Cara LeConte

Cara LeConte is currently serving as the Acting Chief Operating Officer for U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Development responsible for all administrative support functions across the country. 

Ms. LeConte serves as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for Rural Development. As CFO, she is responsible for providing oversight related to accounting, budget, and compliance needs concerning Rural Development's direct and guaranteed loan portfolio. 

Prior to joining Rural Development, she served in several leadership roles at USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) including as the CFO and the Agency’s Chief of Staff. She ensured effective management, efficient use of FSIS resources, and effective deployment resources toward the achievement of FSIS’ strategic plan and overall mission. Through her leadership of the FSIS Enterprise Governance process she ensured FSIS effectively administered agency policy, promoted collaboration and cooperative decision-making among executives, prioritized agency-wide projects, and evaluated and monitored agency-wide goals. 

Ms. LeConte has over 20 years of leadership experience in both the private and public sectors. Prior to her entry into federal service, she worked as an accounting manager for multi-employer trust funds and was a senior financial consultant for International Business Machines. She is a certified public accountant and has an educational background in business, including a bachelor’s degree in International Business from Plattsburgh State University of New York and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Baltimore.