Frank Lee became the Deputy Administrator for Office of
Foreign Service Operations in November 2006. This office is
responsible for FAS field offices and of the
FAS Foreign Service personnel system.
Prior to this assignment, Lee served as the Deputy
Administrator for Commodity and Marketing programs for the Foreign
Agricultural Service since July 2000. As Deputy Administrator, he was
responsible for international marketing and agricultural intelligence
analysis for foreign markets, which included administering the FAS Foreign
Market Development Cooperator Program, the Market Access Program, Quality
Sample Program, the Emerging Market Program and all of FAS's trade show
activities.
He entered the Foreign Agricultural Service in 1971 as an
international economist in the Trade Policy Division and two years later
transferred to the Fruit and Vegetable Division as an agricultural
economist. In April 1977, he was assigned to Caracas, Venezuela, as
assistant agricultural attaché. After completing two years in Venezuela, he
was re-assigned to San Jose, Costa Rica, as agricultural attaché from 1979
to 1983.
Upon his return to the United States in 1983, Mr. Lee was
detailed to the Office of International Cooperation and Development to head
USDA's private sector initiatives under the Reagan Administration's
Caribbean Basin Program. After two years on detail, Mr. Lee was re-assigned
back to FAS as Area Director for the Caribbean Basin Region from 1985-1987.
A native of Mississippi, Mr. Lee received his B.S. degree
from Southern University and a Master's Degree from Louisiana State
University in Economics. He is married to Cynthia Frazier and they have two
children.