Secretary Vilsack Appoints Twilya L'Ecuyer with C.U.R.E. Group to USDA NAREEE Advisory Board

Topeka, KS (PRWEB) April 10, 2014

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the appointment of eight individuals, including Twilya L'Ecuyer with CURE Group, to serve on the National Agricultural Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory Board.

The NAREEE Advisory Board advises the Secretary of Agriculture and land-grant colleges and universities on top national priorities and policies for food and agricultural research, education, extension, and economics. In addition, the Board holds stakeholder listening sessions, reviews draft guidance for competitive-grant programs, advises the Agriculture Research Service on its scientific peer review process for national programs, conducts an annual review of all agricultural research, extension, or education activities conducted or funded by the Department for relevance to national priorities and adequacy of funding, and advises the USDA’s Research, Education, and Economics (REE) Mission Area in the development of its draft Strategic Plan.

Twilya L’Ecuyer, farmer, and business owner began a three-year term representing category T Rural Economic Development. L’Ecuyer is a partner in L’Ecuyer Farms a mid-sized diversified conventional farm including row crop, hay & forage, wheat and a cow/calf operation. She also owns and operates L’Ecuyer Gardens a small produce farm that has served natural foods and four-star restaurants in Lincoln, Nebraska. L’Ecuyer also serves on the Kansas Department of Agriculture Ag Marketing Board and is the Executive Director for the Fairbury Housing Authority in Fairbury, Nebraska.

L’Ecuyer also owns C.U.R.E. (Creating Urban and Rural Excellence) Group a consulting company in providing business support and training for farms, rural and agriculture-based businesses, nonprofits and rural community development throughout the Great Plains. C.U.R.E. Group works with individuals, organizations and communities to achieve improved results through strategic planning, leadership development, empowerment and total quality management. L’Ecuyer is facilitator and Innermetrix certified through Resource Associates Corporation of Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. She is also Total Quality Management certified through the Total Quality Institute also of Wyomissing. L’Ecuyer also serves on the Kansas Department of Agriculture Agricultural Marketing Advisory Board.

The following members have also been appointed to a 3-year term effective October 1, 2013:

•     Dr. Govind Kannan, Dean and Director, College of Agriculture, Family Sciences and Technology, Fort Valley State University in Fort Valley, GA.
•     Dr. Robert Taylor, Dean and Director, Land Grant Programs, College of Agriculture and Food Science, Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL.    
•     Dr. Chandra Reddy, Dean and Director of Research/Administrator of Extension, College of Agriculture Human and Natural Sciences, Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN.
•     Dr. Neil Olson, Dean, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri in Columbia, MO.
•     Dr. Rita Green, Family Resource Management Extension Agent, Mississippi State University, Grenada, MS.
•     Dr. Steven Daley-Laursen, Senior Executive, Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development, and Professor of the College of Natural Resources, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID.
•     Dr. Carrie Castille, Associate Commissioner and Senior Science Advisor, Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry in Baton Rouge, LA.

Each of the 25 NAREEE Advisory Board members represents a specific category of U.S. Agricultural stakeholders as outlined in the 2008 Food, Energy, and Conservation Act. These areas include farming or ranching, food production and processing, forestry research, crop and animal science, land-grant institutions, non-land grant college or university with a historic commitment to research in the food and agricultural sciences, food retailing and marketing, rural economic development, and natural resource and consumer interest groups, among many others. Each member serves a 2-3 year appointment.