As the Chief Plant Protection Officer of the United States, Mark leads the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program as its Deputy Administrator. Mark’s long executive career at USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) strategically positioned him to oversee PPQ’s mission of safeguarding U.S. agriculture and natural resources and facilitating the safe trade of plants and plant products. Mark had been acting in the position since January 2022 until he was appointed in May 2022.

Before becoming PPQ’s Deputy Administrator, Mark served as an APHIS Associate Administrator since August 2019. In this role, he worked in partnership with the Administrator to carry out the Agency’s day-to-day operations, represent APHIS on Department-level and cross-Agency working groups, and oversee the activities of every APHIS program area and support unit on behalf of employees and stakeholders.

Mark had also served as APHIS’ Deputy Administrator for Marketing and Regulatory Programs Business Services, where he managed human resources, finances, acquisitions and assets, information technology, and support services like emergency management and investigative services. He began his APHIS career in Veterinary Services (VS). At VS, he provided planning, policy, program, and regulatory oversight and implementation for VS’ National Import Export Services activities, which focus on safeguarding U.S. animal health and facilitating trade in animals and animal products. Before joining APHIS, he spent two years with USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Mark received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and master’s degree in veterinary pathology from Auburn University and his bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Western Kentucky University.