U.S. Department of Agriculture

                                                                                   Washington, D.C. 20250

 

DEPARTMENTAL REGULATION

 

    NUMBER:

 1042-127

 

 

 SUBJECT: Edward R. Madigan United States Agricultural Export Excellence Board of Evaluators

 

DATE:  September 4, 2007

 

OPI:  Foreign Agricultural Service

                                                                                                                                               

 

1.         PURPOSE

 

Departmental Regulation 1042-127 serves as the Charter of the Edward R. Madigan United States Agricultural Export Excellence Board Of Evaluators (hereinafter the “Board”), which is reestablished pursuant to Section 261(h) of the Federal Agriculture Improvement and Reform Act of 1996, to provide the Secretary of Agriculture with advice and recommendation for the selection of recipients of the Edward R. Madigan United States Agricultural Export Excellence Award (hereinafter the “Award”).

 

 

2.         SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS/CANCELLATION

 

a.         This regulation shall terminate 2 years from the date of filing.

 

b.                   Departmental Regulation 1042-127, dated May 9, 2005, is hereby superseded.

 

 

3.                   OFFICERS AND MEMBERSHIP

 

a.         The Board will consist of six (6) members.

                                            

b.         Each member of the Board shall be appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture and shall serve at the Secretary of Agriculture’s discretion.

 

c.         The Chairperson of the Board shall be elected by the Secretary of Agriculture.

 

d.         The members shall be selected for their knowledge and experience in exporting United States agricultural products and may serve a term not to exceed 3 years.  Initially, six new Board members will be appointed.  Three members will be appointed for 2-year term maximums and three others for 3-year term maximums.  Thereafter, each new Board member appointed will serve for a maximum 3-year term.

 

e.         Equal opportunity practices, consistent with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) polices, will be followed in all appointments to the Board.  To ensure that Board recommendations have taken into account the needs of the diverse groups served by USDA, membership should include, to the extent practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women, and persons with disabilities.

 

 

4.         DUTIES

 

a.         The Board will accept and review all nominations for the Award and make recommendations to the Secretary of Agriculture based on their review.

 

b.         The Board shall make recommendations for separate awards in the following categories:

 

(1)        Development of new products or services for agricultural export markets;

 

(2)        Development of new agricultural export markets; and

 

(3)        Creative marketing of products or services in agricultural export markets.

 

c.         The Board shall evaluate nominations for an Award with the following criteria:

 

(1)        The nomination is made by, or on behalf of, the individual or entity being nominated or by, or on behalf of, the Governor or Chief Executive Officer of a State or territory of the United States;

 

(2)        The individual or entity has not received another award in the same category during the preceding 5 years;

 

(3)        The nominee has exhibited significant entrepreneurial effort or assistance to create new markets for United States agricultural exports or increase United States agricultural exports; and

 

(4)        The nomination meets such other requirements and specifications as the Secretary of Agriculture determines appropriate.

 

 

5.         ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

 

a.         The Board shall be designated as the “Edward R. Madigan United States Agricultural Export Excellence Award Board of Evaluators” and shall report to the Secretary of Agriculture.

 

b.         The Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), USDA, or his/her designee, shall appoint an individual to serve as the Board’s Designated Federal Officer under Sections 10(e) and 10(f) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).

 

c.         The Board will meet at the call of the Secretary through the Designated Federal Officer and shall meet as often as necessary, either in person or via teleconference, to review nominations and make recommendations.

 

d.         The Secretary of Agriculture or the Designated Federal Officer may consult or meet with one or more members of the Board to discuss award program issues as the need arises.

 

e.         The Chairperson and the Designated Federal Officer, or their designees, shall be responsible for the prior approval of the agenda for all Board meetings.  The Board shall not meet in the absence of the Designated Federal Officer and Chairperson, or their designees, and such officers may adjourn the meeting whenever they deem it to be in the public interest.

 

f.          FAS, USDA will provide clerical and other necessary staff support for the Boards.  The estimated annual operating cost of the Board is $15,000.

 

 

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