Governor Appoints Rise Nevada Director
News Date April 19, 2007
Following an extensive selection process, Governor Jim Gibbons has announced the appointment of Donna Rise as director of the Nevada Department of Agriculture. "This appointment will provide strong direction to the Department of Agriculture and the State Board of Agriculture. Donna's proven leadership will benefit Nevada's agricultural community and related industries, ensuring that their unique needs and interests are understood and met. I look forward to working with her to guarantee that Nevada's ranchers and farmers continue to have a voice in the policies and regulations that affect their industry," said Gibbons. For the past 15 years, Donna Rise has served in a number of different capacities within the Montana Department of Agriculture. She began with the department in 1992 and served as an agriculture specialist. She later went on to serve as a groundwater specialist, groundwater specialist III, programs manager, and, most recently, the commodity services bureau chief. She earned a bachelor's of science degree in horticulture from Montana State University, Bozeman.
"I am honored to have been selected as the new director for the Nevada Department of Agriculture. I am looking forward to working as a team with the department, the Nevada Board of Agriculture, and the agricultural industries to protect and enhance agriculture in the state of Nevada. As director, I am committed to excellence in communication, service, and support in all agricultural programs and service areas. We will be a forward-looking agency and will be active in evolving and changing with the agricultural industries to continually meet their needs, while at the same time, seeking out new opportunities that will protect, grow, and market Nevada agriculture. I also strongly believe in programs that not only meet agricultural industry needs, but that also provide consumer safety, public protection, and environmental stewardship," said Rise.
Throughout her 15 years with the Montana Department of Agriculture, Rise's career includes several industry-related accomplishments including authoring the Montana Generic Management Plan, coauthoring the Montana General Agricultural Chemical Groundwater Management Plan, drafting the administrative rules for the state's first Agricultural Chemical Groundwater Management Plan, establishing quality control/quality assurance policies and standard operating procedures for the groundwater program, establishing an employee recognition and appreciation program, the development of enforcement case development procedures for apiary and nursery programs and standardizing case development procedures for all regulatory programs. (Contact: Rick Kirchhoff)