Blakely named APHIS International Services deputy administrator

With the recent retirement of Beverly Simmons, the U.S. Department of Agriculture appointed Cheryle Blakely to serve as deputy administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) International Services.    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has appointed Cheryle Blakely to serve as deputy administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) International Services, succeeding Beverly Simmons, who recently retired from the agency.
   Blakely most recently served as associate deputy administrator of APHIS International Services.
   She joined APHIS in 2006 as chief of staff for International Services after a career in the Air Force. She then served as U.S. general director of the U.S.-Panama Bi-Lateral Screwworm Commission before returning to Washington in 2010 to serve as the administrative director for APHIS International Services.
   In 2011, she was assigned to the U.S. Agency for International Development to participate in the Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program. She returned to APHIS in 2012 as the associate deputy administrator of International Services.
   In her new role, Blakely directs 28 APHIS International Services overseas posts, which includes more than 200 foreign service officers and nationals. She also serves as a key liaison between APHIS International Services, other USDA agencies, international organizations and other non-governmental organizations.