Wes Ward elected president of Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture

Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward was elected president of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture (SASDA) for 2020-21 during its annual conference held virtually on Monday (June 1).

“Agriculture is our state’s largest industry and I am proud to represent Arkansas within the SASDA organization,” said Ward, formerly of Lake City. “It is a great honor to be elected as president and I am looking forward to helping lead the 16 southern states and territories in promoting southern agriculture at the federal level.”

Arkansas will host SASDA’s annual conference in Little Rock in 2021.

The officers elected for the 2020-2021 year also include Commissioner Kent Leonhardt of West Virginia as vice president, Commissioner Rick Pate of Alabama as secretary, and Commissioner Jewel Bronaugh of Virginia as treasurer.

SASDA consists of the commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.