United States Department of Agriculture

About NASS

Director, Strategic Planning and Business Services Division

Elvera Gleaton

Elvera Gleaton serves as the director of the Strategic Planning and Business Services Division. She provides leadership and oversight on strategic planning, workforce performance, data governance, and information technology services. Gleaton is also responsible for designing and maintaining automated systems for the Census of Agriculture and other surveys prepared for farmers and agricultural businesses, while maintaining relationships with the USDA Office of the Chief Information Officer and other federal agencies.

Gleaton has more than 25 years of experience in leadership roles spanning the public sectors. She was responsible for designing, engineering, operational management, and governance of complex IT solutions. Her breadth of hands-on experience in organizational design and transformation brings new perspectives in partnership and creative problem-solving.

Previously, Gleaton was the director of NASS’s Strategic Planning Office. She led the development and implementation of the agency’s five-year strategic plan, monitored the execution of strategies overseeing complex multi-year projects, provided expertise and insight to senior executives, and coordinated the efforts of high-performance matrix teams to implement strategic goals. In 2019, she completed the Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program. While in the program, she served as the chief operating officer for CLJ Consulting and Contracting, LLC.

Gleaton holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology Management from the University of Maryland, an Associate degree in Information Systems at the College of Southern Maryland, and project management at ESI International Institute. She is currently pursuing her master's degree at the University of Maryland. Gleaton is also a graduate of the USDA IT Fellows Program, a member of the African American Federal Executives Association, and an active member of the American Council for Technology and Industry Advisory Council, currently serving as the 2021 government vice-chair of the Partners Program.

Gleaton was born and raised in Washington, DC. She is married, a proud mother of four, grandmother of three, an avid sports fan, and enjoys watching her youngest son play football for the U.S. Naval Academy. She also enjoys hiking and traveling to exciting places around the world.