By DOUG GRAVES

Ohio Correspondent

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Dorothy Pelanda was sworn in last week as the 39th director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA) by new Gov. Mike DeWine. She is the first woman to serve as director in the department’s history.

“What I bring to this department is my innate love and interest in people,” Pelanda said. “I’m a people person. My ability to solve problems and build teamwork relationships are keys to running this department.”

Her great-great uncle, Gideon Liggett, served eight years (six as treasurer) on the Ohio Board of Agriculture (the precursor to ODA) in the early 1900s. “I was raised and lived on a farm in Union County here in Ohio, and I have many memories of growing up there,” she said.

“I was a 4-Her for nine years and had the honor or representing our county at the state fair twice. To this day I don’t go home, hop on a tractor and plow the back 40 acres, but I know firsthand about issues facing farmers, things like soil and water issues, wildlife management and fertilizer runoff.

“As a legislator for eight years, I’ve had the privilege to sit in committees and learn how legislature addresses the issues affecting farmers. I also served on the Ag Committee for two terms and believe that it enabled me to understand the importance of the department. In this position I’ll be able to sit with people and negotiate, mediate and compromise towards a solution to things that farmers face,” she explained.

Pelanda enters the leadership role at a time when water quality in Ohio’s lakes, streams and rivers is at a crucial stage. Runoff from farms and other industries will be one of her biggest topics. “My loyalty is to the right solutions – not to a particular individual or entity or group, but to the right solution.”

She has called Ohio home her entire life. On that farm in Marysville (she still resides there with her husband, Sam Gerhardstein) she said she “learned the values of hard work, steadfast determination, resourcefulness and eternal optimism.”

A graduate of Marysville High School, Miami University and the University of Akron School of Law, Pelanda recognizes the value of education in pursuing one’s dreams and has fought to provide opportunities to young Ohioans to achieve their own. As a small business owner, she “understands that government regulation and bureaucratic red tape must be limited to allow Ohio’s business owners to thrive and prosper.”

She was an attorney in her own private practice for nearly 30 years, where she represented hundreds of clients from Union County and the surrounding area. Her career in public service began in 2011 when she was appointed to the Ohio House of Representatives.

In 2015, Pelanda was elected by her Republican colleagues to serve as House Majority Whip. In 2017, she was elevated to the position of House Majority Floor Leader, the No. 3 position in the state House.

Her legislative work has earned her a multitude of endorsements, including the Ohio Farm Bureau, the American Conservative Union, the National Rifle Assoc., the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the Ohio Manufacturers Assoc. and the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

“The good news is that we have a governor who is a farmer, one I think is going to bring that rural focus through his administration and to all parts of Ohio,” Pelanda said.

Food and agriculture is the No. 1 industry in Ohio, adding more than $124 billion to the economy each year. In addition to providing leadership for the agricultural industry, the director of agriculture administers numerous regulatory, food safety and consumer protection programs for the benefit of all Ohioans.