Department Leadership

Responsibilities: Manages the administrative functions of the department, including personnel management, policy management, finance and accounting services, professional and organizational development, information technology support and general services.

Responsibilities: Registers agricultural pesticides; regulates pesticide use and seed, feed and fertilizer manufacture and distribution; oversees the state's mosquito control programs; regulates the pest control industry in Florida; investigates pest control and pesticide complaints.

Responsibilities: Conducts criminal investigations relating to any matter over which the department has jurisdiction; operates Florida’s agricultural inspection stations; coordinates and administers the Domestic Marijuana Eradication Program.

Responsibilities: Develops and implements agricultural best management practices; determines agricultural permit exemptions; assists Florida's Water Management Districts with agricultural water supply planning; provides site-specific irrigation expertise through Mobile Irrigation Labs.

Responsibilities: Supports the department’s technology operations and provides services such as network operations, email, collaboration tools, business application support, internet web systems, data administration, enterprise storage, help desk, office automation and project management.

Responsibilities: Enforces animal health regulations; rapidly detects, manages and controls animal pests and diseases;  regulates animal movement; serves as the lead agency for state-level animal and agricultural emergencies (Emergency Support Function 17); provides animal disease diagnostics at the Bronson Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory; assists producers with herd health management; issues and maintains the marks and brands registry.

Responsibilities: Develops and regulates aquaculture in the state; regulates all aquaculture species; conducts shellfish processing plant sanitary inspections; oversees shellfish harvesting area classification, aquaculture certification and BMP compliance, and aquaculture submerged land leasing.

Responsibilities: Assists the Commissioner in carrying out her responsibilities as a member of the Florida Cabinet.

Responsibilities: To start, implement and oversee the Florida Hemp Program created under Florida Senate Bill 1020, and to assist the Florida Department of Health with the edibles portion of the Medical Cannabis Program.

Responsibilities: Informs the public about the Commissioner of Agriculture’s policies and priorities by working with the media.

Responsibilities: Serves as the state's clearinghouse for consumer complaints, education and protection; advocates for consumer rights, including consumer rights within the LGBTQ community; helps consumers protect themselves against scams, fraud and identity theft; regulates business opportunities, charitable organizations, game promotions/sweepstakes, health studios, intrastate movers, motor vehicle repair shops, pawnbrokers, professional surveyors and mappers, sellers of travel, and telemarketers; inspects retail gas stations for quality and fair measure and to protect consumers from skimmers; inspects amusement rides and weighing and measuring devices; oversees the Florida Do Not Call Program.

Responsibilities: Designated by the Legislature as the state energy policy and program development office in Florida, provides energy policy and program recommendations to the Governor and Legislature; uses available state and federal funds to develop and manage energy efficiency, renewable energy and energy education programs throughout the state; creates briefing sheets and talking points on all energy- and climate-related subjects.

Responsibilities: Responds to public inquiries and requests; facilitates the Commissioner’s appointments to advisory councils and boards; oversees the Woman of the Year in Agriculture Award, Florida Agriculture Environmental Leadership Awards, Century Pioneer Family Farm program, Florida Agriculture Center and Horse Park, Florida Agricultural Museum and Florida State Fair.

Responsibilities: Coordinates the department’s interactions with Florida’s congressional delegation, federal agencies and other departments of agriculture; identifies and monitors federal laws that could affect the department; communicates the department’s views on issues of concern to appropriate federal entities; identifies federal funding opportunities for state and private programs.

Responsibilities: Manages over 1 million acres of state forest land; prevents, detects and suppresses wildfire; administers Florida's outdoor burning program; assists forest landowners; oversees Operation Outdoor Freedom and the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program

Responsibilities: Administers the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs, Summer Food Service Program, The Emergency Food Assistance Program, The Food Recovery Program, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program, USDA Foods, Commodity Supplemental Food Program, After School Snack Program, WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program and Special Milk Program.

Responsibilities: Inspects and permits wholesale and retail food establishments;  inspects and tests food and dairy products; administers and enforces the food, dairy, and poultry and egg laws; investigates consumer complaints related to food and dairy.

Responsibilities: Inspects, certifies and audits fresh shipments of vegetables, fruit and nuts at shipping point and terminal markets; provides support for agricultural marketing orders; oversees the Citrus License and Bond program; educates, audits and inspects in accordance with food safety regulations under Florida Statutes and the federal Produce Safety Rule (PSR) for fresh-tomato packinghouses and farms and PSR-qualifying farms to ensure compliance; oversees the Florida Agricultural Statistics Service.

Responsibilities: Provides legal counsel to the Commissioner and senior staff, including statutory interpretations, drafting and interpretation of legislation, rulemaking, litigation and appeals, contracts, ethics and public records. Supervises the department’s attorneys, agency clerk and informal hearing officers.  

Responsibilities: Promotes accountability, integrity and efficiency within the department by conducting investigations and audits of department programs.

Responsibilities: Represents the department before the Legislature; coordinates the research and drafting of legislation; encourages passage, defeat or modification of legislation related to the department’s areas of responsibility.

Responsibilities: Administers Florida's concealed weapon licensing program; oversees Florida's private investigative, private security and recovery services industries.

Responsibilities: Provides Florida’s agriculture industry with results-oriented marketing solutions through programs designed to increase awareness and sales of Florida commodities. Activities include retail partnerships, culinary events, agriscience education, trade shows, strategic research and media support.

Responsibilities: Works to detect, intercept and control pests and diseases of plants and honey bees. Program areas include plant and apiary inspection, nursery and nursery stockdealer registration, beekeeper registration, methods development and biological control, citrus budwood registration, the Citrus Health Response Program, fruit fly detection, pest eradication programs, the Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Program, and the Don't Pack a Pest program.

Responsibilities: Develops and submits the Legislative Budget Request and Long Range Program Plan; analyzes and tracks legislation; conducts Comprehensive Plan reviews; manages disaster-related funding; manages and coordinates budget monitoring activities.