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JAMES E. NEWSOME SWORN IN AS CFTC COMMISSIONER

Washington � James E. Newsome was sworn in today as a Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the federal agency that regulates commodity futures and option trading in the United States.

The oath of office was administered by CFTC Chairperson Brooksley Born in a ceremony attended by CFTC Commissioners and senior staff. Mr. Newsome was nominated by President Clinton on July 24, 1998, and confirmed by the Senate on July 31, 1998, to a term expiring June, 2001.

A native of Plant City, Florida, Mr. Newsome received his B.S. degree in Food and Resource Economics from the University of Florida in 1982 and his M.S. degree in Agriculture from Mississippi State University in 1985.

After graduating from college, Mr. Newsome was an instructor of Animal Science at Mississippi State University. In 1989 Mr. Newsome was appointed Executive Vice-president of both the Mississippi Beef Council and the Mississippi Cattlemen�s Association. Since 1997, and continuing until this year, Mr. Newsome has served as Chairman of the Mississippi Agribusiness Council where he coordinated efforts between industry and government to promote development and investment within the agribusiness community in Mississippi.