ARS Administrators

Joon Park
ARS Administrator (Acting)

Mr. Joon Park was named as the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Acting Administrator in March 2025. As Acting Administrator, Mr. Park leads the men and women of ARS in delivering scientific solutions to national and global agricultural challenges through scientific excellence. Before being named Acting Administrator, Mr. Park served as ARS Associate Administrator for Research Operations & Management where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of both headquarters and the 95 field research laboratories that are organized into 5 regional areas. Prior to this role, Mr. Park served as the Research, Education and Economics (REE) Mission Area Chief Operating Officer (COO) and the ARS Deputy Administrator for Administrative & Financial Management (AFM) where he was responsible for human resources, financial management, agreements, travel, facilities engineering, safety, acquisition, property, homeland security and information technology.

Mr. Park has held other positions with the USDA ARS to include serving as the ARS Human Resources Director and as the ARS South Atlantic Area Deputy Area Director for Business Management. Mr. Park began his Federal career with the Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD through the Acquisition Intern Program in 1996 and served in various Logistics Management positions through 2007 when he served as the Director of Logistics for the Navy H-60 Multi-Mission Helicopter Program.

Mr. Park received a Presidential Rank Award as Meritorious Executive in 2022. He graduated from Liberty University in 1996 with a B.S. degree in Government and received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from The Johns Hopkins University in 2002. In addition, Mr. Park is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute in Charlottesville, VA, the National Security Studies Program at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C, the Key Executive Leadership Certificate Program at the American University in Washington D.C, and the USDA Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program (SESCDP).

Jeff Silverstein
Associate Administrator, National Programs

Dr. Silverstein started his career with USDA and ARS in 1997 as a geneticist and breeder with the catfish aquaculture program in Stoneville, Mississippi. He moved to the Office of National Programs in 2007 as the National Program Leader for Aquaculture and in 2015 joined the Southeast Area as the Associate Area Director. Since October 2016, he has served as the Deputy Administrator for Animal Production and Protection (APP) in the Office of National Programs. As Deputy Administrator for APP, he worked with national program leaders to direct the programs and priorities of four National Programs: Animal Production; Animal Health; Veterinary, Medical and Urban Entomology; and Aquaculture. These programs intersect broadly with biotechnology and genetics, One Health, animal and public health, antimicrobial resistance/alternatives to antibiotics, and zoonotic and emerging disease concerns. He also helped launch the ARS Grand Challenge-Synergies program and ARSX, the breakthrough innovation platform.

Dr. Silverstein has worked with leading scientists from ARS and around the world as the co-chair of the Biosafety Level 4 Zoonotic Laboratory Network (BSL4ZNet), the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Transboundary Animal Disease Threats working group, and the OSTP Subcommittee on Aquaculture. He is part of the leadership team for the stand-up and scientific program development of the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, and has been leading the ARS response to highly pathogenic avian influenza.