35 Facts About Ed Schafer

Edward Thomas Schafer was born on August 8,1946 and is an American businessman and politician who served as the 30th governor of North Dakota from 1992 to 2000 and as the 29th United States Secretary of Agriculture from 2008 to 2009 under President George W Bush.

Ed Schafer attended the University of North Dakota, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1969.

Ed Schafer has two stepchildren: Eric Jones and Kari Hammer.

Ed Schafer took a full-time job after graduation with his family's firm, the Gold Seal Company.

Ed Schafer rose through the ranks at Gold Seal, working in several divisions of the company until serving as company president from 1978 to 1985.

Ed Schafer has long had an interest in building machinery and equipment from used, scrap materials.

Ed Schafer was selected as a contestant on the Discovery Channel's engineering game show Junkyard Wars.

Ed Schafer's team worked to build a machine from junked components.

In 2003 Ed Schafer competed during the show's fifth season, when he served as the captain of the "High Flyers" team.

Ed Schafer's team took 2nd place in the competition, losing to the "Jet Doctors" in the season finale.

Ed Schafer was elected twice as the 30th governor of North Dakota, holding office from 1992 to 2000.

In 1990 Ed Schafer unsuccessfully challenged then-US Congressman Byron Dorgan as Dorgan ran for reelection.

Ed Schafer entered the 1992 North Dakota gubernatorial campaign as the Republican nominee.

When Ed Schafer became governor, North Dakota was facing major budgetary and financial hurdles.

Ed Schafer prioritized the expansion and diversification of North Dakota's economy.

Ed Schafer worked with both government and business leaders, implementing various efforts "to upgrade North Dakota's communications infrastructure and make high-speed voice and data networks available to farmers, ranchers and rural businesses", and to individual households.

In 1995 Ed Schafer served as Chair of the Midwestern Governors Association.

When Ed Schafer ran for reelection in 1996, he and Myrdal defeated Lee Kaldor, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, and Barbara Pyle, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor.

Ed Schafer did not seek reelection as governor in 2000.

Ed Schafer was co-founder and CEO of Extend America, a start-up wireless communications company he founded after leaving office as governor.

In 2002 Ed Schafer was appointed as civilian aide to the United States Secretary of the Army.

Ed Schafer was a frequent guest host of the Hot Talk radio program on WDAY-AM in Fargo, North Dakota.

Ed Schafer became a supporter of the North Dakota Taxpayers' Association, serving as an advisor and a keynote speaker.

In October 2007, Schafer was nominated by then-President George W Bush to be the next Secretary of Agriculture.

Ed Schafer's hearing was scheduled for January 30,2008, but was moved up by request of North Dakota Senator Kent Conrad so that Schafer could attend the State of the Union address as a cabinet member.

Later that day, as Secretary of Agriculture, Ed Schafer attended the State of the Union Address with other members of the President's cabinet.

Ed Schafer recalled massive quantities of beef and voluntarily shut down the plant where the videos were taken.

Ed Schafer left the Secretary of Agriculture position at the end of the Bush administration in January 2009.

Ed Schafer was appointed interim president of the University of North Dakota on November 9,2016, by the Board of Higher Education.

Ed Schafer said he had no intention to apply to become the next permanent president.

Ed Schafer signed a contract on December 2,2015, to fill in for former University of North Dakota president Robert Kelley upon Kelley's retirement, which took place on January 14,2016.

Ed Schafer's working life was spent primarily in business and politics.

Ed Schafer was paid $33,216 per month for his work from January 15 to June 30,2016.

Ed Schafer's contract paid him $2,250 per month more than retiring President Kelley had been earning after more than seven years in that position.

Five months later, near the end of his interim term, Ed Schafer revealed the new logo at a news conference on June 22,2016, calling the logo's debut a "historic moment".