Nossaman, Guthner, Knox and Elliott Partner Ann Veneman Named Secretary of Agriculture; First Woman to Hold Post

Business Wire, Dec 20, 2000

News and Business Editors and Legal Writers

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2000

Ann M. Veneman, a partner with the law firm of Nossaman, Guthner, Knox and Elliott, LLP, has been named Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture by President-elect George W. Bush, the first woman to hold the post in its 110-year-history.

Raised on a peach farm in Modesto, Calif., Veneman has deep roots within the agriculture community and has gained significant experience managing agricultural affairs at both the state and federal levels. She has been particularly active in trade policy and expanding global markets for U.S. and California farmers.

She joined Nossaman, Guthner, Knox and Elliott in its Sacramento office in 1999 where she specialized in food, agriculture, environment, technology and trade-related issues.

"Ann is a unique leader who respects every individual and genuinely believes in including everyone in the process," said Scott DeVries, managing partner of Nossaman. "She is a great asset to the firm and we will miss her personally as well as professionally. However, Nossaman's loss is the country's gain. Ann is incredibly well qualified for this post and will be able to hit the ground running."

Before joining the firm, Veneman was Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture from 1995 until 1999 under Gov. Pete Wilson. The first woman to hold this position, she directed the state agency that oversees the largest agricultural economy in the nation. Drawing on her background in international trade, she made it a priority to expand global opportunities for California agriculture.

From 1991 to 1993, Veneman served as Deputy Secretary of the United States Department of Agriculture, the highest-ranking woman to ever serve in this department. As the second-ranking person in the department, she directed and oversaw 42 agencies with a budget of more than $60 billion and a workforce of 111,000 employees.

For the previous two years, Veneman served as Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture for International Affairs and Commodity Programs. In this assignment, she managed international issues including trade policy, trade negotiations and food aid. Veneman joined the USDA's Foreign Agricultural service in 1986 and was actively involved in the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations, NAFTA and the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement.

She currently serves on the board of directors of the Farm Foundation, the Close-up Foundation, ACDI/VOCA and the Great Valley Center. She is a member of the International Policy Council on Agriculture, Food and Trade, the Bennett Agriculture Round Table, and Food Foresight.

She also serves on the Cal Poly San Luis Obispo President's Advisory Cabinet, the U.C. Merced Foundation Board of Trustees, the U.C. Davis School of Medicine Board of Visitors, the U.C. Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Dean's Advisory Council, the Advisory Council for the U.C. Berkeley College of Natural Resources, and the Joint Policy Council on Agriculture and Higher Education. Prior to joining CDFA she served on the board of directors of Calgene Inc., a California biotechnology company.

Veneman earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California at Davis, a master's degree in public policy from the University of California at Berkeley, and a juris doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings College of Law.

Nossaman is one of the leading California law firms with offices in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orange County and Washington, D.C. With wide ranging transactional and litigation practices, it handles some of the largest and most significant cases in California trial and appellate courts. The firm has particular expertise in the government relations; infrastructure/transportation; land use, environment and real property; and health care fields.

Nossaman's governmental relations practice, which includes four former legislators and four non-lawyer lobbyists, is based in both California and Washington, D.C. This practice area recognizes that for many clients, the most effective way to solve a legal problem is in the legislature or an administrative agency.