Leadership

Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights – Devon Westhill

Devon Westhill serves at the U.S. Department of Agriculture with extensive experience in civil rights leadership and public service. Devon Westhill previously led the civil rights office as Deputy Assistant Secretary and has held additional federal appointments, including service at the U.S. Department of Labor, work with the Administrative Conference of the United States, and engagement with the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Before federal service, Devon Westhill served as President and General Counsel of a national civil rights organization.

Devon Westhill has provided expert testimony on civil rights matters before Congress, federal agencies, and in federal court.

Devon Westhill has delivered hundreds of presentations at academic institutions, conferences, and public forums, and has been featured across radio, television, and major print publications. Devon Westhill’s writing has appeared in several national outlets.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Devon Westhill earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida.

Deputy Assistant for Civil Rights – Ladisa Onyiliogwu

Ms. Onyiliogwu brings decades of distinguished public service and leadership experience to this role. Her expertise spans policy development and implementation, strategic planning, organizational transformation, and stakeholder engagement at the highest levels of government. She is widely recognized for her results-driven leadership style and her ability to navigate complex institutional environments while advancing mission-critical objectives. Her work is grounded in an abiding commitment to the principles of equal opportunity, the fair treatment of the law, and the affirmation of individual rights for all Americans.

Ms. Onyiliogwu was a member of the inaugural class of the Center for Equal Opportunity Civil Rights Fellowship in 2022. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Clark Atlanta University and a Master of Arts in Government from Johns Hopkins University.

Chief of Staff, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights – Elena Crosby

Ms. Crosby brings more than 20 years of distinguished experience in compliance, corporate governance, and government relations spanning both public and private sector organizations. Prior to joining USDA, she served for 10 years in the office of then-U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, most recently as State Director, where she managed statewide operations and constituent services.

Her extensive private sector background includes regulatory compliance and healthcare law positions at AdventHealth, as well as executive leadership roles at Digital Fusion, Inc., and Connextions, Inc. In these positions, she served as Corporate Secretary, Director of Legal and Government Affairs, and Compliance and Contracts Officer, gaining comprehensive experience in legal affairs, regulatory oversight, and corporate governance.

Ms. Crosby earned her law degree from Barry University Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law and holds a bachelor's degree from Purdue University Global.

Associate Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights – Theodore H. Gutman

Ted Gutman serves in a senior civil rights leadership role at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, drawing on extensive experience in equal opportunity, organizational management, and civil rights program oversight. Ted Gutman previously served as Deputy Associate Administrator for NASA’s Office of Equal Opportunity, leading major improvements that strengthened performance and agency‑wide coordination.

At USDA, Ted Gutman has held several senior positions, including Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Chief of Staff, National Civil Rights Director for the Forest Service, and Director of the Complaints Adjudication Division. Earlier USDA roles also included leadership in human resources for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business Services.

Ted Gutman began a federal career after serving as in‑house counsel for Evan Kemp Associates Health and Mobility Systems, with earlier public service at the President’s Committee on Employment for Persons with Disabilities and the Catholic Charities Legal.