Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Rockingham County delegate tapped for state agriculture post
General Assembly 2011
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RICHMOND -- Gov. Bob McDonnell on Tuesday named state Del. Matthew Lohr, R-Rockingham County, to head the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Lohr, 38, has served in the House of Delegates since 2006. He was raised on a farm that has been in his family for more than a century, and he joined his family's farming operation after earning a degree in agricultural education from Virginia Tech in 1995. He has taught agricultural science in Shenandoah County and twice served as president of Rockingham County Farm Bureau.
"Matt understands the importance of agriculture to Virginia's economy," McDonnell said in a statement released by his office. "Virginia's farms don't just grow food; they also provide critically important jobs and revenue for our Commonwealth. I want an aggressive, experienced leader to head up the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. It is a crucial agency to the future prosperity of our state."
Lohr will start his new job May 1. He will succeed Todd Haymore, who held the post under former Gov. Tim Kaine and now serves as McDonnell's secretary of agriculture and forestry.
"I have been passionate about agriculture my entire life and have enjoyed being an advocate for it, whether it's through my work on the family farm or from my seat in the House of Delegates," Lohr said in a statement.
No date has been set for an election to fill Lohr's legislative seat.
-- Michael Sluss
