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Nancy Bryson, USDA's point person on all legal matters, grew up in Hancock, Mass., population about 700. Founded in 1762, textile mills were once the biggest employer but farming has also been historically important. Today the community remains a favored residence for cows and skiers drawn to Hancock's proximity to the mountains. Tourists also frequent the town's Shaker Village.
"When I was growing up, social life revolved around the school and the church and organizations like the Ladies Auxiliary, the American Legion, and for the kids, 4-H. I learned to cook and sew. My specialties were cinnamon rolls and goulash. My three brothers liked the cinnamon rolls but preferred my mother's goulash," she said.
Bryson's career path was also born in Hancock. "I became an attorney because of my 10th grade social studies teacher. We had a project on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and my assignment was to explain both sides of the prominent theories for its demise. So I got through the presentation and my teacher said, 'You know, you would be a very good lawyer.' And I seized on the idea. From that day on, I just decided well OK, I am going to be a lawyer. I had no idea what this would involve. But as it turned out, it was a very good choice for me," she said, "because much of the training a lawyer experiences in school and applies in the practice of law, is to analyze facts, identify pros and cons, and find solutions. All investigations involve many disparate pieces of information and the job of a lawyer is to synthesize them into a story that makes sense and supports your advocacy position."
Bryson earned a degree in history from Boston University and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University. She spent the early part of her career as a government lawyer at the Department of Justice where she handled both civil and criminal environmental matters. She then became a partner in the Washington law firm of Crowell & Moring, LLC, where she practiced environmental and natural resources law and was co-chair of the firm's biotechnology practice. She was sworn in as General Counsel of USDA on April 1, 2002.
"When you are in private practice you have the luxury of being expert in a relatively small number of areas, but being General Counsel means, as the name implies, that you are generally responsible for a whole range of issues," she said. "This is a huge challenge. A typical day can involve issues relating to the Forest Service, Rural Development, antitrust issues in agriculture, country of origin labeling, BSE, biotechnology, international agricultural disputes, and so on."
Bryson said the job is doable only because of the fine career lawyers on her staff. "We have some absolutely fabulous career lawyers who are just remarkable public servants. They are absolutely tireless. They know their stuff from A to Z and they make it possible for people like me to come into this job and function. Without them it would be impossible," she said.
--Patricia KlintbergLast Book Read: "The Secret Life of Bees," by Sue Monk Kidd
Last Movie Seen: "The Lavender Hill Mob," with Alec Guinness
Hobbies: Cooking, gardening, needlepoint, reading, piano, traveling
Favorite Weekend Breakfast: Pancakes
Major accomplishment: "My children, Sam and Alex."
Priority in the Months Ahead: "Educating everyone on what it means to say 'OGC signed off on this'."