Anne Hazlett has been named the Senior Adviser for Rural Affairs for the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Hazlett has served as the Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development at USDA since June 2017. In her new role, Hazlett will help shape policy aimed at improving the quality of life in rural America, coordinate interagency efforts on drug control activity impacting rural communities, and build coalitions and grassroots strategies in these areas centered on prevention, treatment, and recovery.

“Rural communities across the United States have been particularly hard hit by our nation’s addiction crisis,” ONDCP Director Jim Carroll said. “Anne has a critical understanding of the unique challenges facing these communities and is committed to helping them reverse the effects of the opioid epidemic. We are looking forward to her joining our team as we build a stronger, healthier, drug-free society today and in the years to come.”

“During her time at USDA, Anne has been a tireless and proven leader in addressing the needs of rural communities struggling with substance misuse,” U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said. “With her love of people and passion for bringing hope to small towns impacted by this epidemic, Anne is perfectly suited for this important role. We are proud to see her take on this new opportunity where she can focus on building healthy and prosperous communities.”

Hazlett led USDA’s efforts to build infrastructure for prevention, treatment and recovery, facilitate partnerships, and drive innovation in rural communities. During Hazlett’s tenure, USDA worked with ONDCP to establish a White House Rural Opioid Federal Interagency Working Group, which is improving coordination of federal resources in rural America. Hazlett also guided USDA to build and launch the Community Opioid Misuse Toolbox. This initiative includes the Community Resource Guide, a comprehensive directory of federal resources that can help rural communities address the opioid crisis, and the Community Assessment Tool, an interactive database to help community leaders assess how and why the opioid epidemic is impacting their regions.

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