U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will join Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts, U.S. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry and University of Nebraska–Lincoln Chancellor Ronnie Green Sept. 4 for a panel discussion on agricultural innovation at Nebraska Innovation Campus.

Mike Boehm, NU vice president and Harlan Vice Chancellor of UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, will serve as moderator.

The event is invitation-only to ensure social distancing. The event will be open to the media and available for public viewing here. The panel discussion begins at 10:15 a.m. in the banquet area on the second floor of the Nebraska Innovation Commons building, 2021 Transformation Drive.

Former governor of Georgia, Perdue was appointed the 31st U.S. secretary of agriculture by President Donald Trump in April 2017. He grew up on a dairy and diversified row crop farm in rural Georgia. He served in the U.S. Air Force before earning a veterinary degree from the University of Georgia. A Republican, he served in the Georgia State Senate for 11 years and as governor for two terms, from 2003 to 2011.

Ricketts is in his second term as Nebraska governor, while Fortenberry has represented Nebraska’s 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2005. Fortenberry is the ranking member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, and Food and Drug Administration. Both are Republicans. Green has been chancellor since 2016.

After the panel concludes at 11 a.m., Perdue will be available to the media in the first-floor conference center “A” rooms.

Media interested in covering the event should contact UNL Public Affairs Director Leslie Reed or News Coordinator Sean Hagewood by 5 p.m. Sept. 3 to register for credentials. Reed can be reached at 402-472-2059 or lreed5@unl.edu. Hagewood is available at 402-472-8514 or shagewood2@unl.edu.

Media should arrive at the event by 10 a.m. to pick up their badges and set up equipment.