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Two more appointments from Vilsack

U.S. AgSecretary Tom Vilsack announcing a couple of appointments on Friday;

Janey Thornton is named Deputy Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services. The Kentucky native holds BS and MS degrees from the University of Kentucky and a Ph.D. in hotel and restaurantmanagement from Iowa State University.

Thornton was School Nutrition Director for Hardin County Schools in Elizabethtown, Ky., for over 25 years. During this time the district doubled in size to more than 15,000 students. She was President of the 55,000-member SchoolNutrition Association (SNA) during the 2006-2007 school year. She also served as President of the School Nutrition Foundation and was an active member of the Global Child Nutrition Foundation. Thornton has held leadership roles in the Kentucky School Nutrition Association and was Chairwoman of theSNA Public Policy and Legislative Committee.

Cheryl Cook has been appointed Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Development. Cook served as Deputy Secretary for Marketing and Economic Development at the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. She had previously worked forthe Keystone Development Center, a non-profit organization in Pennsylvania that helps new and emerging cooperatives. She was also a member of the National Farmers Union's public policy staff.

Cook received her bachelor's degree from Lebanon Valley College inAnnville, Pennsylvania and a law degree from The Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.