New administrator at Animal and Plant Health Inspection
March 30, 2011 | 04:27 PM
Dr. Gregory Parham has been named the new administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, succeeding Cindy Smith, who will become an adviser on government, academia, and industry partnerships.
The announcement was made Tuesday by Agriculture Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Services Ed Avalos.
Parham is a career civil servant with 31 years of federal service. According to a letter Avalos sent to staff, Parham began his federal career in 1980 and joined USDA in 1982. He has worked for several USDA agencies, including the Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Extension Service, the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, and the Office of the Chief Information Officer.
He joined APHIS in 2006 as the chief information officer and provided leadership for the agency’s information technology initiatives, served two years as the deputy administrator for marketing and regulatory programs – business services, providing resource management and administrative services support to APHIS, the Agricultural Marketing Service, and the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
Parham became APHIS’ associate administrator in November 2009. He holds a master's degree in administrative science from the Johns Hopkins University, and doctorate and bachelor degrees from the Ohio State University in veterinary medicine and microbiology. He has taught at the University of Maryland.
Smith, who has spent 32 years with APHIS, has been the administrator since 2007. In her advisory role, Smith will lead the agency’s support of the recently issued Presidential “Government Reform for Competitiveness and Innovation Memorandum,” Avalos said.
The announcement was made Tuesday by Agriculture Undersecretary for Marketing and Regulatory Services Ed Avalos.
Parham is a career civil servant with 31 years of federal service. According to a letter Avalos sent to staff, Parham began his federal career in 1980 and joined USDA in 1982. He has worked for several USDA agencies, including the Food Safety and Inspection Service, the Extension Service, the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, and the Office of the Chief Information Officer.
He joined APHIS in 2006 as the chief information officer and provided leadership for the agency’s information technology initiatives, served two years as the deputy administrator for marketing and regulatory programs – business services, providing resource management and administrative services support to APHIS, the Agricultural Marketing Service, and the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration.
Parham became APHIS’ associate administrator in November 2009. He holds a master's degree in administrative science from the Johns Hopkins University, and doctorate and bachelor degrees from the Ohio State University in veterinary medicine and microbiology. He has taught at the University of Maryland.
Smith, who has spent 32 years with APHIS, has been the administrator since 2007. In her advisory role, Smith will lead the agency’s support of the recently issued Presidential “Government Reform for Competitiveness and Innovation Memorandum,” Avalos said.
