A Texas native, Ms. Rollins worked in the first Trump White House and has also led two influential conservative think tanks.

President-elect Donald Trump picked Brooke Rollins as US secretary of agriculture, tapping a member of his first-term White House team and elevating another loyalist to his incoming administration. Most Read from BloombergNYC's Underground Steam System May Be Key to a Greener FutureNYC Gets Historic Push for 80,

The sprawling U.S. Department of Agriculture controls policies, regulations and aid programs related to farming, forestry, ranching, food quality and nutrition.