April 2, 2002 - USDA News Release, Veneman Selects Donna Reifschneider as Administrator of GIPSA.

USDA News Release no. 0130.02

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2002--Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced the selection of Donna Reifschneider as the new administrator of USDA’s Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).

Reifschneider comes to USDA from the Meat Export Federation where she has been an executive committee member since 1999. Prior to that, she was president of the National Pork Producers Council, coordinating state and national policy and strategy and negotiating with Canadian and Mexican pork organizations on trade issues.

"Donna Reifschneider brings to USDA unique experiences in the private sector that will be beneficial in administering important marketing programs,” said Veneman.

Reifschneider, and her family, own and operate a 600-sow, 1000-acre hog and grain farm in southern Illinois. She served as chair of the Pork Quality Assurance committee from 1992 - 1998 and as chair of the Pork Food Safety committee from 1995 - 1998. She also has served on the Pork Trade committee since 1999 and participated in trade missions to China, Japan, Argentina and Brazil.

Reifschneider is a participant in Illinois Governor Edgar’s Commission on Animal Agriculture, the University of Illinois Blue Ribbon Task Force on Extension and the Illinois Agricultural Leadership Program. She is a graduate of Southern Illinois University.

She will officially join USDA on April 15.

GIPSA facilitates the marketing of livestock, poultry, meat, cereals, oilseeds and related agricultural products, and promotes fair and competitive trading practices for the overall benefit of consumers and American agriculture.