Director, Western Field Operations

King Whetstone

Picture of Joseph Parsons, Director, Information Technology Division

King Whetstone is the director of Western Field Operations of USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. In this capacity, he oversees budget, personnel activities and program implementation for six regional field offices covering 22 states. He has more than 26 years of experience with NASS.

Before being appointed to his current position, he served as the director for the USDA’s NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office with responsibility for guiding and overseeing all activities of the regional office and State offices within the region. He also served as the senior representative and spokesperson with the Region, establishing and maintaining relationships with top level government and private sector officials.

From 2010 until 2013, King served as the state director in New York, working closely with State Agencies, Land Grant Universities, and farm and business organizations ensuring duties are performed in conformance with Agency standards. In 2008, he served as deputy director of the agency’s Hawaii Field Office, with responsibilities for planning, directing, and coordinating the programs and activities of the office with primary emphasis on technical operations.

Whetstone graduated from Prairie View A&M University with honors in Agricultural Economics. He also played on the university’s basketball team, in which he led them to their first NCAA Tournament in 1998. He was born in Greenville, Texas, but moved to Houston, TX as a child, where he would be raised.

Last Modified: 12/06/2023