Wes Ward is serving as the 3rd Secretary of Agriculture for the State of Arkansas. He was first appointed to the position in 2015 by Governor Asa Hutchinson and reappointed in 2023 by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Wes is from the small town of Lake City in Northeast Arkansas and is a graduate of Riverside High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Business with an emphasis in Agricultural Finance from Arkansas State University. Wes has also earned a law degree (JD), a Master of Laws degree (LL.M.) in Agricultural and Food Law, and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from the University of Arkansas.
Wes has been serving in the United States Marine Corps for over 24 years and has completed deployments and training exercises in Afghanistan, Jordan, Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, and the Philippines. He is currently serving in the Marine Corps Reserves as the Commanding Officer of 4th Law Enforcement Battalion.