On Monday, President Bush announced his intention to nominate Mark Keenum to be undersecretary of agriculture for farm and foreign agriculture services.
Dr. Keenum currently serves as chief of staff for Senator Thad Cochran (R-MS), a position he has held for the past 17 years. He received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and Ph.D. from MississippiStateUniversity. Before going to Washington, Keenum was an assistant professor and economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at MississippiStateUniversity.
Allen Helms, chairman of the National Cotton Council, said the nomination of Dr. Keenum to this important position at a critical time is good news for agriculture and related industries.
“Dr. Keenum is experienced, dedicated and a proven leader in the development and implementation of a wide range of agricultural policy," Helms said. "He is clearly the right person at the right time and the agriculture community is fortunate that he is willing to continue in public service if confirmed by the Senate. We hope the Senate will expedite the confirmation process.”
The White House’s announcement on Keenum’s nomination can be found at: