On August 19, 2007, Mr. John Crew became the Director of Operations for the Department of Agriculture. Prior to his selection as Director of Operations, he had been in the position of Deputy Director of Operations since March 1, 2007. Mr. Crew started his Federal career in 1977 as a Forester with the Bureau of Land Management. After eight years as a Forester in Western Oregon he was appointed as the Administrative Officer for the Bureau of Land Management in Las Vegas, NV. In 1988, he joined USDA as an Administrative Officer for Agricultural Research Service (ARS) North Atlantic Area (NAA) in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania. In 2002, he was selected to be the Deputy Area Director of the North Atlantic Area. He has also served in a leadership role on Competitive Sourcing for ARS. In 2004, he carried out a detail on Senator Spector’s staff working on Agricultural issues and drafting legislation. Mr. Crew has a B.S. Degree in Biology from Elizabethtown College, a Masters in Forestry from Duke University, and has completed the ARS PEAK program, a leadership development program providing specialized training and experiences for ARS executive leaders of the future.