Name Richard Crowder | Education Virginia Tech | |
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Ambassador Richard Thomas Crowder (born 1939) served as Chief Agricultural Negotiator in the Office of the United States Trade Representative and as Under Secretary of Agriculture for International Affairs and Commodity Programs.
Biography
Dr. Crowder holds a B.S. and M.S. from Virginia Tech and a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University. He is a member of the boards of directors of Mendel Biotechnology, Inc., and Neogen Corporation, and is also a trustee of the Farm Foundation. In 2013, the American Farm Bureau Federation bestowed on Dr. Crowder its Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award.
Prior to entering public service, Dr. Crowder first worked for Exxon as a staff economist, then for Wilson & Company, the Pillsbury Company, and Armour Swift-Eckrich. Following his term of office at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dr. Crowder was first Senior Vice President, International, of Dekalb Genetics Corporation, then head of the American Seed Trade Association. He was appointed Chief Agricultural Negotiator with ambassadorial rank by President George W. Bush.