Charles Franklin "Chuck" Conner (born December 30, 1957) is a former

United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture The United States deputy secretary of agriculture is the second-highest-ranking official in the United States Department of Agriculture, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The deputy secretary becomes acting sec ...

. He was sworn in on May 2, 2005, by Secretary of Agriculture

Mike Johanns Michael Owen Johanns ( ; born June 18, 1950) is an American attorney and politician who served as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 2009 to 2015. He served as the 38th governor of Nebraska from 1999 until 2005, and was chair of the Midw ...

. After Johanns resigned on September 20, 2007, Conner was named acting secretary. He served as Acting Secretary of Agriculture until President Bush's nominee, former North Dakota Governor

Ed Schafer Edward Thomas Schafer (born August 8, 1946) is an American businessman and politician who was the 30th governor of North Dakota from 1992 to 2000. Schafer also served as the 29th United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2008 to 2009, appointed ...

was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on January 28, 2008. He is the current president of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives, a position he has held since January 2009.

Career

Prior to his tenure at the

U.S. Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...

, Conner served on the National Economic Council beginning in November 2001 as a Special Assistant to the President for Agricultural Trade and Food Assistance, focusing primarily on

Farm Bill In the United States, the farm bill is the primary agricultural and food policy instrument of the federal government. Every five years, Congress deals with the renewal and revision of the comprehensive omnibus bill. Johnson, R. and Monke, J. ...

issues. From 1997 to 2001, Conner was President of the

Corn Refiners Association The Corn Refiners Association (CRA) is a trade association based in Washington, D.C. It represents the corn refining industry in the United States. Corn refining encompasses the production of corn starch, corn oil, and high fructose corn syrup (HFC ...

, Inc., a national trade association representing the corn refining industry. From 1985 to 1997, Conner worked in various staff positions with the

United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of all matters relating to the nation's agriculture industry, farming programs, forestry and logging, and leg ...

, including serving as both the Majority Staff Director (1995–1997) and the Minority Staff Director (1987–1995). Prior to joining the Committee, Conner worked as an Agricultural Legislative Assistant to Senator

Richard Lugar Richard Green Lugar (April 4, 1932 – April 28, 2019) was an American politician who served as a United States Senator from Indiana from 1977 to 2013. He was a member of the Republican Party. Born in Indianapolis, Lugar graduated from De ...

Personal life

Conner grew up on a family farm in

Benton County, Indiana Benton County is located in the northwest part of the U.S. state of Indiana, along the border with Illinois. As of 2010, the county's population was 8,854. It contains six incorporated towns as well as several small unincorporated settlements; ...

, which remains in the family and is operated by his older brother, Mike. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and ...

in 1980. He is married and has four children.

In Popular Culture

Conner was referenced on the August 4, 2009, episode of

The Onion ''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on August ...

with Clifford Banes as the actor playing Octavius Del Monte, Supreme Commander of the Empire of Octavia.

References

External links

USDA Biographies- Charles F. ConnerCorn Refiners Association
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The Onion episode
, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Conner, Charles F. 1957 births George W. Bush administration personnel Indiana Republicans Living people People from Benton County, Indiana People from Lafayette, Indiana Purdue University College of Agriculture alumni United States Deputy Secretaries of Agriculture