U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today announced the appointment of Dr. Ron DeHaven as administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

“I am very pleased that Dr. DeHaven has accepted this appointment,” Veneman said. “His leadership and management experience are valuable assets as we continue to strengthen our animal and plant protection systems.”

As administrator, DeHaven will manage programs that are critical to the protection of America’s livestock, plants and food supply. DeHaven replaces Bobby Acord, who retired on April 3, after almost 38 years of federal service. Acord served as administrator since November 2001.

Prior to his appointment, since April 2002, DeHaven served as deputy administrator of APHIS for Veterinary Services, the nation’s chief veterinary official, where he provided leadership in safeguarding animal health, most notably the management of the detection and investigation of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a cow in Washington State in December 2003. He served as the acting associate administrator for APHIS from October 2001 through April 2002.

From 1996 to 2001, DeHaven was the deputy administrator for the Animal Care (AC) unit of APHIS, administering the Animal Welfare Act and the Horse Protection Act. Before assuming the deputy administrator position, DeHaven was AC's western regional director in Sacramento, California, for seven years.

DeHaven obtained a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Purdue University in 1975 and a Masters in Business Administration from Millsaps College in Mississippi in May 1989. After graduating from veterinary school, he spent four years in the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps before beginning his career with APHIS in 1979.

DeHaven lives in Crofton, Maryland, with his wife Nancy. They have two grown children, a daughter and a son.