Meryl Harrell

USDA NRE

Meryl Harrell is the Deputy Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), where she works closely with the USDA Forest Service. Harrell previously served in NRE for eight years during the Obama-Biden Administration, including serving as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary.

Prior to returning to USDA, Harrell served as the Executive Director of the Southern Appalachian Wilderness Stewards (SAWS) and founded a consulting practice advising non-profit organizations, foundations, and government agencies working to conserve and manage public lands, address wildfire risk, build social and economic opportunity through outdoor recreation, and increase equitable access to careers in conservation. Harrell previously worked on public lands issues at The Wilderness Society in Washington, D.C.

Harrell received her J.D. from the Yale Law School and her undergraduate degree in geoscience and environmental studies from Princeton University. She can often be found hiking on trails in our national forests with her family.