President Bush announced the resignation Thursday of Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, who is expected to seek a Senate seat.
The Senate seat will become vacant at the end of the year by Sen. Chuck Hagel. Johanns resigned as governor of Nebraska to become agriculture secretary in January 2005.
According to AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle Johanns was an outstanding secretary of Agriculture who invested enormous amounts of time and energy in promoting American agriculture and attempting to restore U.S. beef exports.
The President said Deputy Agriculture Secretary Charles Conner would take over as acting Secretary.
Conner, who became deputy agriculture Secretary in 2005, has worked on farm issues in Washington for more than two decades. He was a White House farm adviser and president of the Corn Refiners Association. He also worked on the Senate Agriculture Committee for 12 years, most of that time as staff director.
The Senate seat will become vacant at the end of the year by Sen. Chuck Hagel. Johanns resigned as governor of Nebraska to become agriculture secretary in January 2005.
According to AMI President and CEO J. Patrick Boyle Johanns was an outstanding secretary of Agriculture who invested enormous amounts of time and energy in promoting American agriculture and attempting to restore U.S. beef exports.
The President said Deputy Agriculture Secretary Charles Conner would take over as acting Secretary.
Conner, who became deputy agriculture Secretary in 2005, has worked on farm issues in Washington for more than two decades. He was a White House farm adviser and president of the Corn Refiners Association. He also worked on the Senate Agriculture Committee for 12 years, most of that time as staff director.
Source: American Meat Institute (AMI)