John Sullivan, State Executive Director

C. John Sullivan III was appointed by the Biden Administration to serve as the State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Maryland in January 2022.

Sullivan was born and raised in Fallston, Maryland, on his family’s small farm near Gunpowder State Park. Sullivan and his wife Christen and their three children are the fifth generation to live in the same family home built in 1850.

He previously served as the Program Manager for the Maryland Department of the Environment where he directed the animal feeding operations, biosolids, waste diversion, and hazardous waste permits divisions. Prior to this role, he served as the Deputy Chief of Staff and Agricultural Liaison to the Harford County Executive for the agricultural industry. Earlier in his career, Sullivan served as an Agriculture and Natural Resource Fellow for the US EPA Chesapeake Bay Program in Annapolis, Maryland, and the National Civilian Community Corps in Washington, D.C.

He is a board member and past President of the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation (MAEF) and the Maryland Agricultural Council. Sullivan graduated from LEAD Maryland in 2000 and Leadership Maryland in 2008.

Sullivan earned a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation administration from York College of Pennsylvania. In college he was elected to the Student Senate and served as President of the Ski and Outdoor Club.

Sullivan’s family enjoys collecting antiques, working with livestock, waterfowl hunting, and visiting friends on Maryland’s eastern shore. All three of his children were or are currently enrolled in 4-H.