Press Release
(c) Chris Smith 843-324-8900
ARLINGTON, Va. — The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture proudly honors the retirement of Charlie Ingram, National Agricultural Statistics Service Program Director, following nearly 27 years of service. Charlie will retire on September 30, marking the closure of a transformative career over decades of agricultural innovation and public service.
NASDA CEO Ted McKinney and USDA NASS Administrator Joe Parsons lauded Charlie’s contributions.
“Charlie Ingram’s dedication to agricultural data and his leadership working with USDA NASS have made a lasting impact on the entire agriculture community. Further, Charlie’s work in policy and other key areas of NASDA in earlier years is noteworthy and appreciated. His enthusiasm, expertise and steady guidance set a standard that will be felt long after his retirement. On behalf of NASDA, I extend our heartfelt gratitude and wish him the very best in this next chapter,” NASDA CEO Ted McKinney said.
“On behalf of the National Agricultural Statistics Service, I extend my sincere gratitude to Charlie Ingram for his exceptional leadership and steadfast partnership as the NASDA-NASS Program Leader. Charlie’s dedication to public service, his deep commitment to the success of our cooperative agreement, and his tireless support for our field operations have left a lasting legacy. As he retires, we congratulate him on a long and distinguished career and thank him for the invaluable contributions he has made to NASS, NASDA, and American agriculture,” USDA NASS Administrator Joe Parsons.
Modernizing Field Operations & Supporting a Strong Partnership
When Charlie began the position as head of the NASDA-NASS partnership in 2009, he tackled a paper-based system for field staff—a cumbersome process involving physical surveys, timesheets and evaluations. Between 2014 and 2015, he spearheaded the transition to iPads, introducing digital data collection and online workflows for payroll, training and performance reviews. These innovations made NASDA-NASS work more efficient, accurate, and easier for both staff and supervisors, laying a strong foundation for the future. His leadership strengthened the NASDA–NASS partnership and built a resilient program ready for continued success.
Drawing on his years of experience in fine-tuning NASS survey collection systems for optimum results, Charlie also helped launch a new management structure for NASDA-NASS operations in 2024. Having helped hire a new and capable team, Charlie feels it’s the perfect time to retire knowing the program is in excellent hands.
Charlie also helped NASDA and USDA NASS celebrate 50 years of partnership in 2022, honoring the work of enumerators across the country at the NASDA annual meeting.
Looking Ahead
As he prepares to retire, Charlie is most looking forward to being back home in Alabama—spending time with family, helping out on the farm, and enjoying a slower pace of life. NASDA will recognize Charlie at the 2025 NASDA Annual Meeting in Rodgers, Arkansas.
Memories Made
Charlie’s NASDA journey is colored with unforgettable moments. He has shared that some of his favorite memories are helping with the hazelnut Objective Yield survey. At first, Charlie didn’t know what he would be getting into. The work was hot, tough, and dirty. Charlie climbed trees with enumerators and collected nuts by hand. “It gave me a whole new respect for the hard work our enumerators do and helped me better understand the work from their point of view,” Charlie has shared with NASDA staff. He also cherishes the 2015 NASDA Annual Meeting held in Hawaii. The President’s Dinner was under a big tent on the lawn, and it poured rain the whole time. Everyone ended up taking off their shoes and wading barefoot through the water—it brought everyone together and was a fun, unforgettable night.
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NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries and directors of the departments of agriculture in all 50 states and four U.S. territories. NASDA enhances American food and agricultural communities through policy, partnerships and public engagement. To learn more about NASDA, please visit www.nasda.org.
