United States Department of Agriculture

About NASS

Director, Eastern Field Operations

Dr. Jody McDaniel

Dr. Jody McDaniel serves as the director of Eastern Field Operations. He provides leadership for budget, personnel activities, and program implementation in six regional field offices covering 28 states. He has a wide range of professional experiences, including leadership of national programs. His work has included strategic planning, process improvement, and project management of national programs to support the NASS mission.

Previously, McDaniel served as the chief of NASS's Environmental, Economics, and Demographics Branch, where he led the release of the 2017 Census of Agriculture, served as a member of the North American Tripartite Committee on Agricultural Statistics, and partnered across USDA to improve the customer experience for agricultural producers. Before his role as chief, McDaniel served NASS for 20 years in various capacities.

McDaniel grew up on a small row crop farm in Southeastern Illinois and holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Agribusiness Economics from Southern Illinois University and a Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) from Walden University. He and his husband live in Howard County, Maryland and have two school-aged children.