Agriculture Secretary Mike Johannes has named Cindy Smith administrator of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Smith will be the first woman to hold the position.
Smith succeeds Dr. Ron DeHaven who retired from the agency after 28 years of service on August 3rd to accept a position with the AVMA. Smith had been acting administrator since then. She began her career with APHIS in 1979 and has held numerous positions within the agency including deputy administrator for biotechnology regulatory services and associate deputy administrator for wildlife services.
APHIS’s mission is to protect and promote American agriculture, regulate genetically engineered organisms, administer the federal Animal Welfare Act and carry out wildlife damage management activities.