Kristen Sleeper is making the move to Idaho to act as Governor Little’s new Policy Director, leaving her role as Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment at the USDA.

The Governor released a statement this evening, announcing that as the new Policy Director, Sleeper will help the people of Idaho with Natural Resource policy, among other areas. I have had the opportunity to interact with Sleeper through her time at the USDA, during which she has been the utmost professional.

Sleeper earned a Master of Environmental Management degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Montana before working with the Montana DNR, the Department of the Interior, and the USDA.

Here is the announcement from Governor Little’s office:

Governor Brad Little announced today he hired Kristin Sleeper to serve as his new Policy Director starting Jan. 5, 2026. Sleeper is serving as the Deputy at the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins.

“The addition of Kristin Sleeper as my Policy Director marks a strong step forward for Idaho. Her depth of experience in natural resources policy, combined with her sound political and governing acumen, will enhance our work on behalf of Idahoans,” Governor Little said.

As a member of Governor Little’s executive team, Sleeper will work closely with the Legislature, state agency directors, and other stakeholders to advance the Governor’s priorities in natural resources and other policy areas.

Prior to joining the USDA in January of 2025, Sleeper worked for the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in Washington, D.C. She also worked for the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and was the Director for Policy and Research at the National Alliance of Forest Owners, a national advocacy organization that promotes working forests. She held roles in forestry and wildfire prevention and preparedness at the Montana Department of Natural Resources, and she worked for the U.S. Department of the Interior. Sleeper was a Presidential Management Fellow at the U.S. Forest Service.

Sleeper earned a Master of Environmental Management degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Montana. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Biology and Zoology from Michigan State University.

Sleeper replaces Jamie Neill, who recently departed the Governor’s Office to work for the Idaho Dairymen’s Association.

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