DuPont hires Karis Gutter as new government affairs manager

Karis Gutter, a former USDA deputy undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (FFAS), will join DuPont as its government affairs manager, the company announced recently.

In his new post, Gutter will focus on agricultural and nutrition businesses, the biotech and chemicals giant said in a release.

"Karis will be a strong addition to our federal affairs team in Washington, D.C.," said Barry Granger, the vice president of government affairs at DuPont. "Karis' background and experience in the military, on Capitol Hill and with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will add an excellent foundation of knowledge to our Washington federal team."

Before serving as deputy undersecretary for FFAS in the Obama administration, Gutter was the senior advisor to the secretary of agriculture and the deputy administrator of field operations for USDA's Farm Service Agency. A Marine Corps Reserve veteran, he was also appointed as USDA's first Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison, a position created by the 2014 Farm Bill, to connect returning veterans with agricultural programs and advocate on behalf of veterans and veterans support organizations.

"I'm energized by the move to DuPont," Gutter said. "I'm ready for a new challenge and DuPont has a good mix of agriculture, materials science and biotechnology that fit my background and interests."

Gutter also worked on Capitol Hill as staff for the House Committee on Homeland Security, and as deputy chief of staff and legislative director for Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi.

Rep. Thompson called Gutter's move to Dupont "brilliant... considering Karis' depth of policy knowledge and keen political awareness."