Karen Comfort

Karen T. Comfort is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) acting Chief Employee Experience Officer. In this role, she leads Department-wide strategies to improve USDA’s recruitment and hiring, employee training and development, promotion and advancement, and awards and recognition policies, processes, and procedures, integrating diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles. She also leads USDA’s employee engagement and voice of the employee programs designed to enhance employees’ experiences and to improve employee retention. Previously, Ms. Comfort was the Deputy Associate Administrator/Deputy Chief Operating Officer for the Agricultural Marketing Service at USDA. Ms. Comfort graduated from Trinity Washington University where she earned a BA in Communication. She holds a MPA from The American University.