Vilsack announces promotions at USDA
March 27, 2013 | 06:51 PM
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the following appointments late today:
Cheryl Cook
Cheryl Cook has been appointed USDA’s chief information officer.
Cook has been the acting chief information officer since April 2012 and been in charge of information technology. Before assuming that position, she served as deputy undersecretary in Rural Development, managing policies and programs for business and cooperatives, housing, community facilities and utilities.
During the Clinton administration, Cook served as Pennsylvania rural development director and worked at USDA ’s headquarters as executive officer of the National Food and Agriculture Council. Between federal appointments, she served as deputy secretary for marketing and economic development at the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department and as executive director for the Keystone Development Center, a nonprofit organization in Pennsylvania that helps new and emerging cooperatives.
She was also a member of the National Farmers Union’s public policy staff, focusing on dairy, credit, and environmental issues and maintained a private law practice. Cook received her bachelor's degree from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa., and a law degree from The Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pa.
Johnie L. Jones
Johnie L. Jones has been appointed deputy chief of staff for Rural Development. He joined USDA in 2011 as special assistant to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan.
Before coming to USDA, Jones served as a legislative aide for state Sen. Troy Fraser in Austin, Texas, and was responsible for tracking and reporting on issues relating to higher education programs and agriculture policy.
His agricultural experience includes service as a Meadow social enterprise fellow with the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service in Haiti where he spearheaded research to improve farming methods and to increase agricultural opportunities for citizens in the rural town of Creve. In the summer of 2008, he served as a legislative affairs intern in USDA’s Rural Development mission area.
Jones earned a bachelor of science in agriculture economics from Prairie View A&M University, and a master of public affairs degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt has been appointed deputy administrator for farm programs in the Farm Service Agency.
Schmidt came to FSA from the Marketing and Regulatory Programs mission area, where he served as acting chief of staff and senior adviser. Previously at USDA, he was the acting chief of staff for a year at the Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration.
Before joining USDA, Schmidt served six years on Capitol Hill as legislative assistant and then senior legislative assistant for Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., advising on agriculture issues, including the 2008 farm bill, telecommunications, transportation, and science issues.
In 2004, Schmidt was the congressional science fellow sponsored by the Agronomy / Crop / Soil Science Societies of America in the office of Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., where he where gained experience in dairy, fruit, specialty crop, trade, food safety and environmental issues.
He received undergraduate and master's degrees in environmental science and biology from Virginia Tech and a master of science in the public understanding of environmental change from University College, London.
Susan Keith has been appointed deputy administrator for the Packers and Stockyards Program in the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
Before joining GIPSA, she served as senior counselor to the general counsel. Keith served as general counsel for the Senate Agriculture Committee when Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, chaired that committee.
During the 1990s, she worked for the National Corn Growers on legislative and policy matters. She began her federal career as a legislative assistant to Rep. Dave Nagle, D-Iowa.
Before coming to Washington, she practiced law in Waterloo, Iowa. Keith earned a a bachelor of arts from Coe College and a law degree from the University of Iowa.
Cheryl CookCheryl Cook has been appointed USDA’s chief information officer.
Cook has been the acting chief information officer since April 2012 and been in charge of information technology. Before assuming that position, she served as deputy undersecretary in Rural Development, managing policies and programs for business and cooperatives, housing, community facilities and utilities.
During the Clinton administration, Cook served as Pennsylvania rural development director and worked at USDA ’s headquarters as executive officer of the National Food and Agriculture Council. Between federal appointments, she served as deputy secretary for marketing and economic development at the Pennsylvania Agriculture Department and as executive director for the Keystone Development Center, a nonprofit organization in Pennsylvania that helps new and emerging cooperatives.
She was also a member of the National Farmers Union’s public policy staff, focusing on dairy, credit, and environmental issues and maintained a private law practice. Cook received her bachelor's degree from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa., and a law degree from The Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pa.
Johnie L. Jones has been appointed deputy chief of staff for Rural Development. He joined USDA in 2011 as special assistant to Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan.
Before coming to USDA, Jones served as a legislative aide for state Sen. Troy Fraser in Austin, Texas, and was responsible for tracking and reporting on issues relating to higher education programs and agriculture policy.
His agricultural experience includes service as a Meadow social enterprise fellow with the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service in Haiti where he spearheaded research to improve farming methods and to increase agricultural opportunities for citizens in the rural town of Creve. In the summer of 2008, he served as a legislative affairs intern in USDA’s Rural Development mission area.
Jones earned a bachelor of science in agriculture economics from Prairie View A&M University, and a master of public affairs degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.
Mike Schmidt has been appointed deputy administrator for farm programs in the Farm Service Agency.
Schmidt came to FSA from the Marketing and Regulatory Programs mission area, where he served as acting chief of staff and senior adviser. Previously at USDA, he was the acting chief of staff for a year at the Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration.
Before joining USDA, Schmidt served six years on Capitol Hill as legislative assistant and then senior legislative assistant for Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., advising on agriculture issues, including the 2008 farm bill, telecommunications, transportation, and science issues.
In 2004, Schmidt was the congressional science fellow sponsored by the Agronomy / Crop / Soil Science Societies of America in the office of Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., where he where gained experience in dairy, fruit, specialty crop, trade, food safety and environmental issues.
He received undergraduate and master's degrees in environmental science and biology from Virginia Tech and a master of science in the public understanding of environmental change from University College, London.
Susan Keith has been appointed deputy administrator for the Packers and Stockyards Program in the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
Before joining GIPSA, she served as senior counselor to the general counsel. Keith served as general counsel for the Senate Agriculture Committee when Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, chaired that committee.
During the 1990s, she worked for the National Corn Growers on legislative and policy matters. She began her federal career as a legislative assistant to Rep. Dave Nagle, D-Iowa.
Before coming to Washington, she practiced law in Waterloo, Iowa. Keith earned a a bachelor of arts from Coe College and a law degree from the University of Iowa.
