USDA Secretary Mike Johanns announced he has appointed Curt Mann to serve as Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety

Food & Drink Weekly, August 22, 2005

USDA Secretary Mike Johanns announced he has appointed Curt Mann to serve as Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety. Mann will begin his new duties at USDA on August 22. Previously, he served with the Biological and Chemical Defense Policy Directorate of the White House Homeland Security Council as the Director of Food, Agriculture, and Water Security.

In this role, he was responsible for planning, developing, formulating, evaluating, and advising Presidential led programs related to bio-defense of agriculture, food and water systems. Mann was instrumental in the development and drafting of Homeland Security Presidential Directive-9 "Defense of United States Agriculture and Food" signed by the President in January 2004. Prior to his White House service, Mann was a special assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture where he focused on coordinating the Department's role in Homeland Security following the events of September 11. Mann also has practiced as a clinical veterinarian, served as a professional staff member to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Agriculture and as executive director of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges. Mann studied microbiology at Montana State University and the University of Wyoming. He received his veterinarian degree from Kansas State University and has practiced as a large and small animal clinical veterinarian.