Contact:Tim McNeilly, (202) 690-0498

USDA APPOINTS CHARLES R. BANKS TO HEAD RURAL DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS IN KANSAS

     WASHINGTON, November 30, 2001--The U.S. Department of Agriculture today appointed Charles "Chuck" R. Banks as the Kansas State Director for USDA Rural Development.

     Banks, from Topeka, Kans., has served as the assistant director for U.S. Senator Pat Roberts since 1995, providing constituent services and specializing in USDA-related issues. He also has twelve years of extensive experience in the banking industry in Kansas and throughout the Midwest.

     Banks has been active in several community organizations including, the Topeka and Hutchinson Chambers of Commerce. He currently serves as the Chairman of the American Heart Association affiliate in Topeka and is on the board of directors for the Topeka South Rotary and the Foundation for Sheltered Living.

     Banks, who received a Bachelor of Science Degree in agricultural economics from Kansas State University, was reared on a farm in Pottawatomie County.

     USDA Rural Development serves as the lead federal entity for rural development needs, and administers financial and technical assistance through three agencies: Rural Housing Service, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, and Rural Utilities Service. Further information on USDA Rural Development programs can be obtained by visiting USDA's web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.

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