On January 20, 2001, Sacramento Valley's own Ann Veneman was unanimously confirmed as the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, the first woman ever to hold this position. Veneman combined her agricultural upbringing on a Modesto peach farm with a political science degree from the University of California Davis, a master's degree in public policy from the University of California Berkeley, and a law degree from the University of California Hastings College of Law to become the top policy advisor for American agriculture.

The U.S Department of Agriculture is one of the largest and most diverse agencies in the federal government, with responsibilities that include the national farm programs, lands conservation, domestic food assistance, agricultural research and education, agricultural marketing, international trade, meat and poultry inspection, United States Forest Service, and rural development.

For Veneman, her first year has already been full of challenges. The combined threats of Foot and Mouth and Mad Cow diseases, biotechnology issues, food safety, trade, and this summer's forest fires have only been some of the issues that Veneman has had to address during her first eight months of service.

Veneman is not the first member of her family to hold political office. Her father, the late Assemblyman John G. "Jack" Veneman (R-Modesto), was a very well respected, dedicated, and hard working assemblyman. It has been reported that former Governor Pete Wilson, Veneman's former boss, recalls Veneman as having "a lot of her daddy in her. Smart as a whip. Very conscientious and hard-working, but makes it looks easy. . . ."

Years of experience made Veneman a natural choice for Secretary of Agriculture. In fact, it is as if she had been training and preparing for this job her entire professional life.

As an undergraduate, Veneman interned for then-Assemblyman Pete Wilson. After a short detour as a deputy public defender and as an attorney for the Bay Area Rapid Transit Authority, Veneman went to work for the USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in 1986. She was thrust into international trade at the beginning of the Uruguay Round of the Global Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) negotiations, in addition to the negotiations for the North America Free Trade Agreement and the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement. By 1989 she had moved from the number two position at the FAS to Deputy Undersecretary for International Affairs. Two years later, Veneman was named Deputy Secretary at USDA, making her second in command of the agency.

Veneman's early experience with USDA gave her unique trade experience as the Uruguay Round of the GATT negotiations has had long lasting significance, instilling dispute resolution mechanisms and an infusion of sound science into international trade disputes.

Veneman she served as the Secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture from 1995 to 1999, a period where California's agricultural trade expanded to nearly $4 billion annually. Agricultural trade is not all that expanded during Veneman's tenure in California. Veneman started the "Taste the Sunshine" program, which promoted California products. Under Veneman, the CDFA increased its emphasis on food safety, pest control and pest eradication. Veneman also placed a high priority on educating students, teachers, and consumers about agriculture's relevance to the nation 's well-being.

During Veneman's confirmation hearing, she repeated President George W. Bush's belief that, "The spirit of the American farmer is emblematic of the spirit of America, signifying the values of hard work, faith and entrepreneurship." The Secretary went on to pledge to foster an atmosphere of teamwork, innovation, mutual respect and common sense.