UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Katie McLaughlin sits at her desk in the Pennsylvania Governor’s Office of Transformation and Opportunity (OTO), she brings with her a lifelong connection to agriculture and lessons shaped by Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences.
Established in 2023, OTO is dedicated to making Pennsylvania a more competitive place to do business. In her role as agriculture coordinator, McLaughlin supports farms and businesses needing help with permitting state resources and partners with the Department of Agriculture for cross-agency collaboration.
“We’re fortunate to have a governor who prioritizes agriculture; it is a key part of Pennsylvania’s Economic Development Strategy,” she said. “I work on agriculture projects, whether that’s working with businesses that need permitting assistance or helping them navigate state resources. I also provide agency support, working closely with our colleagues at the Department of Agriculture. OTO is really an added layer of capacity for cross-agency collaboration and business support.”
Growing up in Mifflintown, McLaughlin said her family’s farm sparked her passion for the industry, and her dad’s Penn State master’s degree made the University feel like home. She showed livestock in 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America), building the roots that led her to the College of Agricultural Sciences, where she earned an agricultural sciences degree with a minor in international agriculture (INTAG).
“I only applied to Penn State,” she said. “I didn’t always know what that end goal might be, but an important moment for me was serving as a Pennsylvania State FFA officer. During that year of service, we worked closely at times with the College of Agricultural Sciences, and it solidified that Penn State was the right move for me.”
Once on campus, McLaughlin said, the college helped her connect all her interests, opening her eyes to where opportunities could be for her within the agricultural industry. As a student who loved writing and policy and grew up as an “ag kid,” she said she relied on mentors and advisers to help her see how those interests could fit together.
Advising, coursework and an array of minors helped her explore that path, she explained, while the INTAG minor still shapes how she approaches her work.
“The minor has been really instrumental to embracing the openness of what others bring to the table,” she said, noting that it helped her think about cultural needs, community needs and deeper issues that are not always obvious. The program, she added, teaches “a holistic way of thinking,” connecting food security, environmental issues and policy in ways that affect communities both at home and abroad.
Noel Habashy, associate teaching professor and coordinator of the INTAG minor, said it wasn't a surprise to him that the passion, commitment and excellence that McLaughlin showed at Penn State continues to shine in her professional career.
“Whether in government or private industry, the common threads through Katie's career have been conducting thoughtful, powerful work with a deep commitment to people and agriculture," he said. "It is exciting to see all the good she has done in her career so far, and I'm looking forward to seeing all that she continues to do in the future.
Now, in her current role, McLaughlin said those lessons continue to connect her back to Penn State.
She said she feels fortunate to still work with people in the College of Agricultural Sciences on shared initiatives, meeting regularly because of the natural partnership that comes from Penn State being the commonwealth’s land-grant institution for agriculture.
And for McLaughlin, that work is deeply personal, she added.
“Agriculture is one of my passions, because realistically, it should reach everyone, every day,” she said. “It’s an industry that connects people, families, and brings others together.”