Hilda Gay Legg serves as the 15th Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service. She was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by a unanimous vote of the U.S. Senate September 27, 2001. As Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), Ms. Legg administers to the infrastructure needs of rural America through loan and grant funds totaling over $9 billion for Water and Environment Programs, Rural Telecommunications Programs and Rural Electrification Programs.

Ms. Legg came to Washington, D.C. from The Center for Rural Development in Somerset, Kentucky, where she served seven years as Executive Director and CEO. She was responsible for the overall management of the state-of-the-art facility as well as program development and outreach. The Center is a national model for economic development in rural areas in such projects as education, workforce training, telecommunications, arts and culture, environment, tourism and other economic development programs geared toward the "total community development" concept. Through The Center's advanced technology and operating capacity access, new opportunities have been provided to rural Kentucky business, industry, and research leaders from domestic as well as international sources.

In 1990, Ms. Legg was appointed by President George Bush as Alternate Federal Co-Chairman for the Appalachian Regional Commission in Washington, D.C. Her primary responsibilities were to represent and promote the economic policies for the region's 21 million people, and assist in the management of a $190 million budget aimed at job creation, building infrastructure, education and workforce training and numerous research programs relative to rural economic development.

Other Career Endeavors:

During the late 1980's, Ms. Legg became Director of Admissions and faculty member at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky. From 1985 to 1987, she was the Field Representative in the Bowling Green office of U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell.

Ms. Legg served in the Reagan Administration at the U.S. Department of Education. She started her professional career as a teacher in the Adair County Schools and is certified both as a secondary administrator and counselor. She remains active in education issues by serving as Vice Chair, Alice Lloyd College Board of Trustees, and on Campbellsville University's Advisory Board.