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Appointee Directory View:   Thomas Dorr -- Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development Thomas C. Dorr was appointed by President George W. Bush to be the Under Secretary for Rural Development and was sworn into office by Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on July 27, 2005. As Under Secretary, Mr. Dorr oversees USDA Rural Development policies and programs. Rural Development consists of three program areas -- business, utilities and housing -- that provide $14 billion annual funding authority for loans, grants, and technical assistance to rural residents, communities, and businesses and an $87 billion portfolio of existing business, housing, and infrastructure loans to rural America. Rural Development has over 7,000 employees located across the United States and in Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Western Pacific Trust territories. Mr. Dorr previously served as Under Secretary for Rural Development under a recess appointment from August 2002 to December 2003. After his recess appointment ended, he was named Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Rural Development Issues. In this position, Mr. Dorr coordinated several major initiatives on behalf of the Secretary. He played critical roles in USDA disaster relief efforts in response to the hurricanes in Florida; he worked closely with the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights to reach out to minority farmers; and he provided key leadership on various activities to improve program management and business practices throughout the USDA. Mr. Dorr has broad agricultural, financial and business experience. He has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the 7th District Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the Iowa Board of Regents from 1991-1997, and as a member and officer of the Iowa and National Corn Growers Associations. Prior to his current service at the Department of Agriculture, Mr. Dorr was the President of a family agribusiness company consisting of a corn and soybean farm, a state licensed commercial grain elevator and warehouse, and two limited liability companies. Mr. Dorr, from Marcus, Iowa, graduated from Morningside College with a B.S. degree in business administration. He is married to Ann Dorr and has two children.

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