News Release

Taylor Oldroyd, (202) 720-1019
toldroyd@rdmail.rural.usda.gov

USDA NAMES ANDERSON AND LUNA TO RURAL DEVELOPMENT POSTS

     WASHINGTON, May 16, 2002--Deputy Under Secretary for USDA Rural Development Mike Neruda today announced the selection of Curtis M. Anderson as Deputy Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and Luis A. Luna as Associate Administrator for Rural Business Cooperative Service (RBS).

     Anderson, of Falls Church, Va., most recently has been Chief Financial Officer, General Counsel, and Assistant Secretary-Treasurer of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. In that capacity he was responsible for the financial, administrative and legal issues for the association, which represents the 54 elected and appointed Commissioners, Secretaries and Directors of Agriculture from the 50 states and territories. He supervised 3,700 employees in 49 states and the District of Columbia. He has worked for former Congresswoman Barbara Vucanovich (Nev.) and served as Secretary to Farm Credit Administration Board under President George H.W. Bush. He received a Bachelor of Science degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a law degree from the University of Southern California.

     Luna, of Salisbury, Md., comes to the USDA after serving as director of the Greater Salisbury Committee where he directed nearly 100 CEOs from a four-county region in Maryland and acted as a catalyst for community improvement. He has had extensive experience working on Capitol Hill and in the Reagan Administration. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland and a Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.

          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 can be obtained by contacting any USDA Service Center or by visiting USDA's web site at http://www.rurdev.usda.gov.

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