FIFTEEN USDA EMPLOYEES TO RECEIVE PRESIDENTIAL RANK AWARDS
                                                               
                                           Release No. 0442.99 
                                                               
                            Martha Cashion Abrams(202) 720-3310
                                         martha.abrams@usda.gov
                                                                 
FIFTEEN USDA EMPLOYEES TO RECEIVE PRESIDENTIAL RANK AWARDS

     WASHINGTON, Nov. 8, 1999--Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman announced
today the selection of 15 USDA employees who will receive 1999 Presidential
Rank Awards.

     "These individuals represent the cream of the crop in American
government," Glickman said.  "I commend their dedication to serving the
American people through quality leadership."

     The Presidential Rank Award Program recognizes and rewards career Senior
Executive Service members who have demonstrated exceptional performance over
an extended period of time.  There are two categories of awards.  The
Distinguished Executive Award is given to no more than one percent of career
senior executives for sustained, extraordinary accomplishment.  These winners
receive an award equal to 35 percent of their base pay.  The Meritorious
Executive Award is limited to no more than five percent of career SES members
for sustained accomplishment and winners receive 20 percent of their base pay.

     The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 1999 Presidential Rank Award
winners are:

Distinguished Executive Awards

Donald M. Bay, Administrator, National Agricultural Statistics Service, for
his outstanding leadership of the National Agricultural Statistics Service and
his significant contributions to the nation's agricultural statistics program.
     
David C. Hall, Budget Officer, Farm Services Agency, for outstanding
contributions to the development, justification, and acquisition of budgetary
resources in support of the nationwide operations of Farm Service Agency and
Commodity Credit Corporation in providing program benefits to American
farmers.

Margaret O'K. Glavin, Associate Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection
Service, for her leadership in strengthening FSIS's effectiveness through a
revitalized organizational structure and innovative applications of science in
inspection methodology.

Dallas R. Smith, (retired) Deputy Under Secretary, Farm and Foreign
Agricultural Services, for his outstanding contributions to the reorganization
of USDA and the concurrent successful management of agricultural programs,
both domestic and international.

Meritorious Executive Awards

Fred S. Barrett, Jr., Deputy Administrator for Field Operations, National
Agricultural Statistics Service, for his outstanding and innovative leadership
in the operations of 45 state statistical offices.

Barry L. Carpenter, Deputy Administrator, Livestock and Seed Program,
Agricultural Marketing Service, for his outstanding contributions to U.S.
livestock, meat, and grain industries and the American people by developing
and directing programs to ensure the production, processing, and  marketing of
a constant supply of quality meat and meat products nationally and
internationally.

Stephen B. Dewhurst, Director, Office of Budget and Program Analysis, for his
outstanding management of USDA's budget, one of the most complicated and
diverse resource acquisition and allocation programs in the federal
government.

John Golden, Associate General Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, for his
sustained and outstanding contributions to American agriculture in the fields
of food safety, animal and plant health, and agricultural marketing and
inspection law.          

Thomas J. Henneberry, Director, Western Cotton Research Laboratory,
Agricultural Research Service, for his outstanding management of research into
ecologically oriented areas that serve as models for integrated pest
management systems.

Ruthie F. Jackson, Regional Administrator, Food and Nutrition Service, for her
innovative program management of the nation's nutrition assistance programs in
the Southwest Region.

Peter B. Johnsen, Director, National Center for Agricultural Utilization
Research, Agricultural Research Service, for his reshaping of the scientific
direction of the Center to address the environmental concerns, global trade,
biotechnology revolution, and intellectual property issues facing American
agriculture.

Phyllis E. Johnson, Director, Beltsville Area Research Center, Agricultural
Research Service, for her exemplary leadership and management of the two
largest of the eight areas which comprise the Agricultural Research Service,
the world's largest agricultural research organization.
     
John W. McCutcheon, Associate Deputy Administrator, Food Safety and Inspection
Service, for outstanding and innovative contributions to the meat, poultry,
and egg product inspection programs, including management of the pilot plant
testing component of the conversion to the  scientific-based HAACP inspection.

Richard M. Parry, Jr., Assistant Administrator, Office of Technology Transfer,
Agricultural Research Service, for outstanding management of the technology
transfer program of the Agricultural Research Service, the world's largest
agricultural research organization. 

Clyde Thompson, Deputy Chief, Business Operations, Forest Service, for
exceptional leadership in directing and managing all administrative and
internal management functions of the Forest Service. 

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