Archive

July 2008

Thank you to those in Agriculture

The last year, since I began at the Missouri Department of Agriculture, has been amazing for me. I am honored to have worked with such an outstanding group of people on behalf of our state’s number one industry. Agriculture is such a noble profession and it has a way of attracting good, quality people. I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done for me and farmers around the state.

As a department, we have accomplished a great deal in the last year. Through the legislative session we were able to get new funding for animal health that is vitally important. Beyond the legislative session, I was thrilled with our efforts to promote Missouri’s agriculture products to Vietnam: a market with huge potential. Our trade mission was a great success and the two follow-up seminars in Springfield and Columbia were exceptional. I could go on and on about our accomplishments and great things that have happened over the past year for agriculture.

However, personally, all of these things pale in comparison to my greatest accomplishment personally, my daughter Mary Agnes. She is now 16 months old and she walks and talks and tells my husband and me what to do! She was just 4 months old when I started at the department. When we discovered we were going to have our second child, due in December, it was a good time to evaluate my priorities. It was clear to me that I need to be home more with my family. It was not an easy decision to resign as MDA’s director, but it was the right decision.

I think you will all enjoy working with Don Steen, MDA’s new director. He knows Missouri agriculture and he is excited to take on this new challenge. Many of you have probably had the opportunity to work with him during his time as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives or through other organizations including Farm Bureau or Mizzou Ag Alumni. I’m confident he’ll find his time at the department as rewarding as I did.

Again, I can’t thank you enough for all support and kindness that I’ve received over the last year. A special thanks goes to Matt Boatright. He is an exceptional person who loves Missouri and Missouri agriculture. His leadership and values are second to none and I am grateful for all that he did to help me over the last year.

Best wishes to everyone at the Department of Agriculture. Change is inevitable and I am confident that the trains will continue to run on time. I look forward to opportunities in the future when I might be working with the Department of Agriculture as well as Missouri farmers again.

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