Ted Miller (202) 720-9427
                                           tmiller@cfo.usda.gov

HEALY SELECTED AS USDA'S DEPUTY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

     WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 1999--Chief Financial Officer Sally Thompson today
announced the selection of Patricia E. Healy to serve as the deputy chief financial officer of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

     "My selection of Pat Healy signifies my commitment to the work that Secretary
Glickman has directed us to accomplish as USDA moves toward improving financial
management in the 21st Century," Thompson said.  "Pat brings to this position more than 20
years of experience in managing, developing, and modernizing financial and administrative
information systems."

     As the deputy chief financial officer, Healy serves as second-in-command for the overall
financial management activities in the 95,000-employee Department and for direct management
of 1,750 employees in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer at USDA headquarters in
Washington, DC, and the National Finance Center in New Orleans.  These duties include
accounting and reporting responsibilities for program funds totaling more than $81 billion and
management responsibility for nearly 40 percent of all debt owed to the federal government. The
National Finance Center processes the payroll for one-fifth of the federal workforce (450,000
individuals) and administers the $84 billion Thrift Savings Plan for federal employees, which is
the world's largest 401 (k) retirement plan. 

     Healy joined USDA in July 1998 as the director of the foundation financial information
system project office, where she directed the USDA-wide implementation of this integrated
accounting information system. 

     Prior to her move to USDA, she served as the national director for the systems and
accounting standards division at the Internal Revenue Service.  In 1996, Healy assumed
responsibility for the IRS initiative to improve and reform the administrative financial
operations, leading  IRS to its first ever clean audit opinion on the fiscal year 1997 administrative
financial statements.  She also managed the development and implementation of a nationwide
communications and equipment plan and established national standards for financial systems and
services throughout IRS.

Healy has an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland, a master's degree in Library and
Information Science from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from Ohio State University. 
She has been certified by the Association of Government Accountants as a Certified Government
Financial Manager.
                               #