By Jody Shee

Pat Swanson believes her life path prepared her for the U.S. Department of Agriculture role she stepped into on March 24. She was selected to lead the Risk Management Agency, overseeing the federal crop insurance program for the Trump administration. 

USDA Risk Management Agency Administrator Pat Swanson speaks at a Crop Insurance Professionals Association meeting.  

“My job is to make sure that our farmers are being taken care of and that the delivery system—the private insurance companies and agents—delivers crop insurance,” she says.

Raised on a farm near Britt, Iowa, Swanson recalls the exact day she first learned there was such a thing as crop insurance. Each summer she and her five siblings walked the soybeans pulling weeds. When they finished mid-summer, the family celebrated by going into town to buy a gallon of A&W Root Beer to share. At age 12, the night of their celebration, a hailstorm wiped out the entire crop they had just spent weeks tending. Because of crop insurance, her parents were able to continue farming. 

Growing up on a farm was just the beginning of a chain of events, choices and developed skills that shaped Swanson into a natural fit for her new role. Her analytical and questioning mind led her to pursue a computer science degree at Iowa State University, followed by a decade-long career at Hewlett-Packard. When her husband Don’s banking job took them to Ottumwa, Iowa, it gave them the opportunity to raise their two children near the family’s seventh-generation farm. Drawing on their shared business experience, the couple launched a crop insurance agency focused on helping farmers manage risk. 

Former ASA board member Pat Swanson was appointed administrator of the USDA Risk Management Agency in March 2025.

When the opportunity arose to lead the RMA, Swanson says she wasn’t sure, but her resume said otherwise. She had served on the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Board, was district director of the Iowa Soybean Association and an American Soybean Association director, among other credentials.

“After I took a few days to think about the opportunity with my family, I decided I could make a difference,” she says.  

As administrator she oversees employees nationwide and works with insurance agents, adjusters and underwriters who provide effective, market-based risk management tools to strengthen the economic stability of agricultural producers and rural communities. She believes it is a strong example of an ideal public-private partnership that brings needed relief to farmers quickly and efficiently. 

It’s been quite a life change. Swanson commutes to Washington, D.C., during the week and returns home to Iowa on weekends. “I’m committed to maintaining and improving this program for my grandbabies that may want to farm someday,” she says. Swanson has four grandchildren under age five, with another on the way. “I make sure every weekend to see them and get my snuggles.” 

Swanson gave up her ASA director position to take the USDA job. “We can’t lobby, but we can provide technical assistance to Congress as they make decisions on the farm bill or budget reconciliation bill,” she explains. 

Swanson credits ASA with helping her find her voice. Through its media and leadership training, she gained the tools to speak effectively with lawmakers. “We were always encouraged to tell our story. ASA really helped me develop those skills and empowered me to do that.”