United States Department of Agriculture

About NASS

NASS Administrator

Joseph L. Parsons

Joseph L. Parsons is the Administrator of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Mr. Parsons leads NASS to provide the agricultural statistics that form a comprehensive, timely and accurate picture of US agriculture. The Agency’s portfolio of reports encompasses more than 400 releases each year in addition to the Census of Agriculture conducted every five years. Parsons works with the NASS Senior Executive Team to improve and enhance the agency’s statistical programs serving all stakeholders while working to ensure NASS is an exemplary employer.

Since beginning his federal career in 1985, Parsons has held various roles and responsibilities at NASS. Prior to his appointment as Administrator, Parsons served as Associate Administrator with responsibility for the oversight and coordination of agency operations and statistical programs. Parsons other senior executive roles include serving as chair of USDA’s Agricultural Statistics Board and director of the NASS Methodology Division as well as serving as NASS Chief Information Officer. Parsons’ service has also included serving as chief data officer, senior research statistician, and providing leadership in multiple field offices.

Parsons was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in 2011 after completing USDA’s Senior Executive Candidate Development Program and American University’s Key Executive Leadership Certificate Program. As part of his leadership training, he served a detail as visiting executive at Statistics Canada.

Parsons graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with honors in Agricultural Economics and earned a master’s degree from the University of Maryland-College Park in Survey Methodology. He grew up on the family dairy farm in southwestern Missouri and worked on several farming operations throughout high school and college.