Michael A. Alston
Associate Administrator
Risk Management Agency
United States Department of Agriculture

Michael Alston has served as the Associate Administrator of the USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) and Deputy Manager for the FCIC Board since 2013. Mr. Alston brings extensive years of experience within RMA, as well as with other federal agencies.

Mr. Alston’s strong program knowledge and leadership experience has provided guidance for many years within the agency, and for all of its key programs. He has served as the Deputy Administrator of the Insurance Services Division, and as the RMA Associate Deputy Administrator for Compliance. Previous to these positions, Mr. Alston oversaw crop insurance operations in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio as the Director of the RMA Springfield Regional Office.

Prior to joining USDA Mr. Alston worked as a Supervisory Special Agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and State Department. During his tenure with the DEA, Mr. Alston was assigned overseas working on a counter-narcotic program, for the State Department after the two east African US Embassies were bombed. Mr. Alston is a graduate of OPM’s Federal Executive Institute and has completed the program for Senior Managers in Government at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2015.

RMA provides economic protection and risk management tools to America’s farmers and ranchers primarily through federally sponsored crop insurance delivered and serviced by private insurance companies.

A native of Michigan, Mr. Alston holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Michigan State University.