REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio — The head of the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) has appointed former state Rep. Tim Derickson as the department’s assistant director.

 

“My job as assistant director is to oversee daily operations at ODA,” Derickson explained. “I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Director David Daniels knows the Department of Agriculture inside and out, but he is also the ‘face of agriculture,’ so he is out and about a good bit.

 

I am filling in for him when he is gone, overseeing the daily operations.”

 

He is excited about his new position. As a former full-time dairy farmer, he has an inherent appreciation for agriculture and respects what it provides.

 

“I want other people to have the same respect for agriculture as I do,” Derickson said. “I want folks to appreciate not only producers but the whole food chain; the farmers, the grocer,  the whole chain. I want folks to recognize that agriculture provides all that we need to survive.”

 

He worked on the family farm in Hanover  Township, milking 60 cows on average while raising crops on about 200 acres. He graduated from Clark State Community College with an agricultural business degree and from Miami University with a general business degree.

 

When Derickson was 27, his family sold the dairy cattle. He then managed employer health plans, including the Butler County health insurance plan. He and his family later founded Colonial Woods, followed by the development of Indian Ridge Golf Club on the family farm. He was a township trustee from 2000 until 2009 and then became a state legislator.

 

One of Derickson’s accomplishments in the legislature was sponsorship of House  Bill 89 in March 2011 that establishedOhio Agriculture Week, an annual recognition dedicated to agriculture, thestate’s largest industry.

 

“I’m excited to have Tim Derickson join our team,” said Daniels. “It’s hard to find someone with a deep background in agriculture, years of experience in the general assembly and administrative experience in both the public and private sector. That combination of skills makes Tim a perfect fit at ODA.

 

“ODA has some of the most dedicated employees in state government, who do a wide variety of work on behalf of Ohioans. Tim’s background of executive, legislative and agriculture experience will be invaluable to keeping our agency moving forward and carrying out our important work each and every day.”

 

Derickson’s duties will include management if more than 450 employees and more than 15 divisions and offices. “I look forward to being part of a team that promotes the industry, protects consumers, promotes environmental stewardship and monitors plant and animal health, among many important duties,” he said.