Welcome ... to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's home page on the Internet's World Wide Web. One of my early efforts as Secretary of Agriculture was to establish my own e-mail address. It is AGSEC@SIES.WSC.AG.GOV.
I wanted my own mailbox for a couple of reasons. One, I am a firm believer in President Clinton's efforts to help everyone "get connected" on the information superhighway. And second, having an e-mail address will enable me to have a direct link with the people of USDA and the people USDA serves.
I must be honest with you. While I have used a computer for many years now, I only have just begun to understand the true capabilities of things such as the Internet, e-mail, the World Wide Web, and other aspects of the growing on-line world.
I may not know everything I should about baud rates, gigabytes, and file transfer protocol, but I do know the value of direct communication. Without conscious efforts, it is easy to get isolated in a job like Secretary of Agriculture. It is important to me to stay in touch with people inside and outside of USDA. As a Congressman, I got my best advice and ideas by meeting with the people I represented. In this new job, I intend to maintain a healthy perspective by listening to USDA's employees and customers.
My understanding, interest, and day-to-day use of these computer tools is growing. E-mail will provide me with a direct link to all of you. I can't promise a response to every piece of e-mail I receive, but I can promise I will use the mailbox to keep a handle on your thoughts, ideas, and interests.
Dan Glickman