The U.S. Department of Agriculture has named Enrique E. Figueroa, Cornell associate professor of agricultural economics, as the new administrator of the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The announcement was made Oct. 24.
"I am delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Figueroa to head AMS," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman in the USDA announcement. "His knowledge of economics and trade will serve this department well as we move forward with our strategic goal of expanding economic and trade opportunities for agricultural producers and other rural residents," Glickman said.
Figueroa will have responsibility for facilitating the strategic marketing of agricultural products in domestic and international markets, according to the USDA. In 1996, Figueroa was named by Glickman to the North American Free Trade Association (NAFTA) Advisory Committee on Private Commercial Dispute Resolution Regarding Agricultural Goods.
Prior to becoming an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Cornell in 1992, Figueroa was an assistant professor in that department from 1986 to 1992.
Figueroa has a B.S. in agricultural education from California State University-Fresno, and an M.S. in horticulture and a Ph.D. in agricultural economics, both from the University of California-Davis.