(WASHINGTON) November 15, 2019 - House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson of Minnesota announced two additions to Committee staff on Friday.

Luke Theriot will serve as Professional Staff. Theriot has worked for several former Members of Congress and comes to the Committee from the office of Rep. Filemon Vela of Texas, where he served as Senior Policy Advisor. He has worked in various Federal roles at Louisiana State University AgCenter's Audubon Sugar Institute, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and the Senate Committees on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Energy and Natural Resources. Theriot also served with the Peace Corps in Morocco at Prince Sidi Mohammed Institute of Management and Agricultural Trade. He grew up on a sugarcane farm in the Atchafalaya Basin of Louisiana and holds a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness from Louisiana State University.

Malikha Daniels will move from Legislative Fellow to Legislative Assistant. Prior to joining the Committee in May 2019, Daniels worked for several former Members of the Senate and House Agriculture Committee, most recently as a Congressional Black Caucus STEM Legislative Fellow in the Office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York. She also worked at the USDA Agriculture Research Service and taught English in South America. She holds Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Master of Science in Public Policy from American University.

“Malikha and Luke both offer unique skill sets and will play key roles on our dedicated staff,” said Peterson. “I look forward to their contributions to the Committee’s goal of growing ideas that work.”