CLINTON, N.Y. — A conversation between U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Congressman G.T. Thompson, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, moderated by journalist Edvige Jean-François, kicked off this year’s Common Ground series at Hamilton College. This event — which was held Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. in Wellin Hall (Schambach Center) — […]
CLINTON, N.Y. — A conversation between U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and Congressman G.T. Thompson, chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, moderated by journalist Edvige Jean-François, kicked off this year’s Common Ground series at Hamilton College.
This event — which was held Sept. 5, at 7 p.m. in Wellin Hall (Schambach Center) — offered a discussion on bipartisanship and the speakers’ respective careers in agriculture, and the current state of agricultural policy in the U.S.
Vilsack, a 1972 graduate of Hamilton College, was confirmed as the U.S. secretary of agriculture in February. 2021, a return to the position after serving as secretary from 2009-2017 under the Obama administration. Prior to returning to USDA, he served as president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. “Vilsack is spearheading a transformation of the food system to ensure that future markets are more resilient and Americans have access to affordable, nutritious food grown closer to home,” the release stated. He received his law degree from Albany Law School.
Thompson (R) was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2008 and represents Pennsylvania’s 15th District. He is the chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture, which he has been a member of for more than a decade. He’s also served as chairman of the Subcommittees on Conservation and Forestry and Nutrition, and ranking member of the Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management.
Common Ground Moderator Jean-François is a global journalist and 1990 graduate of Hamilton College. During her more than 20 years as a journalist and television producer, she held positions at ABC News in New York City, Associated Press Television News in Washington, D.C., and CNN International in Atlanta. Last year, Jean-François began a career in academia when she was appointed the inaugural executive director of the Center for Studies on Africa and Its Diaspora (CSAD) at Georgia State University’s College of Arts and Sciences in Atlanta. In June 2023, Jean-François was elected to Hamilton College’s board of trustees.
Common Ground is Hamilton’s multi-format program designed to explore cross-boundary political thought and complex social issues. Topics intertwined with the college’s curriculum are chosen to foster critical thinking and holistic examination of difficult and often contentious national and global policy issues. The primary theme Common Ground will explore this academic year is climate change, with some events spotlighting other hot topics, the college said.
