Grode to head U.S. Customs agriculture inspections

Grode to head U.S. Customs agriculture inspections    U.S. Customs and Border Protection named Jeffrey Grode executive director, agricultural inspection policy and programs in the Office of Field Operations.
   Grode will be responsible for stopping harmful plants, animals and diseases from entering the country that could endanger the food supply or environment.
   He comes to the job with extensive agriculture inspection experience. He began his career as a grain inspector and served during the past two years as assistant to the deputy administrator for Plant Protection and Quarantine in the Department of Agriculture. During that period, agriculture inspectors and specialists from Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service transferred to Customs as part of the creation of the Department of Homeland Security.