Hoosier Ag Today 

Purdue and IU Alum Audra Weeks Appointed USDA Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs

Kevin
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Audra Weeks, a native of Florida who earned graduate degrees from both Indiana University and Purdue University, has recently been appointed as USDA Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs. Photo courtesy of Purdue University.

Audra Weeks, a native of Florida who earned graduate degrees from both Indiana University and Purdue University, has recently been appointed as USDA Director of External and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Weeks previously served in the first Trump Administration as Deputy Press Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture before joining the national press team for President Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign.

Audra later served as Press Secretary to U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and had recently worked for a company specializing in crisis and issues management for food and agricultural clients in the private sector. She was appointed as USDA Deputy Director of Communications in January 2025.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Education and Communication from the University of Florida, she earned a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from Purdue University’s College of Agriculture, and a Master of Business Administration from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business.

Source: USDA