Kent Elected to NASDA’s Board of Directors

NASDA Elects WV Commissioner of Agriculture, Kent Leonhardt as the Director of the Southern Region and Vice Chair of the Rural Development and Financial Security Committee

At the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Annual Meeting today, NASDA members elected a new slate of officers for the coming year. New York Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball will serve as NASDA’s 2021-2022 President and will host the 2022 NASDA Annual Meeting in Saratoga Springs, New York, on September 25-28, 2022.

"I am honored to be elected NASDA's new president and to lead as our states work together to ensure that agriculture continues to grow and thrive," said Commissioner Ball. "I have long valued the opportunity to gather with some of the best minds in agriculture, our commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture, as well as our community partners, collaborating through NASDA to advocate for and implement change that will have a lasting impact on our shared industry. The policies set forth and implemented by NASDA this year will deliver on our collective commitment to address the most important and pressing agricultural issues of today while strengthening our farms and food supply for the future."

Also elected to NASDA’s Board of Directors were Wyoming Director of Agriculture Doug Miyamoto (Vice President), Indiana Director of Agriculture Bruce Kettler (Second Vice President), and Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward (Secretary-Treasurer). Kentucky Commissioner of ­Agriculture Ryan Quarles will serve as NASDA’s Past President and Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur will serve in the At-Large position. Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt, Illinois Director of Agriculture Jerry Costello and Washington State Director of Agriculture Derek Sandison will serve as the Northeastern, Southern, Midwestern, and Western representatives respectively.

Following his election, Commissioner Ball appointed the leadership of NASDA’s six policy committees:

Marketing and International Trade Committee

• Chair: Washington Director of Agriculture Derek Sandison (Continuing)
• Vice Chair: Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig (Continuing)

Natural Resources and Environment Committee

• Chair: Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Michael Scuse (Newly appointed)
• Vice Chair: New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte (Newly appointed)

Animal Agriculture Committee

• Chair: Oklahoma Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur (Continuing)
• Vice Chair: Tennessee Commissioner of Agriculture Charlie Hatcher (Continuing)

Plant Agriculture & Pesticide Regulation Committee

• Chair: Connecticut Commissioner of Agriculture Bryan Hurlburt (Continuing)
• Vice Chair: Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn (Continuing)

Rural Development and Financial Security Committee

• Chair: Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture Thom Petersen (Continuing)
• Vice Chair: West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Kent Leonhardt (Continuing)

Food Systems and Nutrition Committee

• Chair: California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross (Continuing)
• Vice Chair: Maine Commissioner of Agriculture Amanda Beal (Continuing)

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NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries and directors of the departments of agriculture in all fifty states and four U.S. territories. NASDA grows and enhances American agriculture through policy, partnerships and public engagement. To learn more about NASDA, please visit www.nasda.org.

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