says Stanger-McLaughlin.

The Native Agriculture Education Fellowship Program (NAEFP) awards fellowships to Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian students pursuing technical, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in agriculture with the goal of strengthening the flow of Indigenous professionals into tribal agriculture. The Tribal Agriculture Fellowship is sponsored by leading agriculture industry groups including the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), Farmer Mac, John Deere and the Farm Credit.

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