2008 Woodie Awards
Veneman to address grads
Daniel L. J. Phillips
Issue date: 3/16/06 Section: News
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Dr. Robin Bell '80, Dr. Richard Hodes '75, Senator James M. Jeffords (I-Vt.), Alec Webb and Lihua Yu will also receive honorary degrees and will be recognized during a dinner reception the Saturday evening before graduation. Liebowitz said that he prefers to award no more than three or four honorary degrees per year, but stressed the importance of timing for a few recipients in this year's "unusually large slate." Timing is especially significant for Yu, who is the grandmother of graduating senior, Tara Vanacore.
In consideration of Veneman to address the graduating seniors, Liebowitz said that he was "looking for a speaker who would provide an important and relevant message to students who would be leaving the relatively protected confines of Middlebury to pursue various jobs, volunteer work and studies."
Having grown up on a family farm in a small rural community, Veneman's global accomplishments speak for themselves and send a resounding message to young adults entering the professional world. In her capacity as the 27th Secretary of Agriculture from 2001-2005, the first woman ever to hold the post, Veneman directed major international programs that included the $300 million Global Food for Education Program, which reached 4,000 schools and saw enrollment rise among both boys and girls by nearly 12 percent.
Veneman also played a key role in eliminating trade barriers and expanding opportunities for American farmers by creating new export markets, and she worked closely with U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick in helping to lead the successful launch of a new round of trade negotiations for the World Trade Organization.
Early in her tenure with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Veneman was responsible for publishing George W. Bush's Administration's vision for American agriculture with her report, "Food and Agricultural Policy: Taking Stock for the New Century." The publication outlined key priorities for issues such as farm sector policy, conservation and the environment, rural communities, nutrition and food assistance. Veneman also serves as a board member of the Close Up Foundation, a nonpartisan civic education organization.