Chris McDonald was appointed by the Trump Administration to serve as the state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Mississippi in June 2025.

Prior to joining USDA, McDonald served as the director of federal and environmental affairs at the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce for nine years. In that position, he was the primary lead for federal and environmental policy issues, helped craft legislative policy at the Mississippi Legislature, and created the agency’s first ever Nuisance Wildlife Program that concentrated on feral swine management.

Earlier in his career, he worked with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks for nearly 13 years where he served within the Wildlife Bureau as an administrator and field biologist assisting landowners with conservation management.

McDonald grew up on a large beef cattle operation in Winona, Mississippi, which is where his passion for agriculture and natural resources began.

He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science and Master of Science degrees in animal physiology and wildlife ecology, all from Mississippi State University. In college, he became interested in reproductive physiology in cattle and conducted research regarding artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and ultrasonography. Since college, he has dedicated his professional career to implementing sound agricultural and natural resources policies and practices on farms and private lands across Mississippi.

McDonald currently lives in Brandon, Mississippi, with his wife, Julie, and son, Preston.