United States Department of Agriculture

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2024 — The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service’s (NASS) announced Joseph L. Parsons as its new Administrator as of June 16; this follows Administrator Hubert Hamer’s retirement in March.

Parsons, who was Acting Administrator and before that Associate Administrator, has been serving American agriculture through NASS for more than 37 years, since joining the federal service in 1985.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to continue to lead the great and dedicated people at NASS as their Administrator,” said Parsons. “NASS is a wonderful place to work; our workplace flexibility has allowed us to recruit and retain some of the most talented staff in NASS’s history. Having a great work environment is something to cherish, value, and be intentional about. Going forward, we will continue to elevate ourselves and our services to meet the growing and changing needs of our stakeholders. We will remain resilient, nimble enough to roll with the shocks and opportunities that come our way. I am truly excited for the future of NASS and look forward to continuing to serve America’s producers.”

Throughout his career with NASS, Parsons has served in several leadership roles, including but not limited to Associate Administrator where he was responsible for oversight and coordination of agency operations and the agricultural statistics program carried out within the various organizational units in NASS. He also served as chair of USDA’s Agricultural Statistics Board and director of NASS’s Methodology Division.

Joseph J. Prusacki, a NASS employee since 1984 and former director of NASS’s National Operations Division in St. Louis, MO, remains NASS’s acting Associate Administrator until the position is filled later this year.

For more information on Administrator Parsons and other leadership at NASS, visit NASS biographies.