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  Message from Secretary Mike Johanns
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ContributorThomas Walker 
Last EditedThomas Walker  Sep 20, 2007 01:42pm
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CategoryAnnouncement
News DateThursday, September 20, 2007 07:00:00 PM UTC0:0
DescriptionUNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20250



Dear USDA Family,

It is with mixed emotion that I step down from my post as Secretary of Agriculture. It has been a true honor and privilege to work alongside you each day. As I told President Bush this morning in the Rose Garden, I am grateful to the men and women of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. You work so hard every day to ensure that we give the American people the best possible service and to achieve the goals that the President has laid out for us.

In my resignation letter, I said it this way, "Mr. President, you should be very proud of the men and women of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A cornerstone of your leadership is recognizing that people are our greatest resource. You have a gold mine at USDA. It has been my honor to work alongside them." I believe that with all my heart, which is why my decision brings mixed emotion. But I also love the state that I served as Governor, and I am eager to return to the Good Life in Nebraska.

I leave this department in supremely capable hands. Acting Secretary Chuck Conner shares my passion for agriculture and he demonstrated his leadership abilities time and again. He is a good man and I'm confident the transition will be seamless.

As I say farewell, I encourage you to redouble your efforts to bring topnotch service and programs to the people of this great Nation. I will feel a sense of pride every time I read about the great things that you are accomplishing.

For a farm boy from Iowa, this truly has been an opportunity of a lifetime. As I have often noted, I never dreamed of becoming Secretary of Agriculture as a child because it seemed so far removed from our 160-acre farm. I hope young people growing-up on farms and in rural communities today realize that no dream is too big in America.

Sincerely,
Mike Johanns
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