The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“IN RECOGNITION OF KRYSTA HARDEN” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E227-E228 on Feb. 25, 2016.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN RECOGNITION OF KRYSTA HARDEN
_____
HON. SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR.
of georgia
in the house of representatives
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Mr. BISHOP of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor and pleasure to extend my congratulations and best wishes to an outstanding leader, personal friend, and constituent, Ms. Krysta Harden, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture for the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Ms. Harden has excelled at this position since she took office in August of 2013. She will be leaving her post at the end of February 2016.
A Georgia native, Ms. Harden was born and raised in Camilla, Georgia and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia in 1981. Her career began on Capitol Hill, where she worked for former Congressman Charles Hatcher as Legislative Director, Press Secretary, and Chief of Staff for more than ten years. Ms. Harden went on to serve as Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Peanuts and Tobacco of the House Committee on Agriculture.
In 1993, Ms. Harden left the public sector to work for Gordley Associates, a government relations firm focused on agricultural policy. Ms. Harden left the company in 2004 as Senior Vice President. From 2004 to 2009, she served as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Conservation Districts.
In 2009, Ms. Harden began her influential career at the U.S. Department of Agriculture as the Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations. In this role, Ms. Harden was instrumental in securing passage of and implementing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which increased the nutritional quality of school lunch programs and provides access for children of all economic backgrounds.
In 2011, she was promoted to Chief of Staff of the Department of Agriculture. And in 2013, President Obama nominated Ms. Harden for the position of Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. Her nomination was unanimously approved by the Senate. Ms. Harden's steadfast leadership led to what Secretary Vilsack has called the ``best-implemented Farm Bill in history,'' referencing the 2014 Farm Bill in which Ms. Harden led the USDA's efforts to work with Congress to see the bill through to completion and implementation.
Ms. Harden has been praised by many for her bipartisan and commonsense approach to policies and programs that expand opportunities for rural communities. Krysta Harden, a ``Georgia farm girl'' herself, has dedicated her career to serving our nation's farmers and promoting a thriving bio-based economy.
As a friend of long standing and someone that I have had the honor to work with closely in developing legislative frameworks for farmer settlements, I can say with a full heart that I will miss working with Krysta in Washington. She has served admirably as Deputy Secretary of the USDA and has shown herself to represent the highest standards of public service. Ms. Harden has established a legacy of providing support for underrepresented groups--particularly women, young people, immigrants, disadvantaged producers, and veterans. I am very grateful for her tireless advocacy to diversify the nation's agriculture sector and her steadfast support for rural America. A woman of great integrity, her efforts, her dedication, and her expertise in her field are unparalleled and will be greatly missed.
Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in extending our sincerest appreciation and best wishes to Ms. Krysta Harden upon the occasion of her departure from an outstanding career at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
____________________
