Basil Gooden

As Virginia's 3rd Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Gooden's top priorities were: (a) increasing economic opportunities in agriculture and forestry; and (b) advancing strategies for rural economic development. These strategies sought to increase the business capacity of farmers, producers and agribusiness as well as increasing Virginia's agricultural and forestry export opportunities to international markets. Under his leadership, the Secretariat worked to promote the economic viability of industrial hemp in Virginia.[5] Also, the Secretariat partnered with the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, Secretariat of Technology and James Madison University to host the first ever Governor's “Smart Farm” Summit on December 12, 2017.

Gooden worked to expand international trade as a key component of increasing economic opportunities in the agriculture and forestry industries in Virginia. As Secretary, he traveled with Governor Terry McAuliffe on numerous trade/marketing missions visiting 17 countries and 23 cities abroad. A few of these countries include; Cuba, Japan, China, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, Singapore, India, Switzerland, Canada and Mexico. He has met and worked with each member of VDACS’ global network of trade representatives from Canada, Mexico and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, India, China, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia.

In 2014, Dr. Gooden was appointed by then President Barack Obama to serve as the state director for USDA – Rural Development in Virginia. In that position, Dr. Gooden served as the chief executive officer of this federal agency that allocated approximately $1.25 billion annually to improve the economy and quality of life in rural Virginians. During his tenure at Rural Development, he restructured the agency's workforce, including hiring twenty-six (26) new employees, to improve program delivery, community outreach, and customer service. USDA-RD assists in building vibrant, sustainable communities by financing projects essential to improving the quality of life and environment. Through USDA-RD, funding is available for job creation, business development, essential community facilities, basic infrastructure and affordable housing. During his tenure as state director, USDA-RD invested more than $2.5 billion into housing, community and economic development projects throughout rural Virginia.

Previously, Dr. Gooden served as the Chief Deputy Director of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for twelve years. In that position, his primary administrative responsibilities included strategic management, technology advancement, and community development initiatives in economically distressed communities. Before DHCD, he worked at Virginia Tech where he served as the Coordinator of Outreach and Community Relations. Additionally, he worked with Virginia Cooperative Extension as an Extension Specialist where he designed and implemented a statewide research project to assess community issues impacting localities across Virginia. Some of his additional professional experiences include working as a Legislative Assistant to former Congressman L.F. Payne, Jr. (Fifth Congressional District of Virginia) and as a Legislative Aide to former United States Senator Charles S. Robb.