California Secretary of Agriculture
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Contents |
Current officeholder
The current secretary is Karen Ross. Ross was first appointed on January 12, 2011; since the secretary of food and agriculture holds office at the pleasure of the governor, she is not subject to periodic reappointment.
Before becoming secretary, Ross was chief of staff for U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack from 2009 to 2010. Before entering public service, she spent over thirteen years as president of the California Association of Winegrape Growers and executive director of the Winegrape Growers of America. She also served on the California State Board of Food and Agriculture from 2001 to 2009. Previously, Ross was vice president of government affairs for the Agricultural Council of California from 1989 to 1996 and government relations director for the Nebraska Rural Electric Association from 1985 to 1988. She holds a B.A. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Authority
The office of secretary of food and agriculture is established by California statute.[3]
California Food and Agricultural Code, Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 101
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The department is under the control of a civil executive officer known as the Secretary of Food and Agriculture who shall receive the salary provided for by Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 11550) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. He or she shall be appointed by, and hold office at the pleasure of, the Governor. |
Qualifications
The secretary, like all civil executive officers, must be at least 18 years old and a citizen (resident) of the state. In addition, he or she must not be a convicted felon or an employee of a foreign state.[4]
Appointments
Secretaries are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the governor.[5]
Term limits
There are no term limits associated with the office of secretary of food and agriculture.
Vacancies
State law does not prescribe any particular procedure for dealing with vacancies in the office of secretary of agriculture. Therefore, per the state constitution, the governor fills the vacancy by appointment.[6]
Duties
The California Department of Food and Agriculture, under the direction of the secretary, is responsible for promoting and regulating California's agricultural products. Some examples of the department's responsibilities include:[7]
- Setting and enforcing health and safety regulations for livestock, food products, pesticide use and horticulture in general.
- Funding and organizing the state's agricultural fairs.
- Performing audits of various products to ensure regulatory compliance, auditing the operational practices of businesses.
- Providing marketing and statistical research services for agricultural businesses. The department operates 56 separate agricultural commodity programs.
- Setting and enforcing measurement standards.
- Protecting the state from exotic pests and diseases.
Divisions
- Animal Health and Food Safety Services
- Fairs and Expositions
- Inspection Services
- Marketing Services
- Measurement Standards
- Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services[7]
Compensation
In 2010, the secretary of food and agriculture received compensation in the amount of $1750,000.[8] The secretary's salary, like that of all other non-elected executive department heads, is determined by Section 11550 of California's Government Code and is subject to annual increases.[9]
Contact info
Physical/mailing address:
1220 N Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 654-0466
Fax: (916) 657-4240
See also
External links
References
- ↑ California Department of Food and Agriculture, "Mission Statement," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ California Food and Agricultural Code, "Division 1, Part 2, Chapter 2, Section 951," accessed June 23, 2011.
- ↑ California Food and Agricultural Code, "Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 101," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ California Government Code, "Title 1, Division 4, Chapter 1, Article 2, Sections 1020, 1021 and 1022.
- ↑ California Food and Agricultural Code, "Part 1, Chapter 1, Section 101," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 5, Section 5a," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 California Department of Food and Agriculture, "CFDA-History," accessed June 27, 2011.
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2010 -- Table 4.11," accessed June 23, 2011.
- ↑ California Government Code, "Section 11550," accessed June 29, 2011.
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