Ann Veneman
Encyclopedia
Ann Margaret Veneman is the former Executive Director of UNICEF, a position she held from 2005 to 2010. Her appointment was announced on January 18, 2005 by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan
. Previously, Veneman was the United States
Secretary of Agriculture
, the first and only woman to hold that position. Veneman served as USDA Secretary from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2005, leaving to become the fifth executive director of UNICEF. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10691-2005Jan14.html?nav=rss_topnews. She served in this position from May 1, 2005. A lawyer by training, Veneman has practiced law in Washington, DC and California, including being a deputy public defender. She has also served in other high level positions in U.S. federal and state government, including being appointed California's Secretary of Food and Agriculture, serving from 1995 to 1999.
Veneman serves as a co-leader of the Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center
.
. Her father, John Veneman
, was former undersecretary of Health, Education and Welfare and member of the California State Assembly. She earned her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Davis
, a Master of Public Policy
from the Richard & Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley
, and a Juris Doctor
degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law
. She has also been awarded honorary doctoral degrees from California Polytechnic State University
, San Luis Obispo (2001); Lincoln University (Missouri)
(2003); Delaware State University
(2004) and Middlebury College
(2006).
District in Oakland, California, in 1976. In 1978, she returned to Modesto, where she served as a Deputy Public Defender. In 1980, she joined the Modesto law firm of Damrell, Damrell and Nelson, where she was an associate and later a partner.
Veneman joined the United States Department of Agriculture
's Foreign Agricultural Service in 1986, serving as Associate Administrator until 1989. During this time she worked on the Uruguay Round talks for the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(GATT). She subsequently served as Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture for International Affairs and Commodity Programs from 1989 to 1991. From 1991 to 1993, she served as United States Department of Agriculture
's Deputy Secretary, the first woman appointed as the Department's second-highest ranking official. At this point Veneman took a break from political and administrative office to practice with the law firm and lobby group Patton, Boggs & Blow
and also served on several boards of directors and advisory groups.
In 1995 Veneman re-entered government, when she was appointed Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture
, again being the first woman to hold the position. From 1999 to 2001 Veneman was an attorney with Nossaman
LLP, where she focused her attention on food, agriculture, environment, technology, and trade related issues. On 20 January 2001 she was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn in as Secretary of Agriculture
, a position she held until January 20, 2005.
100 Most Powerful Women list, ranking 46th.
In 2009 she received the Award of Distinction from the University of California Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Veneman is an Honorary Member of Rotary International (2008), received Sesame Workshop’s Leadership Award for Children (2006), and a Humanitarian Award from the United Nations Association of New York (2006). In 2004 Veneman was honored with an Honorary Membership with the U.S. State Department’s U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council and an Honorary Membership with Sigma Alpha Sorority, the national professional agriculture sorority. She was also awarded the Main Street Partnership John Chaffee Award for Distinguished Public Service, the American PVO Partners Award for Service to People in Need, and the Grape & Wine Public Policy Leadership Award. Additional awards include the Richard E. Lyng Award for Public Service (2005), the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy Alumni of the Year Award (2003), the California State Fair’s Agriculturalist of the Year Award (2003), and the National 4-H Alumni Recognition Award. In 2002, Veneman received the California Council for International Trade Golden State Award, the Dutch American Heritage Award, Junior Statesman Foundation Statesman of the Year Award and the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Distinguished Service Award. In 2001 Veneman received the Outstanding Woman in International Trade Award, the UC Davis Outstanding Alumna of the Year Award and the Food Research and Action Center Award. In 1995 she received a Cal Aggie Alumni Citation for Excellence and the Kiwanis Club of Greater Modesto National Farm-City Week Award.
Veneman is currently a board member of Malaria No More
, a New York-based nonprofit that was launched at the 2006 White House Summit with the goal of ending all deaths caused by malaria
. Veneman is also co-chair of Mothers Day Every Day, along with former U.S. President Bill Clinton
’s Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala
. The campaign was launched by CARE and the White Ribbon Alliance supporting access of basic health care and maternal services for women around the world. Veneman also serves as a board member of the Close Up Foundation
, a civic education organization, and has served previously on a number of advisory councils and committees, particularly those involving higher education.
In 2002, Veneman was diagnosed with breast cancer and received successful treatment. Veneman is also a second cousin of Star Wars
creator George Lucas
.
Sworn in as the first female Secretary of USDA on January 20, 2001, Veneman presided over one of the most historic times in American agriculture. Her tenure included record farm income, record agricultural exports and the creation of stronger pest and disease protection systems for the country.
U.S. Senator Tom Harkin
said at Veneman’s confirmation hearing, "I was encouraged by the nomination of Ann Veneman to serve as Secretary of Agriculture. …She has solid experience and credentials in administering food and agriculture programs both here in Washington, rising to Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and in her home state of California, where she served as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture."
, additional protections were implemented. She also provided strong leadership in protecting public health and animal health during outbreaks of avian influenza and exotic Newcastle disease in poultry, both of which were quickly eradicated. USDA also confronted various food safety recalls, prompting Veneman to take several actions to strengthen USDA’s regulatory oversight and protections.
On December 23, 2003, Veneman announced the discovery of a single cow with Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE), or mad cow disease, in Washington State. The cow was determined to be of Canadian origin. After taking initial steps in response, one week later, on December 30, 2003, Veneman announced additional protective measures to be put into place. [4] These included a ban on "downer," or nonambulatory cattle, from the human food supply; additional food-safety measures in the processing of beef and related products; and an acceleration of "the development of the technology architecture" for a national system to track and identify livestock. http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.retrievecontent/.c/6_2_1UH/.ce/7_2_5JM/.p/5_2_4TQ/.d/2/_th/J_2_9D/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?PC_7_2_5JM_contentid=2003%2F12%2F0449.html&PC_7_2_5JM_parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&PC_7_2_5JM_navid=NEWS_RELEASE#7_2_5JM
BSE proved to be a complex issue on the international-trade front. U.S. trading partners made sometimes-conflicting demands on the United States, while public-interest, consumer and farm groups called for differing protection measures and responses.
Japan, the leading U.S. beef-export market, had been demanding 100 percent testing of all cattle for export, a position it has since altered.
Public-interest groups also called for the closing of loopholes in the so-called "animal-feed ban," which prevented the feeding of ruminant products back to ruminants, which had been discovered as a key-pathway for BSE transmission. The feed ban falls under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration
.
, helping lead to the successful launch of a new round of trade negotiations for the World Trade Organization
in Doha . She played a key role in helping eliminate trade barriers and expanding opportunities for U.S. farmers through new export markets. U.S. agricultural exports in 2004 rose to a record $62.3 billion.
and child nutrition program were reauthorized and funding increased, strengthening the ability of USDA to provide services to recipients and provide additional accountability to taxpayers. In 2004, Veneman finalized the transition from paper food stamps to electronic debit cards in an effort to reduce fraud and increase availability of these programs to more families in need.Under Veneman, after a comprehensive scientific review, new Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released, which formed the basis for USDA's MyPyramid
.
Carol Tucker-Foreman of the Consumer Federation of America
said of Veneman, “Secretary Veneman recognized the increasing problem of obesity in this country and took some steps to begin to address it. Under her direction USDA updated the Dietary Guidelines and is revising the food guide pyramid
.”
As Secretary, Veneman focused on new approaches to help feed the hungry around the world. To help meet the international goal of reducing global hunger by half by 2015, she organized and hosted in 2003 the Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology, which brought together ministers from 120 nations to California, to discuss how science and technology can reduce hunger and poverty in the developing world. The conference, as well as subsequent regional conferences and follow-up activities, helped recapture the momentum of the World Food Summit.
Veneman worked to foster the next generation of agricultural leadership, establishing USDA’s “Leaders of Tomorrow” initiative to strengthen education programs, particularly those involved with mentoring youth. She increased the number of internships available at USDA, and encouraged young people to seek career opportunities at USDA and across the food and agricultural spectrum.
for diarrhea, micronutrients, and treatment of severe acute malnutrition.
Measles mortality has also declined by more than 90% in sub-Saharan Africa alone since 2000, and polio is on the brink of elimination, with only four remaining endemic countries in the world. Global coverage for DPT 3 immunization has steadily increased to 82% in 2008, compared to just 20% in 1980. In the fight against malaria, UNICEF purchases of insecticide treated bed nets increased from 10.7 million in 2005 to 31 million in 2009.
, and sexual exploitation. UNICEF has worked to promote protective environments for children in communities, schools and families and have forged innovative partnerships to address sexual violence against girls and women. The latest edition of UNICEF’s Progress for Children provides the first comprehensive analysis of available protection data. The November 2009 UNICEF commemorated of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
, reinforcing the resolve for a common agenda to achieve the rights of all children, with particular focus on the excluded: the poorest child, the disabled child, the sexually trafficked child, the child laborer, the child soldier, the abused child.
In February 2007 UNICEF co-hosted a worldwide conference with France, bringing together representatives from 58 countries including those most affected by the use of child soldiers to end this practice. According to UNICEF over 27,000 children in different parts of the world are believed to have been used on the frontlines during armed conflicts in 2006 alone. To address this, the Conference resulted in the release of what is known as The Paris Principles
, a detailed set of guidelines for protecting children from recruitment and for providing effective assistance to those already involved with armed groups or forces.
In 2007, Veneman helped launch a partnership with renowned US playwright and ‘V-Day’ founder Eve Ensler
in 2007, to bring awareness and change to the sexual abuse and violence of women in the DRC. ‘Stop Raping our Greatest Resource’ is a campaign initiated by the women of eastern DRC along with UNICEF and V-Day
, a global movement to end violence against women and girls. UNICEF estimates that hundreds of thousands of women and girls have been raped since the conflict began in eastern DRC more than a decade ago.
Veneman has also called for greater efforts to end female genital mutilation. In February 2009, marking the International Day against the harmful practice that three million girls and women endure each year, Veneman said, “Some 70 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to female genital cutting. While some communities have made real progress in abandoning this dangerous practice, the rights, and even the lives, of too many girls continue to be threatened.”
In December 2009, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
said of Veneman, “She has fulfilled her mandate with immense dedication, and I have been impressed by her extraordinary energy and determination to improve children’s health, education and well-being around the world. Under her leadership, UNICEF has become a catalyst for global action to help children reach their full potential, promoting collaborations that deliver the best possible results for children based on expert knowledge, sound evidence and data. She has been a champion of United Nations coherence and a strong voice for children as well as Millennium Development Goal implementation. Her legacy is an organization that is financially and intellectually strong and well-equipped to meet the challenges children face in the twenty-first century.”
In 2009, Veneman was named to Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women
, ranking #46. Forbes cited Veneman in part because she "played a key role in the joint effort by UNICEF, the World Health Organization
, the United Nations Population Fund
and the World Bank
to help accelerate progress on maternal and newborn health in the 25 countries with the highest rates of infant mortality worldwide." http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/11/power-women-09_Ann-Veneman_DK41.html
Mrs. Veneman was succeeded by Anthony Lake
on May 1, 2010.
Articles
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
. Previously, Veneman was the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Secretary of Agriculture
United States Secretary of Agriculture
The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 20 January 2009. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other...
, the first and only woman to hold that position. Veneman served as USDA Secretary from January 20, 2001 to January 20, 2005, leaving to become the fifth executive director of UNICEF. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10691-2005Jan14.html?nav=rss_topnews. She served in this position from May 1, 2005. A lawyer by training, Veneman has practiced law in Washington, DC and California, including being a deputy public defender. She has also served in other high level positions in U.S. federal and state government, including being appointed California's Secretary of Food and Agriculture, serving from 1995 to 1999.
Veneman serves as a co-leader of the Nutrition and Physical Activity Initiative at the Bipartisan Policy Center
Bipartisan Policy Center
The is a non-profit organization that "drives principled solutions through rigorous analysis, reasoned negotiation, and respectful dialogue." Founded in 2007 by former Senate Majority Leaders Howard Baker, Tom Daschle, Bob Dole, and George Mitchell, "BPC combines politically-balanced policymaking...
.
Early life and education
Veneman was raised on a peach farm in Modesto, CaliforniaModesto, California
Modesto is a city in, and is the county seat of, Stanislaus County, California. With a population of approximately 201,165 at the 2010 census, Modesto ranks as the 18th largest city in the state of California....
. Her father, John Veneman
John Veneman
John G. Veneman was a Republican politician from Modesto, California. He was born in Corcoran and died in Sacramento. He was elected to the California State Assembly for the 30th District five times in succession, between 1962 and 1968...
, was former undersecretary of Health, Education and Welfare and member of the California State Assembly. She earned her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
, a Master of Public Policy
Master of Public Policy
The Master of Public Policy , one of several public policy degrees, is a master's level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. The MPP program places a focus on the systematic analysis of issues related to public policy and the...
from the Richard & Rhoda Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, and a Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law
University of California, Hastings College of the Law
University of California, Hastings College of the Law is a public law school in San Francisco, California, located in the Civic Center neighborhood....
. She has also been awarded honorary doctoral degrees from California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
, San Luis Obispo (2001); Lincoln University (Missouri)
Lincoln University (Missouri)
Lincoln University, a historically black college, is located in Jefferson City, Missouri. In 2007, according to U.S. News and World Report, Lincoln University was ranked #3 for economic diversity, #5 for campus ethnic diversity, and #9 for most international students among master's level...
(2003); Delaware State University
Delaware State University
Delaware State University , is an American historically black, public university located in Dover, Delaware, and there are two satellite campuses located in Wilmington, Delaware, and Georgetown, Delaware...
(2004) and Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
(2006).
Legal, political and corporate career
Veneman began her legal career as a staff attorney with the General Counsel's office of the Bay Area Rapid TransitBay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
District in Oakland, California, in 1976. In 1978, she returned to Modesto, where she served as a Deputy Public Defender. In 1980, she joined the Modesto law firm of Damrell, Damrell and Nelson, where she was an associate and later a partner.
Veneman joined the United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
's Foreign Agricultural Service in 1986, serving as Associate Administrator until 1989. During this time she worked on the Uruguay Round talks for the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
(GATT). She subsequently served as Deputy Undersecretary of Agriculture for International Affairs and Commodity Programs from 1989 to 1991. From 1991 to 1993, she served as United States Department of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
's Deputy Secretary, the first woman appointed as the Department's second-highest ranking official. At this point Veneman took a break from political and administrative office to practice with the law firm and lobby group Patton, Boggs & Blow
Patton Boggs
Patton Boggs is a full service law firm and lobbyist headquartered in Washington, D.C. It has more than 600 lawyers and professionals in nine locations in the United States and the Middle East. Patton Boggs specializes in , , , , international and trade law with over 200 international clients from...
and also served on several boards of directors and advisory groups.
In 1995 Veneman re-entered government, when she was appointed Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture
California Department of Food and Agriculture
The California Department of Food and Agriculture , is a cabinet-level agency in the government of California. Established in 1919 by the California State Legislature and signed into law by Governor William Stephens, the Department of Food and Agriculture is responsible for ensuring the state's...
, again being the first woman to hold the position. From 1999 to 2001 Veneman was an attorney with Nossaman
Nossaman
Nossaman LLP is a national law firm with over 150 attorneys and lobbyists located in seven offices throughout the United States. The Firm’s expertise is focused in distinct areas of law and policy, as well as in specific industries, ranging from transportation, healthcare and financial services to...
LLP, where she focused her attention on food, agriculture, environment, technology, and trade related issues. On 20 January 2001 she was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate and sworn in as Secretary of Agriculture
United States Secretary of Agriculture
The United States Secretary of Agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The current secretary is Tom Vilsack, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 20 January 2009. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other...
, a position she held until January 20, 2005.
Personal life and distinctions
Veneman has received several awards and distinctions throughout her career. In 2009 Veneman was named to the ForbesForbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
100 Most Powerful Women list, ranking 46th.
In 2009 she received the Award of Distinction from the University of California Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Veneman is an Honorary Member of Rotary International (2008), received Sesame Workshop’s Leadership Award for Children (2006), and a Humanitarian Award from the United Nations Association of New York (2006). In 2004 Veneman was honored with an Honorary Membership with the U.S. State Department’s U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council and an Honorary Membership with Sigma Alpha Sorority, the national professional agriculture sorority. She was also awarded the Main Street Partnership John Chaffee Award for Distinguished Public Service, the American PVO Partners Award for Service to People in Need, and the Grape & Wine Public Policy Leadership Award. Additional awards include the Richard E. Lyng Award for Public Service (2005), the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy Alumni of the Year Award (2003), the California State Fair’s Agriculturalist of the Year Award (2003), and the National 4-H Alumni Recognition Award. In 2002, Veneman received the California Council for International Trade Golden State Award, the Dutch American Heritage Award, Junior Statesman Foundation Statesman of the Year Award and the United Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Distinguished Service Award. In 2001 Veneman received the Outstanding Woman in International Trade Award, the UC Davis Outstanding Alumna of the Year Award and the Food Research and Action Center Award. In 1995 she received a Cal Aggie Alumni Citation for Excellence and the Kiwanis Club of Greater Modesto National Farm-City Week Award.
Veneman is currently a board member of Malaria No More
Malaria No More
Malaria No More is a nonprofit organization that aims to end death caused by malaria in Africa by 2015. Malaria No More is known for its participation in the Idol Gives Back charity specials.- History :...
, a New York-based nonprofit that was launched at the 2006 White House Summit with the goal of ending all deaths caused by malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. Veneman is also co-chair of Mothers Day Every Day, along with former U.S. President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
’s Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala
Donna Shalala
Donna Edna Shalala served for eight years as Secretary of Health and Human Services under President Bill Clinton and has been president of the University of Miami, a private university in Coral Gables, Florida, since 2001. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest...
. The campaign was launched by CARE and the White Ribbon Alliance supporting access of basic health care and maternal services for women around the world. Veneman also serves as a board member of the Close Up Foundation
Close Up Foundation
The Close Up Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan educational organization in the United States. Founded in 1971 Close Up offers high school students an in-depth view of the democratic process, by interactive participation.-Participation:...
, a civic education organization, and has served previously on a number of advisory councils and committees, particularly those involving higher education.
In 2002, Veneman was diagnosed with breast cancer and received successful treatment. Veneman is also a second cousin of Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
creator George Lucas
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas, Jr. is an American film producer, screenwriter, and director, and entrepreneur. He is the founder, chairman and chief executive of Lucasfilm. He is best known as the creator of the space opera franchise Star Wars and the archaeologist-adventurer character Indiana Jones...
.
Record as Secretary of Agriculture
As the 27th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Veneman managed a department of 111,000 employees, the sixth-largest employer in the federal government, with personnel in more than 25,000 buildings around the world; a program level of $113 billion that would rank USDA sixth if it were a U.S. corporation; a spending level that ranks fifth in the federal government; a loan portfolio that would rank USDA seventh if it were a U.S. bank; and one of the most diverse and challenging missions across all of government. USDA has responsibility for farm, rural development, research, protection and conservation programs; international food and agriculture trade; the nation’s nutrition programs including school lunch and breakfast, food stamps and Women Infants and Children (WIC); and the U.S. Forest Service.Sworn in as the first female Secretary of USDA on January 20, 2001, Veneman presided over one of the most historic times in American agriculture. Her tenure included record farm income, record agricultural exports and the creation of stronger pest and disease protection systems for the country.
U.S. Senator Tom Harkin
Tom Harkin
Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....
said at Veneman’s confirmation hearing, "I was encouraged by the nomination of Ann Veneman to serve as Secretary of Agriculture. …She has solid experience and credentials in administering food and agriculture programs both here in Washington, rising to Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, and in her home state of California, where she served as Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture."
BluePrint for Agriculture
To help lead USDA into the 21st century, in 2001 Veneman released a blueprint for agriculture, Food and Agricultural Policy: Taking Stock for the New Century. This publication outlined emerging trends in agriculture, with a focus on farm-sector policy, trade expansion, infrastructure enhancement, conservation and the environment, rural communities, nutrition and food assistance, and USDA program integration. This consistent policy vision, along with Secretary Veneman’s bipartisan approach and emphasis on the improved management of USDA, yielded many accomplishments.Protection of Agriculture and the Food Supply
Within weeks after taking office, Veneman confronted the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in Europe, prompting stronger sanitary and phytosanitary measures. After the September 11, 2001 attacksSeptember 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
, additional protections were implemented. She also provided strong leadership in protecting public health and animal health during outbreaks of avian influenza and exotic Newcastle disease in poultry, both of which were quickly eradicated. USDA also confronted various food safety recalls, prompting Veneman to take several actions to strengthen USDA’s regulatory oversight and protections.
On December 23, 2003, Veneman announced the discovery of a single cow with Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy , commonly known as mad-cow disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in cattle that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord. BSE has a long incubation period, about 30 months to 8 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of...
(BSE), or mad cow disease, in Washington State. The cow was determined to be of Canadian origin. After taking initial steps in response, one week later, on December 30, 2003, Veneman announced additional protective measures to be put into place. [4] These included a ban on "downer," or nonambulatory cattle, from the human food supply; additional food-safety measures in the processing of beef and related products; and an acceleration of "the development of the technology architecture" for a national system to track and identify livestock. http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.retrievecontent/.c/6_2_1UH/.ce/7_2_5JM/.p/5_2_4TQ/.d/2/_th/J_2_9D/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?PC_7_2_5JM_contentid=2003%2F12%2F0449.html&PC_7_2_5JM_parentnav=LATEST_RELEASES&PC_7_2_5JM_navid=NEWS_RELEASE#7_2_5JM
BSE proved to be a complex issue on the international-trade front. U.S. trading partners made sometimes-conflicting demands on the United States, while public-interest, consumer and farm groups called for differing protection measures and responses.
Japan, the leading U.S. beef-export market, had been demanding 100 percent testing of all cattle for export, a position it has since altered.
Public-interest groups also called for the closing of loopholes in the so-called "animal-feed ban," which prevented the feeding of ruminant products back to ruminants, which had been discovered as a key-pathway for BSE transmission. The feed ban falls under the purview of the Food and Drug Administration
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, one of the United States federal executive departments...
.
International Trade
Veneman, was widely praised for her knowledge and leadership in advancing international trade. She worked closely with U.S. Trade Representative Robert ZoellickRobert Zoellick
Robert Bruce Zoellick is the eleventh president of the World Bank, a position he has held since July 1, 2007. He was previously a managing director of Goldman Sachs, United States Deputy Secretary of State and U.S. Trade Representative, from February 7, 2001 until February 22, 2005.President...
, helping lead to the successful launch of a new round of trade negotiations for the World Trade Organization
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization is an organization that intends to supervise and liberalize international trade. The organization officially commenced on January 1, 1995 under the Marrakech Agreement, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , which commenced in 1948...
in Doha . She played a key role in helping eliminate trade barriers and expanding opportunities for U.S. farmers through new export markets. U.S. agricultural exports in 2004 rose to a record $62.3 billion.
Child Nutrition and Food Programs
During Veneman's tenure, the Food Stamp ProgramFood Stamp Program
The United States Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program , historically and commonly known as the Food Stamp Program, is a federal-assistance program that provides assistance to low- and no-income people and families living in the U.S. Though the program is administered by the U.S. Department of...
and child nutrition program were reauthorized and funding increased, strengthening the ability of USDA to provide services to recipients and provide additional accountability to taxpayers. In 2004, Veneman finalized the transition from paper food stamps to electronic debit cards in an effort to reduce fraud and increase availability of these programs to more families in need.Under Veneman, after a comprehensive scientific review, new Dietary Guidelines for Americans were released, which formed the basis for USDA's MyPyramid
MyPyramid
MyPyramid, released by the United States Department of Agriculture on April 19, 2005, is an update on the American food guide pyramid that was used until June 2, 2011, when the USDA's MyPlate replaced it. The icon stresses activity and moderation along with a proper mix of food groups in one's diet...
.
Carol Tucker-Foreman of the Consumer Federation of America
Consumer Federation of America
The Consumer Federation of America is a non-profit organization founded in 1968 to advance consumer interests through research, education and advocacy....
said of Veneman, “Secretary Veneman recognized the increasing problem of obesity in this country and took some steps to begin to address it. Under her direction USDA updated the Dietary Guidelines and is revising the food guide pyramid
Food guide pyramid
A food guide pyramid is a triangular or pyramid-shaped nutrition guide divided into sections to show the recommended intake for each food group. The first food pyramid was published in Sweden in 1974. The most widely known food pyramid was introduced by the United States Department of Agriculture...
.”
As Secretary, Veneman focused on new approaches to help feed the hungry around the world. To help meet the international goal of reducing global hunger by half by 2015, she organized and hosted in 2003 the Ministerial Conference on Science and Technology, which brought together ministers from 120 nations to California, to discuss how science and technology can reduce hunger and poverty in the developing world. The conference, as well as subsequent regional conferences and follow-up activities, helped recapture the momentum of the World Food Summit.
USDA Management and Programs
As part of several actions to implement the President’s Management Agenda (PMA), Veneman began USDA’s e-Government Initiative, which made an unprecedented array of programs and services available electronically. In addition, USDA for the first time ever received a clean financial audit, a status the Department attained three years in a row.Veneman worked to foster the next generation of agricultural leadership, establishing USDA’s “Leaders of Tomorrow” initiative to strengthen education programs, particularly those involved with mentoring youth. She increased the number of internships available at USDA, and encouraged young people to seek career opportunities at USDA and across the food and agricultural spectrum.
Record as UNICEF Executive Director
In hertenure as Executive Director from 2005 to 2010, Veneman has, like her predecessors, continued to foster a culture of improvement working to strengthen the results-based focus of the organization to most effectively and sustainably achieve the rights of children, in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Veneman has continued the work of her predecessors to enhance the following:State of the World’s Children
Each year UNICEF releases its flagship report, The State of the World’s Children, which brings to light the plight of children, particularly in developing countries, and statistics that demonstrate progress, hope and challenges around the world. Each year, the report focuses on a key set of issues impacting children. The 2009 report highlighted the issues of maternal health mortality, one of the most intractable problems for development work. Under five mortality has steadily declined. In 2009 UNICEF released figures showing solid progress on child survival, including a 28% decline in the rate of annual number of under-five deaths since 1990 For its part, UNICEF and its partners have focused on strengthening community based integrated primary health care systems for women and children. Progress has been accelerated by expanding basic child health interventions, including vaccinations, oral rehydration therapyOral rehydration therapy
Oral rehydration therapy is a simple treatment for dehydration associated with diarrhoea, particularly gastroenteritis or gastroenteropathy, such as that caused by cholera or rotavirus. ORT consists of a solution of salts and sugars which is taken by mouth...
for diarrhea, micronutrients, and treatment of severe acute malnutrition.
Measles mortality has also declined by more than 90% in sub-Saharan Africa alone since 2000, and polio is on the brink of elimination, with only four remaining endemic countries in the world. Global coverage for DPT 3 immunization has steadily increased to 82% in 2008, compared to just 20% in 1980. In the fight against malaria, UNICEF purchases of insecticide treated bed nets increased from 10.7 million in 2005 to 31 million in 2009.
AIDS
In 2005, UNICEF and its partners launched Unite for Children Unite Against AIDS to put the missing face of the child on the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Today, coverage of programs for prevention of mother to child transmission and treatment of pediatric AIDS has dramatically increased.Child-Mother Health
Veneman has highlighted the inextricable link between the health of the mother and the health of the child in UNICEF. Along with WHO, the World Bank and UNFPA, UNICEF is accelerating maternal health interventions in the highest burden countries. Nutrition is now widely recognized as integral to both health and food security, with particular attention to children under age two whose cognitive ability will likely be permanently diminished without adequate nourishment in those formative years.Malnutrition
UNICEF has significantly contributed to accelerating the use of ready-to-use therapeutic foods for treatment of acute malnutrition, with Unicef purchases of the product increasing from 100 metric tons in 2003 to over 11,000 metric tons in 2008. Vitamin A and zinc supplementation, salt iodization, and flour fortification have all been scaled up and rates of exclusive breastfeeding have improved. UNICEF has strategically invested in nutrition programs when global food prices rose, and its recently released nutrition scorecard report provides data and evidence on the nutritional status of children.Education
According to UNICEF there are now more children in school than ever before, with significant improvements in gender equality in education. UNICEF introduced the pioneering concept, six years ago, of child friendly schools to create a safer and more welcoming educational environment, especially for girls.Protecting Children
The protection of children has been very high on UNICEF’s agenda for many years, from violence and trafficking to early marriage, female genital cuttingFemale genital cutting
Female genital mutilation , also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is defined by the World Health Organization as "all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons."FGM...
, and sexual exploitation. UNICEF has worked to promote protective environments for children in communities, schools and families and have forged innovative partnerships to address sexual violence against girls and women. The latest edition of UNICEF’s Progress for Children provides the first comprehensive analysis of available protection data. The November 2009 UNICEF commemorated of the 20th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
Convention on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child is a human rights treaty setting out the civil, political, economic, social, health and cultural rights of children...
, reinforcing the resolve for a common agenda to achieve the rights of all children, with particular focus on the excluded: the poorest child, the disabled child, the sexually trafficked child, the child laborer, the child soldier, the abused child.
In February 2007 UNICEF co-hosted a worldwide conference with France, bringing together representatives from 58 countries including those most affected by the use of child soldiers to end this practice. According to UNICEF over 27,000 children in different parts of the world are believed to have been used on the frontlines during armed conflicts in 2006 alone. To address this, the Conference resulted in the release of what is known as The Paris Principles
Paris Principles
The Paris Principles were defined at the first International Workshop on National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights held in Paris on 7-9 October 1991. They were adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Commission by Resolution 1992/54 of 1992, and by the UN General...
, a detailed set of guidelines for protecting children from recruitment and for providing effective assistance to those already involved with armed groups or forces.
Women and Girls
Veneman has helped bring more awareness to the plight of women and girls. Saying, “if we care about the health and well-being of children today and into the future, we must work now to ensure that women and girls have equal opportunities to be educated, to participate in government, to achieve economic self-sufficiency and to be protected from violence and discrimination.” UNICEF has launched key interventions to enhance gender equality around the world. Despite progress in women’s status in recent decades, the lives of millions of girls and women are still overshadowed by discrimination, disempowerment and poverty. Millions of women are subject to physical and sexual violence, with little recourse to justice.In 2007, Veneman helped launch a partnership with renowned US playwright and ‘V-Day’ founder Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler
Eve Ensler is an American playwright, performer, feminist and activist, best known for her play The Vagina Monologues.- Personal life :...
in 2007, to bring awareness and change to the sexual abuse and violence of women in the DRC. ‘Stop Raping our Greatest Resource’ is a campaign initiated by the women of eastern DRC along with UNICEF and V-Day
V-Day
V-Day, February 14th, is a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls inspired by Eve Ensler's play, The Vagina Monologues. The movement was started in 1998 by author, playwright and activist Eve Ensler. Ensler has been quoted as saying that it was women's reactions to the...
, a global movement to end violence against women and girls. UNICEF estimates that hundreds of thousands of women and girls have been raped since the conflict began in eastern DRC more than a decade ago.
Veneman has also called for greater efforts to end female genital mutilation. In February 2009, marking the International Day against the harmful practice that three million girls and women endure each year, Veneman said, “Some 70 million girls and women alive today have been subjected to female genital cutting. While some communities have made real progress in abandoning this dangerous practice, the rights, and even the lives, of too many girls continue to be threatened.”
Humanitarian Relief
Through Inter-Agency collaboration and strategic partnerships build over the years, UNICEF’s humanitarian work is well coordinated and more systematic, recognizing the need to address disaster preparedness, risk reduction and capacity building as well as response. UNICEF leads several of the recently established humanitarian clusters to facilitate the provision of basic health, education and protection services. The Core Commitments for Children in Emergencies have been mainstreamed into the work of the organization.Organizational Effectiveness
UNICEF’s financial and organizational position has continued to improve due to its reputation. Between 2004 and 2008, total income, including trust funds, has increased more than 60%, to over $4 billion. The organization’s accountability mechanisms have been strengthened, audit compliance has improved, an office of investigation established, and an ethics officer appointed.In December 2009, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon is the eighth and current Secretary-General of the United Nations, after succeeding Kofi Annan in 2007. Before going on to be Secretary-General, Ban was a career diplomat in South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in the United Nations. He entered diplomatic service the year he...
said of Veneman, “She has fulfilled her mandate with immense dedication, and I have been impressed by her extraordinary energy and determination to improve children’s health, education and well-being around the world. Under her leadership, UNICEF has become a catalyst for global action to help children reach their full potential, promoting collaborations that deliver the best possible results for children based on expert knowledge, sound evidence and data. She has been a champion of United Nations coherence and a strong voice for children as well as Millennium Development Goal implementation. Her legacy is an organization that is financially and intellectually strong and well-equipped to meet the challenges children face in the twenty-first century.”
In 2009, Veneman was named to Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women
Forbes Magazine's List of The World's 100 Most Powerful Women
Starting in 2004, Forbes magazine has made a list of the 100 most powerful women in the world. It is edited by editor Mary Ellen Egan, and based on visibility and economic impact...
, ranking #46. Forbes cited Veneman in part because she "played a key role in the joint effort by UNICEF, the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
, the United Nations Population Fund
United Nations Population Fund
The United Nations Population Fund is a UN organization. The work of the UNFPA involves promotion of the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. This is done through major national and demographic surveys and with population censuses...
and the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
to help accelerate progress on maternal and newborn health in the 25 countries with the highest rates of infant mortality worldwide." http://www.forbes.com/lists/2009/11/power-women-09_Ann-Veneman_DK41.html
Mrs. Veneman was succeeded by Anthony Lake
Anthony Lake
William Anthony Kirsopp Lake, best known as Tony Lake, is the Executive Director of the United Nations Children's Fund , author, academic, and former American diplomat, Foreign Service Officer, and political advisor. He has been a foreign policy advisor to many Democratic U.S...
on May 1, 2010.
External links
- Executive Director Ann M. Veneman at UNICEF
- White House biography
- USDA biography
- The 100 Most Powerful Women: #46 Ann Veneman, ForbesForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
, 2009
Articles
- Secretary puts experience to work in mad cow case
- Video | UNICEF chief Ann Veneman on refuting those who "undermine" vaccination programs and speaking against child marriage.
- Secretary-General Praises Ann Veneman’s Immense Dedication, Energy, Determination
- Ann Veneman on The Washington Post On Leadership Series
- Lancet-Ann Veneman: getting UNICEF back to basics
- BigThink Interview with Ann Veneman on Children's Rights
- Agriculture Veteran Gets Job of Her Dreams: Washington Post
- Bush Makes Peach of an Appointment, Los Angeles Times