Q&A - Director seeks residents' two cents

U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development State Director Terry Brunner travels around New Mexico to hear about the issues of rural citizens.

In his series of informal meetings called, "Give Your Two Cents to Terry," Brunner hopes to expand his knowledge about the challenges that rural New Mexicans face in areas including housing, water, job creation, and the expansion of broadband and electrical service.

Brunner, a native of Chicago, was appointed to be the state director for USDA rural development by President Barack Obama in September 2009.

Terry Brunner

A lot of people normally wouldn't think the USDA has a hand in rural development. How does that relationship work?

We're a small part of the USDA's mission. People realized the importance in keeping rural communities together. You can't have a decent agricultural economy without the communities they're in. The farmers need business, they need water and they need housing.

Talk about why you decided to do these chat sessions. What significant issues have you heard from citizens in rural communities that turned into success stories?

The reason I decided to do chat sessions is that the rural vote was the smallest percentage of the national vote in 2008. That's the smallest it has ever been in history. I wanted to make sure the rural communities had a voice.

We've seen a few more loan applications here and there. The main thing I'm trying to promote is for them to know about the resources that are out there. Maybe we'll see true success stories in a couple of years.

What plans do you have for rural development in eastern New Mexico?

Well we're working a lot on making sure people are aware of our housing program. We're targeting people at (Cannon Air Force Base), and others who need financial assistance who want to own their home. We're also working on community facilities in the area.

Who is your favorite southwestern character, either fictional or non-fictional?

I like Billy the Kid the most. I think he's pretty interesting. I read a few books on the kid.

Have you ever done a rain dance since living here?

No, but maybe I should start.

The drought is clearly at the root of most issues for rural New Mexico. How does your department address drought-related issues?

In rural development, there's no specific drought-related programs but it effects the economy of the area. For example, hay prices are high in these counties, so we're trying to help the dairies in the hard times by continuing to build the surrounding community.

What was one of the most impactful projects that your office has helped fund?

I think the most impactful was a $65 million project in Taos that's going to get broadband to 20,000 households. That's a big one.