Biography
Peter McPherson serves as president of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) and is President-Emeritus of Michigan State University. He is the founding co-chair of the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa, and chairs the board of Abraham Lincoln Study Abroad Commission, and is Chairman of the Board of the International Food and Agricultural Development.
McPherson served as President for Michigan State University for 11 years. Before his appointment as President of Michigan State University, McPherson worked at the Bank of America for five years a Group Executive Vice President. From August 1987 until March 1989, McPherson held the position of Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Department where he focused on trade, tax, and international issues. McPherson was one of three negotiators for Canadian Free Trade Agreement in final weeks and served as a member of the Farm Credit Assistance Board and the Board of the Federal Financing Bank. As an Administrator of the Agency for International Development from February 1981 until August 1987, McPherson was responsible for USAID missions in 70 countries, a staff of 5,000 and a budget of about $6 billion a year. During his tenure as Administrator, McPherson was in charge of the U.S. response to the Great Famine in Africa in 1984 - 1985 where USAID delivered more than two million tons of food to Africa over a 12-month period. During the same period, McPherson served as Chairman of the Board of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. McPherson's previous government and private experience includes Washington managing partner of the law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymore and Pease; Special Assistant to President Ford; and Peace Corps Volunteer in Peru. Among the business boards, McPherson serves on the Board of Directors of Dow Jones and Company, the publisher of The Wall Street Journal as well as others. |
