Erin Otto is the National Policy Manager for the Lacey Act Program for USDA-APHIS-Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) in Riverdale, MD. She is responsible for providing internal and external leadership to ensure that the programmatic actions and activities of the Lacey Act program are continually monitored, harmonized, and improved to achieve program goals. Ms. Otto leads strategic program planning, establishes national program objectives and performances measures, and adjusts policy based on program information. Ms. Otto coordinates the response to issues such as congressional inquiries and environmental concerns and seeks to manage opportunities for internal and external partnerships, alliances, coalitions to support the goals of the Lacey Act Program.

In 2005, Ms. Otto started her APHIS career as a Training Technician at APHIS-PPQ’s Professional Development Center (PDC).  In 2007, she became a PPQ Officer/Instructor at the PDC and transitioned to a Training Specialist.  Ms. Otto has taught and created training for several major PDC curricula including the Customs and Border Protection Agricultural Specialist (CBPAS) Academy and PPQ technical training. In 2017, she became a National Policy Manager with Emergency and Domestic Programs focusing on new pest evaluation, the Federally Recognized State Managed Phytosanitary (FRSMP) Program, and the Deregulation Evaluation of Established Pests (DEEP) process.  Most recently, she served as National Policy Manager for the Ralstonia solanacearum race 3 biovar 2 emergency response  in 2020 and for the Spotted Lanternfly Program from 2020 until 2022. For the Ralstonia response, the subsequent eradication efforts covered over 650 facilities in 44 states and maintained the $3.17 billion potato market. Her achievements have merited many awards over the years, including the APHIS Administrator’s Award, the PPQ Safeguarding Award, and the USDA Under Secretary’s Award. Erin graduated with a B.S in Forestry from the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and a M.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Science from the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana