Peter McPherson, JD

Peter McPherson, Chair of the HarvestPlus Program Advisory Committee, is the President of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, the oldest higher education association composed of public research universities, land-grant institutions, and state university systems in the United States. He has previously served as President of Michigan State University, Director of Economic Policy for the Coalition Provisional Authority of Iraq, Deputy Secretary of the US Treasury, Administrator of the US Agency for International Development, and Special Assistant to US President Gerald Ford in the White House.

McPherson is Chair Emeritus of the Board of the International Fertilizer Development Center and founding co-Chair of the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa. He has formerly chaired the boards of Dow Jones & Company and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

McPherson has been honored with the US Presidential Certificate of Outstanding Achievement, the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Leadership Award, the Department of Treasury’s Alexander Hamilton Award, the UNICEF award for “outstanding contribution to child survival,” the 1983 Humanitarian of the Year award from the American Lebanese League, and the Jewish National Fund Tree of Life Award.

McPherson earned his BA from Michigan State University. He holds an MBA from Western Michigan University and a JD from American University. He serves on ACUE’s Board of Advisors in a pro bono capacity.