WASHINGTON, DC, US — Daniel Whitley has been named administrator of the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

Daniel Whitley, administrator for USDA FAS. Photo courtesy of USDA.

Whitley most recently was acting administrator for the FAS since December 2020 but prior to that he was the associate administrator responsible for leading the agency’s trade policy and market analysis teams.

His 20-year career with the FAS also includes leadership positions as deputy administrator of the Office of Global Analysis and director of the Office of Civil Rights. Whitley joined the FAS after starting his career with the USDA Economic Research Service working 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 said. “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 has a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in agricultural economics and is a graduate of Southern University and A&M College and Louisiana State University.