Thad Fairley

Special Assistant to the Dean, Alcorn State University

Indianola, Mississippi

Thad Fairley is the special assistant to the dean at Alcorn State University’s College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, where he leads initiatives that promote growth and innovation within the college’s agricultural programs. He was formerly the state executive director at the Mississippi USDA Farm Service Agency, where he addressed systemic inequities in agriculture and advocated for socially disadvantaged farmers. In his USDA role, Thad hired the most diverse group of County Executive Director Trainees in Mississippi Farm Service Agency history and launched the first cohort of the USDA 1890 National Scholars Program in over 20 years, transitioning underserved students into full-time USDA roles. Responsible for the strategic leadership of more than 60 service centers within his agency, he managed a workforce of over 200 employees across the state of Mississippi. Additionally, he directed an annual budget exceeding $10 million and is responsible for overseeing the distribution of $1 billion in federal funding, which supported the agricultural sector in Mississippi.