West Virginia Department of Agriculture
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | State of West Virginia |
| Headquarters | 1900 Kanawha Boulevard E, Charleston, West Virginia, U.S.[1] 38°20′16″N 81°36′52″W / 38.337875°N 81.614500°W |
| Agency executive | |
| Website | www |
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture is a government agency of the U.S. state of West Virginia.
History
The Department of Agriculture was founded in 1891 as the West Virginia State Board of Agriculture. In 1911, the West Virginia Legislature created the modern department.[2]
Organization
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture is managed by the agriculture commissioner, an elected official operating independently of the governor's authority.
Kent Leonhardt has served as the commissioner of the department since January 2017.
List of Commissioners
| No. | Name | Took office | Left office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Howard E. Williams | March 4, 1913[3] | March 3, 1917[3] | Republican |
| 2 | James H. Stewart | March 4, 1917[3] | March 3, 1925[3] | Republican |
| 3 | John W. Smith | March 4, 1925[3] | January 10, 1931[3] | Republican |
| 4 | Howard M. Gore | February 4, 1931[3] | March 3, 1933[3] | Republican |
| 5 | James B. McLaughlin | March 4, 1933[3] | November 20, 1955[4] | Democratic |
| 6 | John T. Johnson | December 14, 1955[4] | 1965 | Democratic |
| 7 | Gus R. Douglass | 1965[5] | 1989[5] | Democratic |
| 8 | Cleve Benedict | 1989[6] | 1993 | Republican |
| 9 | Gus R. Douglass | 1993[5] | 2013[5] | Democratic |
| 10 | Walt Helmick | 2013 | 2017 | Democratic |
| 11 | Kent Leonhardt | 2017 | Incumbent | Republican |
References
- ^ "Agency".
- ^ "Divisions". West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Commissioner of Agriculture" (PDF). West Virginia Blue Book. 1940. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ a b "Commissioner of Agriculture" (PDF). West Virginia Blue Book. 2011. p. 333. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Gus Douglass, Longtime W. VA. Commissioner dies". Lancaster Farming. March 28, 2015. p. A5. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
- ^ "Cleve Benedict" (PDF). West Virginia Blue Book. p. 20. Retrieved September 9, 2025.
External links