1999-2007, Thomas ""Tom"" Vilsack

1999-2007, Thomas ""Tom"" Vilsack

Thomas ""Tom"" Vilsack was born in 1950 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and was raised by his adoptive parents, Bud and Dolly Vilsack. He recieved a Bachelor's degree from Hamilton College in New York and a law degree from Albany Law School. Vilsack married Ann Christine ""Christie"" Bell in 1968 in her hometown of Mount Pleasant, Iowa. They have two sons, Jess and Doug. In their early married life Vilsack worked in his father-in-law's law practice in Mount Pleasant. Tom Vilsack was elected mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa in 1987, following the murder of mayor Ed King by a disgruntled citizen. He was elected to the Iowa State Senate in 1992 by a relatively slim margin. In 1998, Terry Branstad chose not to seek re-election following sixteen consecutive years as governor of Iowa. Vilsack narrowly won the general election making it the first time in 30 years that a Democrat was elected governor of Iowa. He was was re-elected in 2002, but chose not to run for a third term. Vilsack is a former member of the National Governors Association Executive Committee. He was chair of the Democratic Governors Association in 2004. He was also chair of the Governors Biotechnology Partnership, the Governors Ethanol Coalition, and the Midwest Governors Conference, and has also been chair and vice chair of the National Governors Association's Committee on Natural Resources, where he worked to develop the NGA's farm and energy policies. 1n 2009 the U.S. Senate confirmed Vilsack's nomination for the postion of Secretary of Agriculture by President Barack Obama, a post for which he continues to serve (2010).

State Library of Iowa and State Historical Society of Iowa

1998; 1999; 2000; 2001; 2002; 2003; 2004; 2005; 2006;

Wikipedia, Iowa Official Register.

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