NC Farm Bureau: White House Gains Strong Agriculture Advocate with Ray Starling Appointment

RALEIGH, N.C., Feb. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- President Trump announced today that North Carolina native Ray Starling has be appointed to the National Economic Council as Special Assistant to the President for Agriculture, Trade, and Food Assistance. "This appointment sends a clear message that the White House is serious about addressing the needs of American farmers and rural communities, and I believe Ray Starling has the knowledge, experience, and vision to be a strong advocate for American agriculture," said North Carolina Farm Bureau President Larry Wooten.

Starling is leaving the role of Chief of Staff for Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and has spent the majority of his career in agriculture policy.

"We will greatly miss Ray's tremendous leadership, his warm sense of humor, and his genuine passion for working on behalf of all North Carolinians, but the silver lining is that our state's loss is America's gain," said Senator Thom Tillis. "There is simply no one better qualified than Ray to advise the President on agriculture and trade policy. Ray has been a lifelong champion for North Carolina's agricultural industry, and he will now play a major role in fulfilling the administration's plans to support our nation's farmers and ranchers and revitalize rural America. This is an incredible honor for Ray that is more than well deserved, and it's also a testament to how respected North Carolina's agricultural community is across the nation. I wish Ray and his family all the best in this new and exciting chapter, and I look forward to working closely with him to advocate for our state's agricultural and rural communities."

"North Carolina Farm Bureau has had the privilege of working with Ray Starling for many years and we have always found Ray to be a steadfast supporter of North Carolina farmers," said Wooten. "Having grown up on a farm in Eastern North Carolina, Ray has a deep and personal understanding of what our farmers are experiencing and what they need in order to grow and succeed. Combined with his extensive knowledge of agriculture policy, Ray has proven to be an invaluable asset in supporting farmers and growing North Carolina agriculture. We look forward to working with Ray in his new role and congratulate him on this tremendous honor."

Starling's role as Special Assistant is housed within the National Economic Council, whose functions are best described in the Executive Order President Clinton issued to create it in 1993: (1) to coordinate the economic policy-making process with respect to domestic and international economic issues; (2) to coordinate economic policy advice to the President; (3) to ensure that economic policy decisions and programs are consistent with the President's stated goals, and to ensure that those goals are being effectively pursued; and (4) to monitor implementation of the President's economic policy agenda.

SOURCE North Carolina Farm Bureau