From Awareness to Action: The BioPreferred Federal Procurement Preference Program

Ron Buckhalt, Manager of the USDA’s BioPreferred® program, has more than 40 years of communications and public policy experience, having worked as a congressional press secretary, executive branch political appointee, public relations executive, communications consultant, lobbyist, radio and television newscaster, and video producer. As CEO of his own consulting firm, he provided legislative, public relations, educational, and management services to many small business clients and the Federal government. For the last 18 years,he has been a USDA advocate for biobased industrial products. Ron earned a degree in journalism from Auburn University in 1969. Linda Mesaros is President of Mesaros Associates, Inc., a woman-owned business specializing in environmental and energy procurement consulting services. She has served as a green procurement advisor to five U. S. Presidents, and has served as Acting Federal Environmental Executive and Chief of Staff of a White House Task Force, and Deputy Associate Administrator for Procurement Innovation at the Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy, where she managed the environmental and energy procurement efforts for the entire Federal government for more than 10 years. Currently, Linda works with Federal agencies to develop procurement tools, training, and outreach materials to increase the purchasing of biobased, recycled, and energy efficient products.