Published: June 29, 2009 03:09 pm      

Former MV resident appointed by Obama

By TESA CULLI

tesa.culli@register-news.com

SPRINGFIELD — Mt. Vernon native Scherrie Giamanco has been named State Executive Director of the Farm Service Agency by President Barack Obama.

“Sen. (Dick) Durbin nominated me back in February,” Giamanco said. “Since there have been all the Cabinet appointments to make, it has taken some time to get to my appointment.”

Giamanco’s appointment comes hand-in-hand with the appointment of Colleen Callahan Burns of Kickapoo as State Director of Rural Development. According to information from Durbin, (D-Illinois), Giamanco has worked in the Farm Service Agency Illinois State office for more than 15 years.

“Her lifelong experience, more than 35 years in agriculture and rural development related fields, in many facets of Illinois agriculture will allow her to be an effective leader within the Department of Agriculture,” Durbin stated.

Giamanco said she began working in Springfield in 1994, working into a permanent position with FSA.

“I received the phone call last night that I had received the appointment,” Giamanco said. “Yes, the White House called on a Sunday. They asked me to start on Monday, and I told them I’d love to, but it was time for the annual leave. It didn’t seem quite fair, so I’ll be starting with the new pay period on July 20.”

Giamanco has been responsible for the price support loan program at FSA, and will now be responsible for all FSA programs in Illinois.

“I know the people and they know me,” Giamanco said of those at the FSA. “The specialists are all very well informed and do a great job. This is a great opportunity, not just for me, but for them and the farmers in Illinois.”

The FSA aims to stabilize farm income, help farmers conserve land and water resources, provide credit to new or disadvantaged farmers and ranchers and help farm operations recover from the effects of disaster.

“The FSA uses a unique system under which federal farm programs are administered locally — a grassroots approach gives farmers a much-needed say in how Federal actions affect their communities and their individual operations,” information from Durbin’s office states. “The State Executive Director serves as a top representative of the administrator and is responsible for planning, implementing and operating FSA stabilization, conservation, farm loan, environmental and emergency assistance programs within the assigned state. State Executive Directors provide and direct the overall administrative and management activities for the state and county offices in cooperation and participation with the FSA functional management divisions and offices.”

Giamanco will be the first woman to hold the position, but she is not the first Mt. Vernon native to be appointed.

“Former Sen. Bill O’Daniel was in this position during the Jimmy Carter years,” Giamanco said. “Southern Illinois has been well represented, with Bill O’Daniel and Steve Scates. This is all pretty exciting for me. I want to be sure to live up to the example set before me by Sen. Durbin and Sen. (Paul) Simon’s nominations.”