Mark E. Keenum

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Mark E. Keenum
Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum.jpg
Keenum in 2014
19th President of Mississippi State University
Assumed office
January 5, 2009
Preceded byRobert Foglesong
Vance Watson (interim)
(interim)
Chair of Board for International Food and Agricultural Development
Assumed office
2018
Preceded byBrady Deaton
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services
In office
2007–2009
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Personal details
Born (1961-01-28) January 28, 1961 (age 61)
Starkville, Mississippi
Spouse(s)Rhonda Keenum
Children4
Alma materMississippi State University
WebsiteOfficial website

Mark Everett Keenum (born January 28, 1961) is an agricultural economist who is the 19th university president of Mississippi State University. He served as a professor at Mississippi State University from 1988 to 1989 and 1997 to 2009, congressional staff of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran from 1989 to 2006, and Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services in the United States Department of Agriculture from 2007 to 2009. He became the chair of Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD) since 2018.

Background[]

Keenum was born in Starkville, Mississippi on January 28, 1961.[1] He graduated from Corinth High School in Corinth, MS. He earned an Associate of Arts degree from Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville and played on Northeast Tigers football team. He holds a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics (1983), a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics (1984), and a Ph.D in Agricultural Economics (1988) from Mississippi State University.[2]

Career[]

After completing his bachelor's and master's degrees, Keenum joined the MSU faculty as a marketing specialist with the Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service at Mississippi State University (MSU) in 1984. Two years later, he accepted a position as a Research Associate with the (MAFES) at MSU. After receiving his Ph.D in agricultural economics in 1988, Keenum joined the faculty as an assistant professor/economist in Mississippi State's Department of Agricultural Economics.[3] Keenum served on the staff of U.S. Senator Thad Cochran in Washington, DC from 1989-2006, first as a legislative assistant for agriculture and natural resources and then as chief of staff.

From 1997-2006 Keenum served Mississippi State as an adjunct professor in agricultural economics.

In 2006 Keenum was named the Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services for the United States Department of Agriculture.[4] In this role Keenum provided leadership and oversight for the Farm Service Agency, the Risk Management Agency, and the Foreign Agricultural Service.

Keenum was named as the 19th president of Mississippi State University in November 2008 and began his term in January 2009.[5]

Keenum serves as chairman of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges' Executive Council.

He formerly served as a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities board of directors.[6]

Keenum was elected vice-president of the Southeastern Conference Executive Committee in 2015 and serves on the SEC’s Content Committee that oversees the SEC Network. He also represents the SEC as a member of the College Football Playoff's (CFP) Board of Managers.[7] In 2016, he was elected to serve a two-year term as the president of the Southeastern Conference.[8]

In 2018 Keenum was appointed as chair of the Board for International Food and Agricultural Development (BIFAD) by U.S. President Donald Trump.[9]

Personal life[]

Keenum was born in Starkville, Mississippi and grew up in Corinth, Mississippi. Keenum is married to the former Rhonda Newman of Booneville, Mississippi, also an MSU graduate. They have four children: Rett, Mary Phillips, Katie, and Torie.[10]

Honors[]

  • Mississippi Delta Council Farm Policy Commendation (1996)
  • Second Harvest Distinguished Public Service Award (2008)[11]
  • Congressional Awards Program Leadership Award (2010)[12]
  • Mississippi Press Association Distinguished Mississippian (2011)[13]
  • Seaman A. Knapp Lecturer (2014)[14]

References[]

  1. ^ "2009 Track & Field" (PDF). static.hailstate.com. p. 85. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  2. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). www.msstate.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  3. ^ "Dr. Mark Keenum : Dr. Mark Everett Keenum was sworn in as Under Secretary on December 20, 2006" (PDF). Mississippi.edu. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
  4. ^ "President nominates Mark Keenum to be undersecretary of agriculture". Deltafarmpress.com. 2006-11-14. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
  5. ^ "Mississippi Public Universities - BOARD NAMES DR. MARK KEENUM 19th PRESIDENT OF MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY". Mississippi.edu. 2006-12-20. Archived from the original on 2017-02-02. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
  6. ^ "Keenum tapped for APLU organization's board | Mississippi State University". Msstate.edu. 2012-12-13. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
  7. ^ "MSU President Mark Keenum elected vice president of SEC". Clarionledger.com. 2015-05-29. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
  8. ^ Carter, Courtney (2016-06-03). "MSU's President Keenum lands top SEC seat". SuperTalk Mississippi. Retrieved 2021-07-27.
  9. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Intent to Nominate and Appoint Personnel to Key Administration Posts". whitehouse.gov. Retrieved 2018-05-24 – via National Archives.
  10. ^ Brumfield, Patsy R. (28 March 2008). "MSU's first lady, mom". Daily Journal. Retrieved 21 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Archived copy". www.newschannel5.com. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. ^ "Keenum wins Congressional award - Mississippi Business Journal". Msbusiness.com. Retrieved 2017-01-21.
  13. ^ "Archived copy". m360.mspress.org. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. ^ "Mississippi State University President To Give Knapp Memorial Lecture Marking the 100th Anniversary of USDA's Cooperative Extension Service | National Institute of Food and Agriculture". Nifa.usda.gov. Retrieved 2017-01-21.

External links[]

Academic offices
Preceded by President of Mississippi State University
2009-Present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
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