WASHINGTON – Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced Carmen Rottenberg will be the Acting Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety, and Paul Kiecker will be the Acting Administrator with the Food Safety and Inspection Service. Alfred Almanza, former administrator with FSIS, retired from the agency July 31 after 39 years of service.

In her new role, Rottenberg will oversee development, implementation and enforcement of all FSIS regulations, policies and programs. Before her promotion, she spent six years in leadership roles within FSIS, including Chief of Staff, the Chief Operating Officer and, most recently, the Deputy Administrator of FSIS’ Office of the Administrator.

Rottenberg joined FSIS in 2007 as an Equal Employment Opportunity Specialist. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy from Hope College in Holland, Michigan and a law degree from American Univ.’s Washington College of Law.

Kiecker is a 29-year veteran of FSIS and has served in various roles at the agency. Most recently, he served as Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Field Operations (OFO). He also was Executive Associate for Regulatory Operations, after serving as the District Manager in Springdale, Arkansas and Madison, Wisconsin as well as Deputy District Manager in Madison. His experience with FSIS also includes work with the Office of Investigation, Enforcement, and Audit (OIEA), where he was a Compliance Investigator and a Supervisory Compliance Officer.

Kiecker has led coordination with other federal agencies, state and local governments, international organizations and other stakeholders. He also had oversight for strategic planning, policy formulation and implementation, budget development and execution, human resource management and daily inspection operations.