WASHINGTON, March 31, 2006 - Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns today announced the appointment of Ellen Davis as state director for USDA Rural Development in Virginia.

"Ellen Davis is a strong advocate of agriculture and rural economic development," said Johanns. "I welcome Ellen to President Bush's leadership team and I'm confident rural Virginia will be well served by her understanding of rural areas and her managerial skills."

Davis, a resident of New Kent County, currently operates EDE, Ltd., a management consulting business she formed in 1996 that focuses on agriculture. At present, Davis holds the position of Executive Director for two groups managed by the firm, the Virginia Corn Growers Association and the Virginia Small Grains Association. Davis also serves as an ex-officio member of the Virginia Corn and Small Grains Check off Boards.

Formerly, Davis held the position of Director of Human Resources for the Virginia Farm Bureau in Richmond and was actively involved in a 2,100 acre farming operation with her husband Ray. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Davis and her husband have two children, Sarah and Trey.

USDA Rural Development's mission is to deliver programs in a way that will support increasing economic opportunity and improve the quality of life of rural residents. As a venture capital entity, Rural Development has invested over $63 billion since the beginning of the Bush Administration to provide equity and technical assistance to finance and foster growth in homeownership, business development, and critical community and technology infrastructure. As a result, over 1.1 million jobs have been created or saved through these investments. Further information on rural programs is available at a local USDA Rural Development office or by visiting USDA's web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov