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Gale Buchanan

Gale Buchanan
Gale Buchanan

Putting off retirement

After the President of the United States calls, Gale Buchanan put aside thoughts of fishing and traveling.

Even after he had signed his retirement papers, Gale Buchanan couldn't stay away from work.

First it was a day or two a week with the University of George College of Agriculture - the same institution of higher learning that he had worked for 20 years, the last ten as the college's dean.

"Pretty soon I was working five days a week. It was like I was working for nothing," said Buchanan, a 1965 botany Ph.D. graduate.

Then one day, probably while he was doing something for the University of Georgia, Buchanan got a call.

This wasn't your ordinary, everyday phone call.

"The Bush Administration wondered if I was interested in a position with the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture)," Buchanan said. "I thought I had nothing to lose so I tossed my name into the hat.

"It wasn't a hard decision to make."

That was June of 2005. The days, weeks and even months slipped by without Buchanan learning anything definitive about a possible new job. That's because the Bush Administration was doing a background check on Buchanan, which is a long, drawn out process.

Eventually Buchanan was appointed and confirmed as an Under Secretary for the Department of Agriculture with responsibilities in research, education and economics (REE). In his role he oversees four USDA agencies including Agriculture Resource Service (ARS), Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, Economic Resource Service and the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

"I have a solid research background and while I was dean of agriculture at the University of Georgia, I became very familiar with many of the agencies I oversee now including extension," Buchanan said. "My first love is agricultural research and education. Being a dean is a cumulative job for many agricultural academics.

"This new position provides me another opportunity to service. It has a lot of similarities to being a dean."

That means meetings and travel. Buchanan says early each day in the USDA offices in Washington, D.C., he meets with his personal staff. Then at 10 a.m. he's in an agency meeting.

One of the primary areas Buchanan has found his energy in the first few months on the job is energy itself. His travels have taken him to Minnesota to visit a wind farm, and to Nebraska and Iowa to tour ethanol plants.

"Finding out what's going on in this very timely area is highly important," he said. "I intend to keep doing that."

Getting information hasn't been a problem for Buchanan. Having time to digest all of that information is another matter.

"The amount of information I need to know about sometimes is overwhelming," he said. "I try hit the high points but I've been surprised at how much information is provided to me on a daily basis."

Despite the information overload, Buchanan and his wife, Carol, are enjoying their time in Washington, D.C. He anticipates finishing out the remaining two years of the Bush Administration and then retire back to Georgia.

"It's been a wonderful experience and pleasure to be on the President's team," he said.