Whitley Named Administrator of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service

WASHINGTON, July 22, 2021 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today named Daniel Whitley the new Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service. Whitley has served as the agency’s Acting Administrator since December 2020.

Whitley is no stranger to FAS stakeholders and the agricultural trade community, having served in various positions during a 20-year career with the agency. Most recently, he was responsible for leading the FAS trade policy and market analysis teams as Associate Administrator. Throughout his FAS career, Whitley held leadership positions including Deputy Administrator of the Office of Global Analysis and Director of the Office of Civil Rights. Whitley joined FAS after starting his career with USDA’s Economic Research Service, focusing on market access issues in the World Trade Organization.

“I am deeply humbled by this opportunity, but I think it is more a reflection of all your hard work during my time as Acting Administrator than any personal achievements,” Whitley noted in a message to FAS staff today. “I know that together, we will continue to meet future challenges from bringing staff back to the physical workplace and navigating the latest trade landscape to finding new ways to support farmers and ranchers and delivering on Administration priorities.”

Whitley holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics and is a graduate of Southern University and A&M College and Louisiana State University.

FAS links U.S. agriculture to the world to enhance export opportunities and global food security through its Washington, D.C.-based staff and a global network of nearly 100 offices covering approximately 180 countries.

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