Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the appointment of seven members to serve on the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Grain Inspection Advisory Committee. The appointees will serve a 3-year term. Among those named to a new 3-year term is Major County Farm Bureau member, Fairview, Oklahoma, farmer and crop insurance agent Jessica Wilcox.
“I am pleased that these individuals have agreed to serve on the Grain Inspection Advisory Committee,” said Vilsack. “They bring a great deal of knowledge and experience to this committee.”
The new members are: Scott E. Averhoff, owner/operator, Scott Averhoff dba SARA Farms, Waxahachie, Texas; Marvin R. Paulsen, professor emeritus, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois; Timothy D. Paurus, vice president terminal operations, CHS Inc., Inver Grove Heights, Minn.; Cesar Ramirez, manager, Gavilon Grain LLC, Progreso, Texas; Todd E. Russom, manager, Anheuser-Busch InBev, St. Louis, Missouri; Jessica L. Wilcox, farmer/crop insurance agent, Wilcox Farms/CGB Diversified Services, Fairview, Oklahoma; and Steven Wirsching, vice president and director, U.S. Wheat Associates, Portland, Oregon.
The Grain Inspection Advisory Committee is comprised of 15 members, appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, who represent all facets of the grain industry. The Grain Inspection Advisory Committee meets annually to advise USDA on the establishment of programs and services under the United States Grain Standards Act.