Six New Agricultural Officers Sworn into Foreign Service

WASHINGTON, July 8, 2024 – U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Alexis M. Taylor today administered the oath of office to six employees of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service who will serve American agriculture around the world as a part of the U.S. Foreign Service.

The new Foreign Service officers will be stationed at U.S. embassies and diplomatic missions on three continents, beginning their careers as agricultural attachés charged with monitoring agricultural production and trade, identifying export opportunities, enhancing food security and supporting U.S. foreign policy objectives. 

“I am extremely proud of this diverse group of diplomats who completed their rigorous training and are now prepared to serve on the frontlines of agricultural diplomacy,” Taylor said. “These skilled officers will bolster our Foreign Service as they begin their critical work of safeguarding and promoting U.S. agricultural interests, a task that is increasingly vital in today’s competitive and dynamic global agricultural trade environment.”

The officers sworn in today are: 

• Damian Ferrese from Pittsburgh, Pa., assigned to the Office of Agricultural Affairs in Nairobi, Kenya;
• Joshua DeMoss, from Gilmer, Texas, assigned to the Office of Agricultural Affairs in Beijing, China;
• Jeffrey Galloway, from Los Angeles, Calif., assigned to the Office of Agricultural Affairs in Accra, Ghana;
• Benjamin Henderson, from Denver, Colo., assigned to the Office of Agricultural Affairs in Hanoi, Vietnam;
• Katherine McBride, from Colorado Springs, Colo., assigned to the Office of Agricultural Affairs in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and
• Jason Wrobel, from Chicago, Ill., assigned to the Office of Agricultural Affairs in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

More information about FAS and its work to advance U.S. agricultural interests around the globe is available at www.fas.usda.gov.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

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