• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

UNDER SECRETARIES FOR USDA NAMED

A

Anonymous

Guest
For Full Story: http://www.usda.gov/2009/03/0059.xml

Release No. 0059.09

Contact:
Nayyera Haq (202) 720-4623

PRESIDENT OBAMA ANNOUNCES UNDER SECRETARIES FOR AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT

WASHINGTON, March 13, 2009 - President Barack Obama today announced his intention to nominate James W. (Jim) Miller to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services and Dallas P. Tonsager to be Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development.

"Jim Miller and Dallas Tonsager are well aware of the challenges and opportunities in rural America. They have dedicated their lives to enhancing the success and improving the lives of farmers, ranchers and those living in rural areas," said Secretary Vilsack.

Miller currently is Chief of Staff for the National Farmers Union, a position he accepted in 1999 after serving four years as Senior Analyst for Agriculture and Trade on the majority staff of the Senate Budget Committee. Miller also has served as Chief Economist for the National Farmers Union and as Vice President for Government Relations for the National Association of Wheat Growers.

Miller operated a fourth-generation family farm in eastern Washington for over 20 years and served as President of the National Association of Wheat Growers in 1987. He was Co-Chairman of the Canada-U.S. Joint Commission on Grains, a federal commission established to resolve grain trade issues between the two countries. He is a graduate of Washington State University. He and his wife, Sandy, have two sons and two grandsons.

Tonsager currently serves as a board member of the Farm Credit Administration (FCA), a position to which he was appointed in 2004. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation. Prior to his appointment to the FCA, he was Executive Director of the South Dakota Value-Added Agriculture Development Center, where he coordinated initiatives to better serve producers who developed value-added agricultural projects.

Tonsager was appointed by President Clinton as the South Dakota State Rural Development Director in 1993 and was named one of two outstanding state directors by USDA in 1999. In partnership with his brother, he owns Plainview Farm in Oldham, S.D., a family operation that includes corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. He is a graduate of South Dakota State University. He and his wife, Sharon, have two sons.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Link: http://www.usda.gov/2009/04/0109.xml

Release No. 0109.09
Contact:
Office of Communications (202) 720-4623

Secretary Tom Vilsack Announces Staff Appointments at U.S. Department of Agriculture

WASHINGTON, April 15, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced 14 appointments to key staff positions in the U.S. Department of Agriculture at Washington, D.C.

"These individuals, representing diverse backgrounds, strengths and skills, are a dynamic team prepared to address the issues facing 21st century food and agriculture," said Vilsack. "They are committed to the President's goals for a prosperous rural America and a strong American agriculture and they believe that U.S. agriculture must play a leadership role in tackling the nation's renewable energy challenges. They will be a great asset to USDA's missions and agencies and I look forward to working with them."

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

Sally Cluthe, Acting Director of Scheduling and Advance. Cluthe most recently consulted for the office of Senator Jeff Merkley (D) of Oregon. She has served as Director of Scheduling for the Obama Campaign for Change in New Hampshire and, earlier, for Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) of Minnesota. Before that, Cluthe was Scheduler for Senator Debbie Stabenow (D) of Michigan and Senator Bill Nelson (D) of Florida. She has also held a number of positions in the office of Senator Frank Lautenberg (D) of New Jersey. Cluthe grew up in Naples, Florida and is a graduate of Florida State University, Tallahassee.


Malcolm Eve, Advance Lead. A native of Buffalo, New York, Eve was most recently a Senior Event Coordinator for the Washington Speakers Bureau in Alexandria, Va. He was Deputy Director of Scheduling and Advance for Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala during the Clinton Administration. Eve also served as lead advance for the presidential campaign of former Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) in 2008 and for the 2004 Kerry/Edwards ticket for the presidency and vice presidency. Eve was a part-time advance person for President Bill Clinton (D-AR) from 1996-2001. He graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

Cristina Chiappe, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary. Chiappe most recently served as Latino Vote Director for the Obama for America Campaign in Virginia and was an Obama National Delegate to the National Convention. Before joining the campaign in Virginia, Chiappe was a Research Associate at the Institute for Educational Leadership's National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth in Washington, D.C. She has been an advocate for the Latino and Asian communities through her work as an educator, policy analyst and human rights worker. Chiappe graduated from the University of Virginia and has an M.Ed.in social foundations of education, also from UVA. A native of Lima, Peru, Chiappe is fluent in four languages.

FARM AND FOREIGN AGRICULTURAL SERVICE

Elisabeth Reiter, Confidential Assistant to the Under Secretary. Most recently, Reiter was Deputy Director of Advance for the Obama for America campaign. She worked previously on the successful campaigns of Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (D) in 2005 and Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) in 2006. She also worked on Senator John Kerry's (D-MA) 2004 presidential bid. Reiter is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Va.

FOOD, NUTRITION AND CONSUMER SERVICES


Nathan Blake, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary. Blake practiced law in Des Moines, Iowa, before working for the Obama campaign as a field organizer and researcher. He is a native Californian who grew up in Lincoln, Nebr., and graduated from Union College in Lincoln. He also holds a law degree from Yale Law School and a master's degree from Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Conn.


Norah Deluhery, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary. Deluhery worked in New York City at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business before joining the Obama campaign as a field organizer in rural north central Iowa. Raised in Davenport, Iowa, she graduated from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

MARKETING AND REGULATORY PROGRAMS

Lisa Bertelson-Special Assistant to the Under Secretary. Bertelson was recently a research associate for the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production, focusing on policy analysis, zoning issues, and government outreach. She has served on the staff of former Senator, now President, Barack Obama (D-IL). Bertelson is a native of Wisconsin, where much of her family still farms, and holds a degree in political science and German from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

Luke Knowles, Confidential Assistant to the Under Secretary. Knowles worked for the Obama-Biden Transition Project and volunteered on the Obama Campaign focusing on energy and environmental policy. He is from Anchorage and Juneau, Alaska, and graduated in May 2008 from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in New Haven, Connecticut.

Livia Marqués, Special Assistant for Horticultural Crops. Marqués is a 17-year veteran of USDA. She has served as the State Conservationist of Nevada, as a National Plant Materials Specialist, and as a National Technical Leader for Specialty Crops, all with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. She holds a B.S. degree in horticultural science from North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Marqués is from Hialeah, Florida.

NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

Meryl Raymar Harrell, Special Assistant to the Under Secretary. Most recently, Harrell served as the State Political Outreach Director for the Obama Campaign for Change in Wisconsin. She previously worked as the Public Lands Associate at The Wilderness Society in Washington, D.C. Harrell is a graduate of Yale Law School, New Haven, Connecticut, where she studied environmental law. She graduated magna cum laude with an A.B. in geosciences and environmental studies from Princeton University. She is from Watchung, N.J.

RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Stacey Brayboy, Director of Economic and Community Development. Brayboy was most recently a member of the transition team for President Obama and Vice President Biden. She worked with the Obama for America campaign for 20 months, serving as State Director in South Carolina and Virginia during the presidential primary and Deputy State Director in Indiana and Virginia during the general election. Before joining the campaign, Brayboy was Governor Tim Kaine's (D-VA) appointee as Deputy Director of the Virginia Council on Human Rights. Brayboy, a native of Manning, S.C., has 13 years of experience in various levels of government. She served on the staffs of former Senators Sam Nunn (D-GA) and Fritz Hollings (D-SC), former Congressman Robin Tallon (D-SC) and Congressman James Clyburn (D-SC). She holds a bachelor's degree from Francis Marion University in Florence, South Carolina, and a master's of public administration from Clark Atlanta University in Georgia.

Shayna Cherry, Confidential Assistant to the Administrator of Rural Business and Cooperative Services. A Chicago native, Cherry served recently as an associate in White House Personnel. She was a Regional Field Director for South Florida during the general election for the Obama campaign. Cherry joined the Obama campaign in the New Hampshire primary and worked through six other primaries across the country. She was also a Deputy Finance Director for the 2006 campaign of Congresswoman Melissa Bean (D-IL). Cherry has worked on multiple issue-based campaigns, including preserving social security and Women's Voices. Women Vote. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.


Tim Gannon, Confidential Assistant to the Administrator of Housing Programs. Gannon most recently served as the Deputy Political Director for the Obama-Biden campaign in Iowa. He previously led Iowa efforts for "Ask the Candidates About Darfur," a national campaign of the Genocide Intervention Network. Gannon, a native of Mingo, Iowa, has also worked for the Iowa House Democrats as Caucus Director. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa, Iowa City.

Liz Purchia, Confidential Assistant to the Administrator of Rural Business and Cooperative Services. Purchia comes to USDA from the Presidential Inaugural Committee where she was an Assistant to the Director in the Office of the President-Elect. She was also a field organizer in Iowa for the Obama campaign, managing the office and field operations for Muscatine County. Before joining the campaign, Purchia was an account executive at Hill & Knowlton in Washington, D.C., where she worked on the public affairs team. Before that, she was an intern for the international affairs team at Edelman Public Relations in Washington, D.C. Purchia graduated from Hamilton College, Clinton, New York, with a major in world politics.


#
USDA News
[email protected]
202 720-4623
----------------------------------------------------
 

Mike

Well-known member
Big Muddy rancher said:
I hope they are more qualified then just the fact they worked on the Obama Campaign. Looks like payback time. :roll:

Yep, looks like career campaign workers will be running the Dept of Ag now.

Well.......... it is CHANGE!!!! :lol: :lol:
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
http://www.usda.gov/2009/04/0113.xml

Release No. 0113.09
Contact:
Office of Communications (202) 720-4623

AGRICULTURE SECRETARY VILSACK NAMES ROBERT BONNIE AS SENIOR ADVISOR FOR ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2009 - Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the appointment of Robert Bonnie as Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Environment and Climate.

In this position, Bonnie will help guide broad policy and program decisions with an emphasis on those concerning the nation's natural resources and climate issues.

"Robert Bonnie brings to USDA 14 years of experience at the Environmental Defense Fund where he worked to conserve natural resources and protect the climate on America's farms, ranches and forest lands," Vilsack said.

"President Obama has been clear that two of his top goals for the department are related to the environment: expanding the capacity of our land, our farms, and our ranches to produce alternative forms of energy and fuel; and developing the research that will help agriculture transition away from its significant dependence on fossil fuels.

"Robert's work on conservation incentives and markets, as well as conservation policy, will help guide USDA as we address some of the most challenging issues facing our nation's future."

Bonnie is Vice-President for Land Conservation and Wildlife at the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), a non-profit organization that tackles the nation's most serious environmental problems. Bonnie's focus at EDF is on the development and expansion of conservation incentives and markets that reward farmers, ranchers and forest owners for land stewardship.

Since joining EDF in 1995, Bonnie helped establish and has managed the organization's Center for Conservation Incentives. He has been extensively involved in the development of Safe Harbor and other incentive programs under the Endangered Species Act, as well as conservation programs under the 2008 Farm Bill.

Bonnie is a leading national expert on the use of markets as a means to reward stewardship on farms, ranches and forest lands, including carbon crediting and conservation banking for endangered species.

A Harvard graduate, Bonnie holds a master's degree in resource economics and forestry from Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, N.C. He grew up on a farm in Kentucky and now lives in Virginia.


#
USDA News
[email protected]
202 720-4623
 

Mike

Well-known member
I see where Robert Bonnie donated the maximum amount allowable to "Obama For America" in 2008. :lol: :lol:

Like BMR said, it's PAYBACK time. :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

It's a wondeful feeling to know that we now have the best administration that money can buy. :lol: :lol:
 

Denny

Well-known member
Mike said:
I see where Robert Bonnie donated the maximum amount allowable to "Obama For America" in 2008. :lol: :lol:

Like BMR said, it's PAYBACK time. :roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

It's a wondeful feeling to know that we now have the best administration that money can buy. :lol: :lol:


No it's the best borrowed money can buy.
 

Sandhusker

Well-known member
"Bonnie is a leading national expert on the use of markets as a means to reward stewardship on farms, ranches and forest lands, including carbon crediting and conservation banking for endangered species. "

Interpretation: Bonnie is a big government advocate of central planning.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
http://www.usda.gov/2009/04/0116.xml

Release No. 0116.09
Contact:
Office of Communications (202) 720-4623

PRESIDENT OBAMA, SECRETARY VILSACK ANNOUNCE INTENT TO NOMINATE KEVIN CONCANNON AS UNDER SECRETARY FOR FOOD, NUTRITION AND CONSUMER SERVICES AT USDA

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2009 - President Barack Obama today announced his intent to nominate Kevin W. Concannon as Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Concannon will serve with Secretary Tom Vilsack.

"In the past 25 years, Kevin Concannon has been Director of four health and human service agencies in three states-Iowa, Maine and Oregon," Vilsack said. "In these positions, Kevin has led state efforts to make food stamps and emergency food assistance more accessible to those in need.

"From children's and juvenile services, to Medicaid, public health and many other areas, Kevin has dedicated his career to improving the lives of millions in every stage and every circumstance of life. Now we're tapping his leadership and experience to serve citizens across the nation and address President Obama's deep concern for the health and welfare-and particularly the nutrition-of America's children."

As Director of the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) from 2003 to 2008, Concannon headed an agency that serves close to one million Iowans each year.

He was Maine's DHS Commissioner from 1995 to 2003; Director of Oregon's DHS from 1987 to 1995; and Commissioner of the Maine Department of Mental Health and Mental Retardation from 1980 to 1987.

In these offices, Concannon helped transform state welfare systems; led major initiatives in prescription drug access; championed improvements in child support and child care programs; and led long-term care system reform for the elderly, among many other achievements.

Concannon has held many national leadership roles. He has served as President of the American Public Welfare Association and President of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors. He was Co-Chair of the Milbank Fund's Reforming States' Health Care Steering Committee and a member of the Harvard University Executive Session on the Future of Child Welfare, among other positions.

A native of Portland, Maine, Concannon holds a B.A. degree from St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, and a M.S.W. degree from St. Francis Xavier University and the Maritime School of Social Work, Halifax, Nova Scotia. He and his wife M. Eileen Concannon have four adult sons.


#
USDA News
[email protected]
202 720-4623


http://www.usda.gov/2009/04/0115.xml

PRESIDENT OBAMA, SECRETARY VILSACK ANNOUNCE INTENT TO NOMINATE RAJIV SHAH AS UNDER SECRETARY OF RESEARCH, EDUCATION AND ECONOMICS AND CHIEF SCIENTIST AT USDA

WASHINGTON, April 17, 2009 - President Barack Obama today announced his intent to nominate Rajiv J. Shah, M.D., as Under Secretary of Research, Education and Economics (REE) and Chief Scientist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dr. Shah will serve with Secretary Tom Vilsack.

The REE mission area provides the science that federal agencies, policymakers, researchers and others draw on to meet challenges facing America's food and agriculture system. The four REE agencies are the Agricultural Research Service (including the National Agricultural Library), Economic Research Service, National Agricultural Statistics Service, and Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service.

"Dr. Rajiv Shah is a globally recognized leader in science, health and economics ... disciplines that are critical to the missions of this department," said Vilsack. As Director of the Agricultural Development Program at The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rajiv has a profound influence on helping the world's poor lead healthy and productive lives. With his extensive background, Rajiv will help guide advances in food safety, nutrition, energy and climate, agricultural productivity, and global food security-to name a few of USDA's challenges."

The foundation's agriculture programs represent a multi-billion dollar global effort to reduce hunger and poverty. Shah joined the foundation in 2001 and has served as Director of Strategic Opportunities and Deputy Director of Policy and Finance for Global Health. In these roles, he helped create the foundation's Global Development Program and the International Finance Facility for Immunization, an effort that raised more than $5 billion for child immunization and has the potential to save more than five million lives around the world.

Before joining the foundation, Shah was a health care policy advisor on the Gore 2000 presidential campaign and a member of Governor Ed Rendell's (D-PA) transition committee on health. He is a co-founder of Health Systems Analytics and Project IMPACT for South Asian Americans. He also served as a policy aide in the British Parliament and worked at the World Health Organization.

Originally from Detroit, Michigan, Shah earned his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and M.S. in health economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the London School of Economics. In 2007, Shah was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
USDA News
[email protected]
202 720-4623
 

Mike

Well-known member
Concannon has held many national leadership roles. He has served as President of the American Public Welfare Association and President of the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors.

Good pick. :lol: This guy will be able to assess the Mental Health of the USDA employees along with watching out for those farmers & ranchers on Welfare. :roll: :roll: :roll:
 

Latest posts

Top