NPEW 2017

U.S. Ambassador Eric M. Bost (Ret.) is the Assistant Director for External Relations and Business Development and Senior Advisor to the Director at the Norman Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture for Texas A&M AgriLife. He has also served as Texas A&M’s Vice President for Global Initiatives. Bost in July of 2006 was appointed by the President of the United States as Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa, leading one of the largest US Embassies in the world and the largest US Embassy on the continent of Africa. As Ambassador, he supervised a staff of more than 1,000 persons representing 26 US government agencies. Prior to serving as Ambassador, he was appointed as the United States Department of Agriculture’s Under Secretary of Food, Nutrition and Consumer Service responsible for the leadership and administration of 15 domestic nutrition assistance programs and directed seven regional offices employing 1,500 employees with a combined budget of over $58 billion. From August 1997 to June 2001, Ambassador Bost served as Commissioner and CEO of the Texas Department of Human Services where he oversaw an annual budget of $5 billion and 18,000 employees in more than 500 offices statewide.