(Washington, D.C., January 28, 2019) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today selected three highly-qualified individuals for senior leadership positions at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Perdue named Dr. Mindy Brashears as Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, Naomi Earp as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, and Dr. Scott Hutchins as Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics. These positions do not require Senate confirmation.
The three previously had been nominated by President Donald Trump for Senate-confirmed positions at USDA. While the Senate Agriculture Committee on a bipartisan basis favorably reported all three nominees, their nominations expired without receiving confirmation votes by the end of the 115th Congress in early January. The President has resubmitted their nominations to the Senate in the 116th Congress.
“At USDA, we’ve been engaged in fulfilling our mission without all of our players on the field, so we want to get these strong, qualified leaders in the game,” Perdue said. “I want to thank these three for their patience, as their professional lives have been placed on hold for months during their nomination process. Now, they will get to work right away on behalf of the American people. Nevertheless, I urge the Senate to act on their new nominations as quickly as possible, so we can have them in the positions for which they were intended in the first place.”
The three have been re-nominated for more senior roles than the ones Perdue today selected them to fill in their respective mission areas at USDA. Dr. Brashears was nominated for Under Secretary for Food Safety; Earp was nominated for Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights; and Dr. Hutchins was nominated for Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics.
While in their deputy roles as selected by Perdue, they will not be serving in “acting” capacities for the positions for which they have been nominated. As a result, they will not be able to exercise the functions or powers expressly delegated to the Senate-confirmed positions. As Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, Dr. Hutchins will oversee the Office of the Chief Scientist, with Dr. Chavonda Jacobs-Young continuing to serve as Acting Chief Scientist.
Brashears, Earp, and Hutchins will begin working at USDA on Tuesday, January 29, 2019.
Dr. Mindy Brashears
Dr. Brashears is a Professor of Food Safety and Public Health and the Director of the International Center for Food Industry Excellence at Texas Tech University. Dr. Brashears’ research program focuses on improving food safety standards to make an impact on public health. Her highly acclaimed work evaluates interventions in pre- and post-harvest environments and on the emergence of antimicrobial drug resistance in animal feeding systems. These efforts have resulted in commercialization of a pre-harvest feed additive that can reduce E. coli and Salmonella in cattle. She also leads international research teams to Mexico, Central and South America to improve food safety and security and to set up sustainable agriculture systems in impoverished areas. She is past-Chair of the National Alliance for Food Safety and Security and of the USDA multi-state research group.
Naomi Earp, J.D.
Earp is a retired career civil servant with more than 20 years of experience in federal equal opportunity policy, charge processing, complaint handling, and employment law. She entered federal services as a GS-9 career employee and worked her way to the Senior Executive Service level prior to appointments as Chair and Vice Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under President George W. Bush. Throughout her career, Earp has been a strong advocate for labor-management partnership and cooperative business models to raise awareness and address both disparate treatment complaints and allegations of systemic discrimination. Her federal equal opportunity, civil rights compliance, and public policy career includes positions with the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Agriculture and the National Institutes of Health. Born and raised in Newport News, Virginia, Earp received a BS in Social Work from Norfolk State University, an MA from Indiana University, and a Juris Doctorate from the Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law.
Dr. Scott Hutchins
Dr. Hutchins formerly served as the global leader of integrated field sciences for Corteva Agriscience and as an adjunct professor at the University of Nebraska. Previously, he served as president of the Entomological Society of America. Dr. Hutchins earned his B.S. in entomology from Auburn University, M.A. from Mississippi State University, and Ph.D. from Iowa State University.
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Last year we proved the power of unified advocacy when thousands of you joined us in asking the State Board of Education to reverse their earlier decision and keep arts education required for middle school students. Together, we even saved BYU's Amanda Knight Building and Classical 89!
You can do that at today's Museums Advocacy Day, Arts Day on February 21 (free!), reach out directly (see below), or, if you'd like even more time with legislators, join us for the first annual Utah Cultural Advocacy Awards on February 20. To learn more about these asks, why they're important, as well as to find talking points to use when reaching out to decision makers, click here.
Don't miss out on up-to-the minute advocacy alerts, make sure your membership in UCA is current. We send weekly updates to members during the session that have already included much information about these asks. If you haven't been getting the legislative updates we've already sent, your membership might not be current.
Ultimately, all appropriations requests are made by the Executive Appropriations Committee who typically work off of the priorities set by the various sub-committees. Thus, the Business, Economic Development, and Labor Appropriations Sub-committee will decide whether or not to prioritize the increase to the grants budget. The Public Education Appropriations Sub-committee will decide whether or not to prioritize the three arts education increases. Finally, Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee will decide whether or not to prioritize the Collections Management Facility.
If you, a cultural organization you're affiliated with, or that organization's board/staff is represented by or has a personal connection to any of the following legislators, we ask you to write a letter, make a call, or request a meeting in support of our requests.
Executive Appropriations Committee (reach out to these legislators about all appropriations asks)
Sen. Jerry W. Stevenson (R), Senate Chair
Rep. Bradley G. Last (R), House Chair
Sen. Don L. Ipson (R), Senate Vice Chair
Rep. Jefferson Moss (R), House Vice Chair
Sen. J. Stuart Adams (R)
Sen. Luz Escamilla (D)
Sen. Daniel Hemmert (R)
Sen. Jani Iwamoto (D)
Sen. Derek L. Kitchen (D)
Sen. Karen Mayne (D)
Sen. Ann Millner (R)
Sen. Evan J. Vickers (R)
Rep. Francis D. Gibson (R)
Rep. Brian S. King (D)
Rep. Karen Kwan (D)
Rep. Carol Spackman Moss (D)
Rep. Val L. Peterson (R)
Rep. Angela Romero (D)
Rep. Mike Schultz (R)
Rep. Brad R. Wilson (R)
Business, Economic Development, and Labor Appropriations Sub-committee (reach out to these legislators about the grants increase)
Sen. Scott D. Sandall (R), Senate Chair
Rep. Val K. Potter (R), House Chair
Rep. Christine F. Watkins (R), House Vice Chair
Sen. Curtis S. Bramble (R)
Sen. Gene Davis (D)
Sen. Don L. Ipson (R)
Sen. Ralph Okerlund (R)
Sen. Daniel W. Thatcher (R)
Sen. Evan J. Vickers (R)
Rep. Patrice M. Arent (D)
Rep. Timothy D. Hawkes (R)
Rep. Derrin R. Owens (R)
Rep. Val L. Peterson (R)
Rep. Tim Quinn (R)
Rep. Jeffrey D. Stenquist (R)
Rep. Elizabeth Weight (D)
Rep. Mike Winder (R)
Public Education Appropriations Sub-committee (reach out to these legislators about the education increases)
Sen. Lyle W. Hillyard (R), Senate Chair
Rep. Steve Eliason (R), House Chair
Rep. Steve Waldrip (R), House Vice Chair
Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R)
Sen. Ann Millner (R)
Sen. Kathleen Riebe (D)
Sen. Jerry W. Stevenson (R)
Sen. Ronald Winterton (R)
Rep. Joel K. Briscoe (D)
Rep. Francis D. Gibson (R)
Rep. Craig Hall (R)
Rep. Dan N. Johnson (R)
Rep. Bradley G. Last (R)
Rep. Karianne Lisonbee (R)
Rep. Jefferson Moss (R)
Rep. Marie H. Poulson (D)
Rep. Susan Pulsipher (R)
Rep. V. Lowry Snow (R)
Rep. Robert M. Spendlove (R)
Infrastructure and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee (reach out to these legislators about the Collections Management Facility)
Sen. Kirk A. Cullimore (R), Senate Chair
Rep. Douglas V. Sagers (R), House Chair
Rep. Brady Brammer (R), House Vice Chair
Sen. Jacob L. Anderegg (R)
Sen. David G. Buxton (R)
Sen. Wayne A. Harper (R)
Sen. Deidre M. Henderson (R)
Sen. David P. Hinkins (R)
Sen. Karen Mayne (D)
Sen. Daniel McCay (R)
Rep. Walt Brooks (R)
Rep. Ken Ivory (R)
Rep. A. Cory Maloy (R)
Rep. Calvin R. Musselman (R)
Rep. Merrill F. Nelson (R)
Rep. Stephanie Pitcher (D)
Rep. Mike Schultz (R)
Rep. Lawanna Shurtliff (D)
Rep. Andrew Stoddard (D)
Find contact info at le.utah.gov or download our spreadsheet of contact info (you must be a current member and logged in to see this document). Again, click here for talking points and to download the Museums Day one sheet (you need to be logged in as a member to see this page).
Contact from constituents with personal connections with the above legislators is far more important than the quantity of asks they receive right now. Therefore, at this time we aren't creating a letter campaign where you can easily contact your legislator with one click. Instead, write a letter, make a call, or request a meeting in support of these requests. If you're affiliated with a cultural organization invite your staff, board, or volunteers to do the same.
Please feel free to use our talking points.
Reach out with any questions. I hope to see you at Arts Day on February 21 (free!) or, if you'd like even more time with legislators, at the first annual Utah Cultural Advocacy Awards on February 20. We hope that this event will break even as it has steep costs to us. We're doing it because this is a great opportunity for you to have a couple of hours with decision makers. If we get lucky and end up raising more than the costs, all money raised will go back to our advocacy efforts. Please nominate an elected official who has been a champion for the humanities and arts!
You can also support arts and humanities advocacy by becoming a member or donating today.
Thank you for being a champion for Utah's humanities and arts!
—
Crystal Young-Otterstrom
Executive Director // Utah Cultural Alliance
801.652.0737 // cyo@utculture.org
254 W 400 S #302 SLC, UT 84101
Find events near you/submit events: www.nowplayingutah.com
Strengthen our voice: www.utculture.org/membership
Send newsletter submissions to: events@nowplayingutah.com
Find culture with our Cultural Asset Map: www.utculture.org/map
Find/be a mentor: www.utculture.org/mentors
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COLORADO SPRINGS—The Colorado College State of the Rockies Project will release its ninth annual bipartisan Conservation in the West Poll on a press conference call this Thursday at 9:30 am MST, sharing the views of voters on policies impacting the use and protection of public lands.
The media briefing call will provide in-depth analysis of voter attitudes in eight Mountain West states (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) on pressing issues including the impacts of climate change, the Trump administration’s energy agenda, and the importance of the outdoor recreation economy.
For media outlets and reporters in the Denver area: Conservation in the West Poll findings will be the topic of a panel discussion at the Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show at noon on Thursday at the Colorado Convention Center, Room 405. The discussion is open to credentialed media. For more information and registration instructions, please see the Outdoor Industry Association press advisory.
WHAT: Media briefing call discussing Colorado College State of the Rockies Project Conservation in the West Poll
WHEN: Thursday, January 31st at 9:30 a.m. MST
WHERE: Dial conference number (844) 349-9427, Conference ID 6892586
To follow the poll presentation during the call, go to presentain.com/stateoftherockies
WHO:
Governor Jared Polis, State of Colorado
Corina McKendry, Director of the State of the Rockies Project and Associate Professor of Political Science, Colorado College
Amy Roberts, Executive Director, Outdoor Industry Association
Robert Fanger, Chief Communications Officer, Hispanic Access Foundation
Lori Weigel, Principal, New Bridge Strategy
Dave Metz, Principal & President, Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates
NOTE: Poll results, infographics, and briefing call slides will be available on the Colorado College State of the Rockies Project website when the media briefing call begins at 9:30 a.m. MST
Colorado College is a nationally prominent four-year liberal arts college that was founded in Colorado Springs in 1874. The college operates on the innovative Block Plan, in which its 2,000 undergraduate students study one course at a time in intensive three and a half-week segments. For the past sixteen years, the college has sponsored the State of the Rockies Project, which seeks to enhance public understanding of and action to address socio-environmental challenges in the Rocky Mountain West through collaborative student-faculty research, education, and stakeholder engagement.
Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3)—a national Democratic opinion research firm with offices in Oakland, Los Angeles, and Madison, Wisconsin—has specialized in public policy oriented opinion research since 1981. The firm has assisted hundreds of political campaigns at every level of the ballot—from President to City Council—with opinion research and strategic guidance. FM3 also provides research and strategic consulting to public agencies, businesses, and public interest organizations nationwide.
New Bridge Strategy is an opinion research company specializing in public policy and campaign research. The firm’s roots are in Republican politics, but has worked as members of bipartisan research teams and led coalitions across the political spectrum in crafting winning ballot measure campaigns, public education campaigns, and legislative policy efforts. New Bridge Strategy helps clients bridge divides to create winning majorities.
