New Release

U.S. President Joe Biden recently announced the appointment of Terry Cosby as Chief of the US Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

Cosby, a native of Mississippi, was born and raised in Enid and attended high school in Charleston. He is a 1978 graduate of Alcorn State University in Lorman.

“I am humbled and honored to be sworn in as the 17th Chief of NRCS, an agency that has served our nation’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners for more than 80 years,” said Cosby.

“Growing up on my family’s small cotton farm in rural Enid, the entire family shared responsibilities taking care of the land. I’m so thankful my parents, George and Gertrude Cosby, taught me a heart for service, about hard work, how to fairly treat people and that protecting our natural resources is a shared responsibility. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

For more than 42 years Cosby has served the agency in numerous capacities across multiple states and Washington, D.C. Prior to his appointment as the national NRCS Chief, Cosby served as the NRCS Ohio State Conservationist for 16 years.

In a press release announcing the appointment, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said: “The leadership and expertise of Terry will play an integral role in USDA’s efforts to provide personnel, science, and technology that will lead to better-informed and more effective land management decisions; partnerships to address climate adaptation, conservation, and ecological resilience; and clean energy technology and infrastructure. We are fortunate to have him on our team.”

Married to Brenda (Parker) Cosby of Batesville, they are parents to four children; one of whom was lovingly adopted.

They now have seven young grandchildren. Cosby continues to hunt and fish as much as possible, a passion developed during his youth spent in Mississippi.