Director and Deputy Director

Dan Newhouse, Director

Dan Newhouse was appointed director of the Washington State Department of Agriculture by Gov. Chris Gregoire effective Feb. 18, 2009. Dan and his wife, Carol, operate a 600-acre farm near Sunnyside where they grow hops, tree fruit, grapes and alfalfa.

As WSDA director, Dan oversees an agency responsible for animal health, plant inspections, food safety, fruit and grain inspection and certification, and marketing the state's agricultural products regionally and internationally.

Dan was elected four times to the Washington State House of Representatives and served from 2003 to 2009. He is a past president of both the Hop Growers of Washington and the Hop Growers of America.

Dan has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Washington State University and is a graduate of the Washington Agriculture and Forestry Leadership Program. Dan and Carol have two adult children, Devon and Jensena.

Bob Gore,  Deputy Director

Bob Gore  was appointed Deputy Director on June 1, 2006. Previously, he led the largest division at WSDA, the Commodity Inspection Division, since 1996. He began his career at WSDA as a grain sampler.

As the leader of the Commodity Inspection Division, Bob increased the use of technology to report real-time inspection results and quality data electronically to customers of fruit, vegetable, grain and seed inspections.

Due to his special expertise in grains, Bob has participated in furthering the grain industry's accomplishments. He has represented WSDA on the Washington Wheat Commission, Washington Barley Commission, and the Washington Dry Pea & Lentil Commission. Bob is past president of the American Association of Grain Inspection and Weighing Agencies.

As Deputy Director, Bob oversees WSDA's six divisions, which carry out activities related to:

• Agricultural commodity inspection

• Pesticide, animal feed and fertilizers

• Food safety and consumer services

• Protection against plant pests and diseases

• Animal health and other livestock services

• Agency administration

Bob is responsible for ensuring WSDA programs work together to enhance the position of agriculture in Washington. He is the agency's chief operating officer and also leads WSDA's initiative on Government Management Accountability and Performance (GMAP).