Veneman Names New Members to Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board

10/3/2002

From: Alisa Harrison, 202-720-4623 or Debbie Hanfman, 202-720-3684, both of the U.S. Department of Agriculture

WASHINGTON, Oct. 3 -- Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced the appointments of 11 new members to the U. S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education and Economics Advisory Board (NAREE).

"I'm pleased to announce the appointment of these individuals to this advisory board," said Veneman. "Each brings diverse skills and fresh insights to help identify priorities and strengthen research, extension, education and economic programs at USDA."

The purpose of NAREE is to advise the Secretary, land grant colleges and universities, and the House and Senate Agriculture committees/subcommittees on USDA research, education and extension policies and priorities.

The board was established under the 1996 farm bill and reauthorized in the 2002 farm bill. The board is composed of 30 members, each representing a specific category related to agriculture. The terms for 10 of the 30 members expired Sept. 30, 2002.

Ten of the appointments are for three-year terms that end Sept. 30, 2005. One appointee will serve a one-year term because the seat was vacated by a member resignation after serving two years of the three-year term.

The new members include:

-- David Graves, president of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, Washington, D.C.; -- Tonya Antle, head of Operations at Natural Selection Foods, San Juan Bautista, Calif.; -- Ronald W. Hardy, director of the Hagerman Fish Culture Experiment Station, University of Idaho, Hagerman, ID; -- Phillip Nelson, head of the Department of Food Science at Purdue University, West Lafayette, Ind.; -- John W. Suttie, professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.; -- Thomas Alvin Fretz, dean and director of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Maryland, College Park, Md.; -- Gilbert Leveille, vice president of Technology and Food Systems Design at Cargill, Inc, Wayzata, Minn.; -- Clifford Gabriel, deputy associate director for Science at the Executive Office of the President, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, Washington, DC.; -- Krishna Rao Dronamraju, president of the Foundation for Genetic Research, Houston, TX; -- Ghassem Asrar, associate administrator for Earth Science at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, D.C.; and -- Homer Wilkes, state conservationist for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, Jackson, Miss. was reappointed to the Board.

The newly appointed members will attend their first advisory board meeting Oct. 28-30, 2002 at the Capitol Hilton at 1001 16th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.