NRHA Meets with White House Rural Council Chair
NRHA CEO Alan Morgan participated in a meeting today with United States Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who serves as Chair of the newly created White House Rural Council. Representatives of more than twenty national rural organizations also attended the White House meeting, and included Doug McKalip, of the White House Domestic Policy Council and Jon Carson, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement. The purpose of the meeting was to allow for an open discussion on how the Federal Government can better coordinate efforts on behalf of rural America, and better leverage federal investments. Rural Americans are well aware that existing Federal programs often operate in silos, without coordination or collaboration among the various agencies. Without coordination at the highest level of government, these programs are not truly able to focus efforts on moving rural America forward. As such, Mr. Morgan urged Secretary Vilsack during the meeting to facilitate coordination between USDA economic development and broadband expansion efforts and the ongoing efforts within the US Department of Health And Human Services of the same. The USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages business and community infrastructure and facility programs through a national network of state and local offices. Secretary Vilsack said that the Rural Council will be providing updates to the President on options to improve existing federal resources targeting rural America. Ongoing information about the Council can be found at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2011/06/09/rural-america-building-upon-record-success