Mark Harris,
Director, Research and Development Division

James Mark Harris serves as the Director of the Research and Development Division for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) and has been a member of the NASS Senior Executive Team since April 2007.

Prior to his appointment to the Senior Executive Service, he served at all levels of NASS management. Between 1994 and 2007, Harris was the Director of the Nebraska Field Office, Chief of the Crops Branch, Head of the Economics Section, and Deputy Directory of the Tennessee Field Office. Additionally, he has had experience in NASS's Statistical Methods Branch, the Remote Sensing research program, and the International Programs Office. He has consulted internationally in Pakistan, Yemen, Egypt, El Salvador, Poland, Russia and Brazil.

Harris grew up in central Oklahoma and was involved in the family livestock operation. His undergraduate education is in Agricultural Economics, Farm and Ranch Management from Oklahoma State University. Graduate Statistics work was completed at North Carolina State University. He and his wife, Terri, have three children, Skye, Jim and Lisa and live in Ashburn, Virginia.