Spirit Lake, Iowa — The northwest Iowa farmer who has served as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture for the past 11-years says he’s ready for his new role in the federal government. Spirit Lake farmer Bill Northey says his time as Iowa Ag Secretary has been “the job of a lifetime.”
Northey will be sworn in tomorrow evening as an undersecretary in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Northey resigned at 1:30 p.m. Monday, and his replacement, Mike Naig was sworn in half an hour later. U.S. Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue is flying to Des Moines Tuesday evening for the sixth annual ag leaders dinner at the state fairgrounds. That’s where a ceremony will be staged for Northey to take his oath to serve as a top administrator in the U-S-D-A. Northey says Perdue has made it clear improving “customer service” within the U-S-D-A is the priority.
Northey’s title will be undersecretary for farm and foreign agricultural services. He’ll oversee a staff of 20-thousand. Northey held a news conference Monday morning to discuss the challenges he faced as Iowa’s ag secretary and what may be ahead for him in D.C.
Northey Monday morning news conference was held steps away from his office in the Iowa Department of Agriculture.
