By JERRY HAGSTROM, CongressDaily
Only one Agriculture Department undersecretary and one assistant secretary have been confirmed by the Senate, but when the holders of many USDA sub-Cabinet positions get to their desks they will find that Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has already put their confidential and special assistants with proven Obama campaign experience in place.
"These individuals, representing diverse backgrounds, strengths and skills, are a dynamic team prepared to address the issues facing 21st century food and agriculture," Vilsack said in a recent news release announcing the hiring of 14 aides. "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."
Vilsack announced that the confidential assistant for Agriculture Undersecretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services Jim Miller is Elisabeth Reiter, a director of advance for Obama's campaign who previously worked on many other campaigns, including for Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va.
Vilsack also announced that the special assistant to Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Joe Leonard is Cristina Chiappe, the Latino vote director for the Obama campaign in Virginia. Chiappe, a native of Peru, has also been a research associate at the Institute for Educational Leadership's National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth in Washington.
The other campaign aides are assigned to offices in which the undersecretary has not yet been confirmed.
The undersecretary for food nutrition and consumer services has two special assistants. One is Nathan Blake, a California native who grew up in Lincoln, Neb., and practiced law in Des Moines, Iowa, before working for the Obama campaign as a field organizer and researcher. The second is Norah Deluhery, who was raised in Davenport, Iowa, and worked at the Columbia University Graduate School of Business before joining the Obama campaign as a field organizer in rural Iowa. President Obama has nominated Kevin Concannon, the Iowa director of human services, to be FNS undersecretary.
Lisa Bertelson has been named special assistant to the undersecretary for marketing and regulatory services. A Wisconsin native, Bertelson was a research associate for the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production and worked on Obama's Senate staff. Luke Knowles, an Alaskan who worked on the Obama campaign and transition team, will be the confidential assistant to the undersecretary for marketing and regulatory service. Obama has nominated Edward Avalos, a New Mexico marketing specialist, for the post.
Obama has not yet nominated an undersecretary for natural resources and the environment, but the special assistant is Meryl Raymar Harrell, a New Jersey native who worked on the Obama campaign in Wisconsin. Harrell previously worked as the public lands associate at The Wilderness Society.
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