APHIS Personnel Announcements

News Date September 17, 2007

 

       Bruce Knight, undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs at USDA, announced the appointment of Cindy J. Smith as administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. "With 28 years in the Agency, Cindy Smith has learned APHIS from the ground-up, and her diverse experience is an asset to APHIS and USDA," Knight said.
 
       As administrator, Smith will further APHIS' mission of protecting American agriculture and ensuring the health and care of animals and plants. Smith replaces Dr. Ron DeHaven, who retired on August 3, after 28 years with APHIS. DeHaven served as administrator since 2004.
 
       Smith began her career with APHIS in 1979 and has advanced through the ranks, holding clerical, technical, administrative, supervisory and executive leadership positions in the Agency. Throughout her years, Smith has gained diverse experience in a broad range of APHIS programs, including plant protection and quarantine, wildlife services (WS), biotechnology regulatory services (BRS) and the former biotechnology, biologics and environmental protection unit.
 
       Smith has been serving as acting administrator since August 3, and as APHIS' associate administrator since April. Before that, beginning in 2002, she served as deputy administrator for BRS and played a major role in shaping the agency's biotechnology regulatory structure, establishing more rigorous requirements for field tests of genetically engineered crops and initiating efforts to review and strengthen the agency's overarching biotechnology regulations. From 2001 to 2002, Smith was the associate deputy administrator for WS, which provides federal leadership and expertise in resolving conflicts caused by wildlife.
 
Two other high-level appointments in APHIS have also been made recently:
       * Rebecca Bech has been promoted to be the deputy administrator of Biotechnology Regulatory Services. Prior to becoming deputy administrator for BRS in June 2007, Bech served as BRS' associate deputy administrator for emerging and international programs. In this position, she provided guidance in policy and program implementation for plant and animal biotechnology regulations. She was acting deputy administrator for BRS from April 2007 through June 2007. Throughout her time at APHIS, Bech has gained diverse experience by supporting several different programs. Bech joined APHIS in 1986 as a Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) officer. While with PPQ, she served as a plant pathology identifier and provided new officer training. In addition, Bech was director for PPQ's Scientific Services. Bech has also worked in Policy and Program Development, Recruitment and Development, and Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business Services, where she acted as the USDA Liaison for Invasive Species. 
 
       * Bethany Jones has been promoted to be the deputy administrator of Legislative and Public Affairs (LPA). In 2003, Jones was selected as associate deputy administrator for LPA and assumed responsibility for the day-to-day management of the unit's four staffs: Intergovernmental Affairs, Executive Communications, Public Affairs, and Freedom of Information. Jones began her career with APHIS in 1990, after graduating from Randolph Macon Woman's College. She accepted a position as a writer/editor with LPA's Executive Communications program and has been with LPA ever since. While working for Executive Communications, Jones answered congressional and industry letters, wrote speeches, and crafted briefing papers for the Secretary of Agriculture and the White House. 
 
       Jones then moved to LPA's Public Affairs office where she served in various positions including editor of the agency's newsletter, outreach campaign coordinator, and international trade public affairs specialist. In 1997, Jones became a supervisory public affairs specialist, and then deputy director of public affairs in 1998. Just two years later, she was named director of public affairs with responsibility for managing the agency's media, outreach, publications, web, and audio visual functions. (Contact: Bob Ehart)