SchneiderJasperBISMARCK (CSi) – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, Chairwoman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Rural Utilities Service (RUS), today issued the following statement after Jasper Schneider was named Acting Administrator of RUS at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). RUS is the federal agency tasked with supporting and expanding public utilities, including electricity, telephone, high-speed Internet, and water systems.

“Supporting rural communities is vital to our nation’s economic success and families all across this country,” said Heitkamp. “In North Dakota, we’ve been fortunate to partner with Jasper for several years and make smart, targeted investments that have helped our rural communities thrive and grow. It’s great news that he will now bring his energy, passion, and dedication to the national level as Acting Administrator of the Rural Utilities Service. I have no doubt Jasper will excel in this new role, just as he has in previous positions, and I look forward to continuing our work together as we push to promote economic growth in North Dakota and throughout all of rural America.”

Schneider, a Fargo native, and Jamestown College graduate,previously served five years as North Dakota State Director for USDA Rural Development where he worked to support and strengthen rural communities throughout North Dakota. During this time, he administered investments totaling more than $3 billion in the state. In this position, he also began leading the nation’s Community and Economic Development initiative which provides technical assistance and grants to support rural economic development.

As Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Jobs, Rural Economic Growth and Energy Innovation, which oversees RUS at USDA, Heitkamp uses the position to establish polices that foster economic growth in North Dakota and in rural communities throughout the country. In May, Heitkamp led a Senate hearing that highlighted challenges as well as proven tactics for sparking economic development in rural America. Heitkamp brought Dawn Keeley of Grafton to testify about what she has learned in the more than 23 years she has spent focused on rural economic development.