July 16, 2009
Jerold Mande, MPH

Jerold Mande, MPH

Jerold R. Mande, MPH, was named Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on July 9.

Mande, a 1983 alumnus of UNC-Chapel Hill’s Master of Public Health program in nutrition at the Gillings School of Global Public Health, will oversee the Food Safety and Inspection Service, the USDA agency that protects public health by ensuring the safety and wholesomeness of the nation’s supply of meat, poultry and processed egg products.

“Jerold Mande brings years of experience in health, nutrition and epidemiology, food safety and public policy in both government and academia that will greatly serve USDA and the public as we continue to work to protect public health,” said Agriculture Secretary TomVilsack, in announcing the appointment.

At Yale University School of Medicine’s Yale Cancer Center, Mande developed a national model to increase support for cancer prevention and control, including diet, exercise and obesity. He also initiated and helped manage the cancer center disparities program, to improve cancer control and care in underserved populations.

Previously, Mande had served on the White House staff as a health policy adviser, where he helped lead key food safety, tobacco control and cancer initiatives, including expansion of FoodNet and PulseNet.

He was Deputy Assistant Secretary for Occupational Health at the U.S. Department of Labor. He also served as Senior Adviser and Executive Assistant to the Commissioner of the Food and Drug and Administration, where he led design of the Nutrition Facts food label, for which he received the Presidential Award for Design Excellence.

“I am excited and eager to try policymaking from the supply or food side,” Mande said. “USDA’s programs can have enormous impact on public health. For example, 67 percent of USDA’s budget is for nutrition assistance. That is $90 billion of food each year. The food USDA buys has a big impact on health, probably bigger than the Department of Health and Human Services’ nutrition education and regulatory programs.”

In addition to his UNC degree, Mande holds a Bachelor of Science degree, magna cum laude (B.S. with distinction in nutritional sciences) from the University of Connecticut at Storrs. He also attended the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, completing a Program for Senior Managers in Government.

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UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu.
 

 

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