Frank Lee became the Acting Deputy Administrator for Office of Administrative Operations in October 2008. This office is responsible for the operations of the FAS Washington headquarters staff including budget, computer technology, travel, security, emergency management, contracts and training.

Prior to this assignment, Lee served as the Deputy Administrator for Office of Foreign Service Operations since November 2006.  As Deputy Administrator, he was responsible for  FAS field offices and of the FAS Foreign Service personnel system. 

Beginning in July 2000, Lee served as the Deputy Administrator for Commodity and Marketing programs for the Foreign Agricultural Service since July 2000. In this position, 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.