Mary Palm

Mary E. Palm was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She received MS and PhD degrees in 1979 and 1983, respectively, from the University of Minnesota (UM) in plant pathology with an emphasis on mycology. Palm has spent her entire career at the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ), advancing from national mycologist through several positions of continuously greater impact. In 2006, she established and led the PPQ molecular diagnostics lab. In 2014, she established the Huanglongbing Multiagency Coordination effort—the USDA initiative to expedite providing tools to citrus growers to combat HLB. Since 2016, she has been director of the USDA APHIS PPQ Pest Management/Domestic Program, overseeing domestic pest and disease programs with funding of more than $200 million.