Secretary of Agriculture Announces New Members of President's Commission to Aid Tobacco Growing Communities

Washington, DC — As Co-Chair of the President's Commission on Improving Economic Opportunity in Communities Dependent on Tobacco Production While Protecting Public Health, I welcome today's announcement by Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman making public the names of several outstanding individuals who have agreed to serve on the bi-partisan Commission. The names include:

• Andrew Shepherd, Flue-Cured Tobacco Grower and Vice President and Director of Flue- Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corporation--Blackstone, Virginia

• James Hill, Flue-Cured Tobacco Grower and Director of Flue-Cured Tobacco Cooperative Stabilization Corporation, and member, North Carolina Farm Bureau--Kinston, North Carolina

• Ronald Sroufe, Retired School Administrator and Burley Tobacco Grower--Georgetown, Ohio

• M. Cass Wheeler, President, American Heart Association--Dallas, Texas

• John Seffrin, President, American Cancer Society--Atlanta, Georgia

• Lynn Carol Birgman, Executive Director, Kentucky Action--Louisville, Kentucky

• Jesse White, Co-Chair, Appalachian Regional Commission--Washington, D.C. (originally from North Carolina)

• Art Campbell, Assistant Secretary, Economic Development Administration--Washington, D.C.(originally from Tennessee)

In addition, Secretary Glickman announced that Doug Richardson, formerly of the USDA, has been named Executive Director of the Commission.

Co-Chair Rod Kuegel and I look forward to working with such an outstanding group of leaders. The Commission will hold hearings for public comment on November 9th in Raleigh, North Carolina, and on November 10th in Louisville, Kentucky. The Commission will issue a preliminary report no later than December 31st, 2000.

For more information, please refer to the Commission's website at www.fsa.usda.gov/tobcom.