WRITTEN BY: LAURA GUTSCHKE
PHOTOS BY: FOX CHASE PHOTOS & DREW DEBERRY
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D E B E R R Y W ORKS FOR
R U R A L I S S U ES IN
W A S H I N G T ON D.C.
P O L I T I C A L ARENA
DREW DEBERRY (BS, AGRICULTURAL AND APPLIED
ECONOMICS, 2000) LIVES ABOUT AS FAR FROM HIS
FAMILY’S FARM IN OLTON AS ONE CAN GET AND YET
STILL HAVE A FINGER IN ITS AFFAIRS.
From Washington D.C., DeBerry helps form agriculture public policy as deputy chief of staff for the united states department of agriculture. His work impacts not only his family’s farm but also virtually all
farms in the country.
“I miss it (Olton) every day when i get in my car at 7 a.m. For a 30minute commute to the office,” said DeBerry.
His day-to-day responsibilities under agriculture Secretary Mike
Johanns include managing about 100,000 USDA employees and resources around the world. DeBerry also juggles many policy issues,
such as:
• 2007 farm bill;
• Nutrition and obesity prevention;
• Animal and plant health;
• Ag research programs;
• Environmental programs;
• International trade; and
• Economic development, including management of an $80 billion
USDA loan portfolio.
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In addition, the USDA plays a supportive role in President George W. Bush’s other initiatives, such as expanding
home ownership and developing renewable energy sources.
Agriculture is proving to be a reliable supply for renewable
energy for everyday products, such as automotive fuel from
grain and disposable coffee cups made from corn products.
DeBerry’s career in Washington D.C. began in late 2000
as a member of the transition team for then newly elected
President Bush. He was asked in January 2001 to stay on
the staff as the USDA White House liaison to manage the
appointment process and contribute to policy decisions and
public outreach efforts.
“I was one of the few original White House liaisons to
make it through to the second term,” said DeBerry.
WHY F A M I LY I S I M PO R TA N T
Family is what DeBerry says keeps him grounded while
living in the nation’s capitol.
“When I get home, my time is for my wife and boys. I try to
be as disciplined as I can to separate work from family,” said
DeBerry. “Time spent with my family is always a blessing.”
He and his wife, Gayle (BS, Animal Science, 1999), began
dating while working at the Meat Lab and while going through
Texas Tech’s respected and acclaimed meats judging program. They were engaged in March 2000 and were married
the following September in her hometown of Wharton during
the height of the national 2000 presidential campaign.
“I took a week off from the campaign for the wedding,”
said DeBerry. “I actually showed up in Wharton only a few
hours before the rehearsal.”
The presidential campaign kept them apart for much
of their first few months of marriage, but today the family
makes their home in Alexandria, Virginia. She previously
served as marketing manager for the Star of Texas Fair &
Rodeo in Austin and later on the staff of the Center for Public Policy of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association in
Washington D.C. Today the couple’s two children—Austin,
born May 26, 2003, and Parker, born Jan. 19, 2005—occupy
her full attention.
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Five years in Washington D.C. makes him virtually a veteran because the average tenure for a political appointee in
the nation’s capital is two years, DeBerry said. The stress
that drives many away from the public arena in part fuels
DeBerry to continue working on agriculture policy.
“I’m energized by the environment of fast-paced work,
but also by the importance of the opportunity to make a difference. And, I’ve been fortunate to work for two great secretaries of agriculture,” said DeBerry.
EYE-OPENING INTERNSHIP
Although his father, Dale DeBerry, held elected office
serving on the Olton school board, the real impetus for
the son’s current career in public service is his spring 1999
internship in Austin through the Government Internship
Program in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
“The internship really opened my eyes to public policy. It
exposed me to my true passion, which was to work in public policy,” said DeBerry.
His work for Sen. Robert Duncan from Lubbock was
more than answering the phones and opening mail. DeBerry met with lobbyists and assisted on a portfolio of legislative issues, including bills on tax assessments on heavy
equipment and speed limits for school buses. He said he
saw firsthand how people become divided so passionately
on issues.
“Sen. Duncan and his staff allowed me to be involved
in many things, and I enjoyed what I did,” said DeBerry.
“I thought it was simply a government internship, and it
turned out to be so much more.”
And now DeBerry is making that opportunity available to
other students. While at USDA, he has coordinated efforts
to establish an internship program for agriculture majors.
Over 20 interns have been through this program over the
past 3 years.
DeBerry says of this effort, “After Texas Tech’s internship program gave me such an enabling opportunity and
launched my career, I have committed myself to spreading
this wealth in every organization I’m ever associated with.”
ACTIVE CHILDHOOD
In the Olton area, the DeBerry family farmed and operated a custom harvest company. Growing up, Drew spent
considerable time behind the wheel of combines, tractors,
and trucks, either growing or harvesting all the crops West
Texas is known for. His parents, Dale and Deborah DeBerry, were active in many community and school groups related to their children’s extracurricular activities, including the
athletics booster club, stock show board and church.
“Growing up in Olton was great. I have a high, high respect for small, rural communities,” said DeBerry. “It allowed my sister Dawn and me opportunities not possible in
urban communities.”
Drew followed Dawn (BS, Agricultural Economics, 1999) to
Texas Tech because he saw that she had a good experience. He
credits his extracurricular activities with giving him additional
life and people skills that serve him well today professionally.
“Everything I was involved in was in the Ag College. I
was on the Meat Judging Team, and the experience gave
me an opportunity to stay busy. And, it was a lot of hard work. I
also worked in the Meat Lab, doing everything from slaughter to
meat sales,” said DeBerry.
He also was a member and officer of the Student Agricultural
Council, a student recruiter for Agri-Techsans and a member of
other college organizations.
While at Texas Tech, DeBerry was open-minded about his career
options, although at the time he did not think highly of politics.
“Growing up in Olton, I never had any aspirations to be involved in politics. Politics to me then wasn’t really a good thing;
I associated it with all the negative aspects of public policy,”
said DeBerry.
“The day after the elections I headed to Florida thinking I
would be there a week at the most,” said DeBerry.
Instead, he was in the state over a month, initially in the election offices of a rural county to monitor the counting of absentee ballots. He later relocated to Palm Beach County, the epicenter of political wrangling over recounts.
“The process was frustrating, but at the end of the day it gave
me faith that the system does work,” said DeBerry.
Bush eventually was named the winner in Florida and took office in January 2001. While working on the White House transition team, DeBerry was asked by the new Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman to represent the USDA as its White House
liaison. So began his rewarding national public policy career.
He still finds himself in political battles, but usually they divide along differing regional interests and not political party
lines. DeBerry said he works through the political storms because at the end of the day, the goal is to do what is best for
American farmers and ranchers.
That’s why he stays in stress-filled Washington D.C.: “It gives
me an opportunity to make a difference,” he said.
POLITICAL HISTORY
For one who does not care for politics, DeBerry found himself
involved on the ground level of some historical political events
of our time.
Following his internship, DeBerry continued to work parttime as a special assistant for Sen. Duncan. The senator recommended DeBerry to Susan Combs, Texas agriculture commissioner and then chairperson of Bush’s National Agriculture
Campaign, to serve as the national director of the Farm and
Ranch Coalition for the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign. DeBerry
was hired, and the very day he completed his coursework for
his undergraduate degree, he moved to Austin, home of campaign headquarters.
As the Nov. 7, 2000, Election Day drew closer, DeBerry lived
more out of a suitcase, traveling to talk with farmers and ranchers about why to vote for the Bush ticket. His political career
only became more hectic after the declaration of a winner was
delayed because of the close count in Florida.
G O V E R N M E N T I N T E R N S H I P PROGRAM
So many participants in the Government Internship Program
in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
have moved on to full-time positions in Washington D.C. that
having a ready pool of former interns close to Lubbock who
can talk about their experiences with internship candidates is
a challenge.
But, that’s a good sign of how successful the program is, said
Meredith Campbell, coordinator of student and career development at CASNR. Since the program’s launch in 1998, more than 65
students have worked for congressional and state representatives.
The internship is open to students who have at least 30 hours
of credit and a 3.0 GPA. They are screened in part through interviews with donors who underwrite scholarships that aid with
housing costs in the nation’s capitol. Austin-bound interns also
are helped with finding accommodations.
The program benefits all involved. Students see how their area of interest is affected by political affairs and that contacting
your representative really can make a difference, Campbell said.
The internship also stands out on the student’s resume at jobsearch time.
“It opens up a whole new part of agriculture that a lot of people are not exposed to,” said Campbell.
For program donors, who often represent different commodities, the interns give voice to their interests in the public policy
arena. And, the college earns a reputation for training students
ready for the real world.
“The internships make our students more marketable. It
shows their flexibility and ability to go out and get things done,”
said Campbell.
TO LEARN MORE:
Government Internship Program
http://www.depts.ttu.edu/agriculturalsciences/current/congressional/
(806) 742-2808
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