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EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The NAPPO Executive Committee is composed of the head of NPPO of each member country or its designated representative. In Canada, the representative is the Chief Plant Health Officer of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) or her/his delegate. In the United States, it is the Deputy Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA-APHIS-PPQ) In Mexico, it is the Director General of Plant Health of the Secretary of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fish and Food (SENASICA, based on the Spanish acronym).
The responsibilities of the EC members include:
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Provide leadership, council and strategic planning for NAPPO
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Oversee the activities and performance of the Executive Director (ED) and the AMC Advisory and Management Committee (AMC)
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Approve the Annual Work Program and endorse subject matter experts identified to participate in NAPPO EGs by the AMC
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Approve the annual budget and review the annual financial statement
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Approve NAPPO RSPMs and other NAPPO documents
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Report the results of NAPPO activities to the appropriate authorities and stakeholders
CANADA
CANADA |
EXECUTIVE MEMBER |
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Steve Côté |
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Steve Joined the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) in 2002 in the Plant Protection Division working on domestic, import, and export phytosanitary issues. He also has experience working with the CFIA and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada on various market access issues. Since 2018, Steve has been the national manager of the International Phytosanitary Standards Section of the Plant Export Division. In this role, Steve is responsible for overseeing CFIA’s engagement in the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO). Steve previously served as a member of the NAPPO Advisory and Management Committee (AMC) and was involved in the development and revision of various NAPPO Regional Standards for Phytosanitary Measures. He is currently a member of the IPPC Standards Committee which is responsible for overseeing the IPPC standard-setting process, managing the development of international standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPMs), and providing guidance and oversight to the work of technical panels and expert working groups. In June 2023, Steve was named Canada’s representative on the NAPPO Executive Committee. |
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UNITED STATES
USA |
EXECUTIVE MEMBER |
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Jessica Mahalingappa |
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Jessica Mahalingappa was appointed PPQ’s Associate Deputy Administrator of International Phytosanitary Management and Standards Programs in July 2024. In this position, Jessica provides executive-level management to harmonize international rules of trade to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive pests and diseases; facilitate safe trade; and to establish fair, science-based plant health requirements for imported and exported plant commodities. Jessica began her APHIS career working for Policy and Program Development in 1999. She also worked in the International Services program as Chief of Staff, and as the International Technical and Regulatory Capacity Building Center’s Assistant Director. From 2013 to 2018, she was appointed APHIS’ Assistant Deputy Administrator for Trade and Capacity building, and eventually became Associate Deputy Administrator for Trade. In addition to her APHIS experience, Jessica served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan. She holds a B.A. in International Relations from Bucknell University and an M.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. Jessica had previously been serving as the Associate Deputy Administrator in APHIS’ Biotechnology Regulatory Services since 2021. |
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MEXICO
MEXICO |
EXECUTIVE MEMBER |
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Ing. Francisco Ramírez y Ramírez |
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Mr. Francisco Ramírez y Ramírez was confirmed as the new director-general for Plant Health on March 21. His predecessor, Dr. Francisco Javier Trujillo Arriaga, now director of SENASICA confirmed his appointment and highlighted his phytosanitary contributions towards preventing, controlling and eradicating plant pests and diseases in Mexico. Mr. Ramírez y Ramírez is an agronomist specialized in parasitology from Chapingo Autonomous University. He has 37 years of professional experience in phytosanitary issues at the state and federal levels having occupied several high profile positions in the Plant Health General Directorate at SENASICA. He served as director of the National Phytosanitary Reference Center where he was responsible for the development and deployment of the National System for Phytosanitary Epidemiological Surveillance (SINAVEF); later, he assumed the General Directorate for Agriculture and Livestock in San Luis Potosí. Most recently, Francisco worked at the Directorate for Domestic Fruit Fly Programs where he focused on the implementation of fruit fly free areas and maintaining Mexico’s Mediterranean fruit fly-free status. In 2017, he received the Plant Health National Award for Phytosanitary Merit. |
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