White House: Executive Order changes USDA succession plan
By Stewart Doan
© Copyright Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.
Washington, May 14 – President Barack Obama issued an executive order Thursday that puts the Assistant Secretary for Administration, currently held by Pearlie Reed, next in line to be Ag Secretary, in the event that both the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Agriculture die, resign, or are otherwise unable to serve as Secretary.
For many years, the number three slot was held by the Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (FFAS), currently held by Jim Miller. During the Bush Administration, the Assistant Secretary for Administration position was next to last in the USDA succession directive.
In what some describe as another sign that traditional farm programs are losing clout at USDA, the Obama administration has bumped FFAS behind the under secretaries for marketing and regulatory programs; food, nutrition, and consumer services; food safety; and natural resources and environment. However, other sources describe the change as a growing recognition of the clout now held by Reed, and his recently reorganized role overseeing Departmental Management.
A USDA spokesman said the change in rank for FFAS was not a major move, given that the succession plan had already been changed at USDA on Jan. 9, 2009. At that time, the order of succession behind the Secretary and Deputy was changed to:
a. General Counsel;
b. Chief Financial Officer;
c. Assistant Secretary for Administration;
d. Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services;
e. Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment;
f. Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs;
g. Under Secretary for Rural Development;
h. Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services;
i. Under Secretary for Food Safety;
j. Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics;
k. Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations;
l. Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
m. Director, Kansas City Commodity office, Farm Service Agency
n. State Executive Directors , Farm Service Agency
According to the May 13 executive order, the new pecking order at USDA, after the Secretary and Deputy Secretary, is as follows:
a.
Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Administration; b. Under Secretary of Agriculture
for Marketing and Regulatory Programs; c.
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Food, Nutrition, and Consumer
Services; d. Under Secretary of Agriculture
for Food Safety; e.
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment; f.
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural
Services; g. Under Secretary of Agriculture
for Rural Development; h. Under Secretary of Agriculture
for Research, Education, and Economics; i.
General Counsel of the Department of Agriculture; j.
Chief of Staff, Office of the Secretary; k.
Director, Kansas City
Commodity Office, Farm Service Agency; l.
State Executive Directors of the Farm Service Agency for the States of
California, Iowa, and Kansas, in order of seniority fixed by
length of unbroken service as State Executive Director of that State; m. Regional Administrators of the
Food and Nutrition Service for the Mountain Plains Regional Office (Denver,
Colorado), Midwest Regional Office (Chicago, Illinois), and Western Regional
Office (San Francisco, California), in order of seniority fixed by length of
unbroken service as Regional Administrator of that Regional Office; n. Chief Financial Officer of the
Department of Agriculture; o. Assistant Secretary of
Agriculture for Civil Rights; and p. Assistant Secretary of
Agriculture for Congressional Relations.
Why the change? A White House source said the previous Administration signed an Executive Order (EO13472) which directed agencies to submit revised orders of succession and that this EO is a result of that process. That order, which President Bush signed on Sept. 11, 2008, asked each agency to submit succession plans within 30 days of enactment. Only USDA and Department of Defense have submitted plans.
To see the full executive order
http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=61522
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