Women’s History Month
March 21, 2022

March is Women’s History Month. I am proud to work alongside so many great women leaders at USDA. I am all at once honored and grateful to have been chosen as the first woman to serve as Administrator of the Risk Management Agency.

When I was asked to lead RMA last year it came as quite a surprise to me, but of course I embraced the opportunity. Living far from the Washington Beltway in South Dakota, in a very rural area, I could not imagine why this administration would want me to head a USDA agency of such importance. I am not a well-known political leader or influencer.

This administration made a commitment that they truly wanted to embrace diversity. It is a testament to their commitment to ALL women. They recognize the value of having women in agriculture and what women have done throughout time - their day-to-day work and supporting their partners, children, and families. That is why this month—Women's History Month—is so important to me.

And choosing me did come down to some important qualifications, including 40 plus years of operating a 2,000-acre farm with my husband, two and a half decades working at FSA, and finally, working in the private sector for crop insurance, because the federal program that we work hard to support is INVALUABLE to the success of any ag operation. This is what I bring to the table.

RMA Administrator Marcia Bunger with husband, Roger.

Perhaps this weekend, or sometime this month, you can find a moment to reflect on the contributions and sacrifices of women to our society as a whole and in our personal lives.

– Marcia

Marcia Bunger is the Administrator of USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA). Prior to her appointment, she served as a County Executive Director for USDA’s Farm Service Agency. A native South Dakotan, Bunger is also the owner and operator of a 2000-acre farm, a cum laude graduate of Augustana College, and the first member of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community and first woman to serve as RMA Administrator.