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Meet the nominee for Secretary of AgricultureSchafer brings strong business, personal skills to USDA By Sara Wyant When word first spread that the White House was planning to nominate former North Dakota Governor Ed Schafer to be the next Secretary of Agriculture, most lawmakers and lobbyists were surprised, if not shocked. The prevailing "wisdom" inside the Beltway was that Deputy Secretary Chuck Conner would continue to serve as Acting Secretary for the remaining 14 months of President George Bush's term. Conner, who led the Senate Agriculture Committee's staff for a number of years and later served as the chief White House point person during the 2002 farm bill, is widely popular on Capitol Hill. However, White House staff looked elsewhere, to a circle of folks who have exhibited strong leadership and business skills in other walks of life. And they settled on a Republican who first became friends with Bush when he was governor of Texas. In fact, sources close to Schafer say he was discussed as a potential nominee for Agriculture Secretary back when the President was first elected in 2000, but Ann Veneman from California was selected instead. "Ed Schafer is the right choice to fill this post," Bush said, at a White House announcement. "He was a leader on agricultural issues during his eight years as the governor of North Dakota." People person So what can we expect from someone who served as governor, from 1992 to 2000, of one our least populated, but important agricultural states? Former employees who worked for Schafer while he was governor describe him in terms common to many popular business executives, including: --Good organizer --Team leader -- Likes to empower his employees -- Won't micro-manage -- Straight shooter -- Conscientious and considerate -- A good people person "From a personality standpoint, people will love him," says one of his former advisors on agricultural issues. "He has an easy-going style that quickly puts folks at ease." When in the governor's office, Schafer insisted on being called, simply, "Ed."
Business and politics Schafer honed his personal and business skills, working for his father, Harold Schafer, in the Gold Seal Co.--the company his father founded in 1942. The younger Schafer later become president of the household products company which made Mr. Bubble bubble bath, Glass Wax glass cleaner and other products. It was sold in 1986. His first statewide campaign in North Dakota was an unsuccessful GOP bid in 1990 to unseat then-U.S. Rep. Dorgan, where he captured only 35 percent of the vote. But just two years later, he was elected governor. His popularity grew while in office and he was re-elected in 1996. He chose not to run for a third term in 2000. Since then, he's been involved in a variety of business interests. Most recently, Schafer served as CEO of Extend America, a wireless Internet access firm based in Bismarck, N.D. The firm sold to Sprint in 2006. Schafer resisted other GOP attempts to persuade him to run for office. He declined to seek the GOP nomination against Democrat Kent Conrad in 2006 and against Democratic Senator Byron Dorgan in 2004. Some political pundits suggest that the GOP wanted to see Schafer named Secretary so he could gain better name recognition among today's current voters and build a base to challenge Sen. Byron Dorgan in 2010. However, sources close to Schafer say he has no interest in the Senate. He much prefers the strong decision-making role he can play as a governor or in the executive branch, rather than the "sausage-making" sometimes required with the legislative process. Implementation ahead Schafer's engaging personality will likely serve him well, in a department with over 100,000 employees. But if confirmed, he'll likely need to jump headfirst into the process of implementing a new five-year farm bill that contains many complex new programs and regulations. Adding to the challenge, many USDA agencies are using outdated computers and software, reminiscent of the tools that Schafer might have used when he was first governor. He is expected to sail through confirmation in the Senate Agriculture Committee, where his former brother-in-law, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND), plays a prominent role. Conrad said he welcomed Schafer's nomination and hoped he would support the Senate farm legislation. The bigger question is likely to be when, not if, he will be confirmed. The White House announced Schafer's nomination just days before the Senate version of a new farm bill headed for floor debate and as USDA officials announced that they might recommend a veto. Editor's note: Columnist Sara Wyant is president of Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc. and publishes a bi-weekly newsletter, Agri-Pulse, on food and farm policy. For more information, you can e-mail her at Agripulse@aol.com. 11/12/07 Date: 11/8/07
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