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WSDA Deputy Director Bill Brookreson retiring after 32 years

OLYMPIA – After nearly 32 years of service with the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA), Deputy Director Bill Brookreson is retiring March 31.

Brookreson became deputy director in 1999 and was acting director from December 2001 to June 2002 before Valoria Loveland was appointed director by former Gov. Gary Locke.

“It’s gratifying to see someone of Bill’s talent remain so devoted to a single state agency throughout his career,” Loveland said. “We’ll certainly miss Bill’s leadership on so many issues that are important to the success of agriculture in this state.”

Brookreson said it wasn’t an easy decision to leave his post at WSDA, where he has worked under nine WSDA directors and seven governors.

“Two things have made it enjoyable to work with the outstanding staff at WSDA,” Brookreson said. “I was proud to be part of a team that helped to build the department’s programs supporting one of the largest agricultural economies in the country. And second, we work in partnership with wonderful people in the industry to create the future of agriculture.”

Washington’s farmers and ranchers sold a record $5.94 billion in crops and livestock products in 2004. The state ranks 8th in the U.S. for the market value of crops and 14th in value of crops and livestock combined.

During Brookreson’s three-decade career, WSDA has provided leadership in developing and implementing policies that affect agricultural stakeholders, including salmon recovery efforts, land-use measures to preserve farm properties, and changing regulations on the use of pesticides. Brookreson has also witnessed globalization of agriculture, World Trade Organization rules, and trends affecting how farmers sell commodities.

After beginning in the Grain Inspection Program in 1974, Brookreson held several senior management positions in WSDA divisions dealing with plants, pests and pesticides before becoming the agency’s deputy director. As the second-ranking executive at WSDA, Brookreson served as the agency’s chief operations officer and oversaw the work of the assistant directors of the agency’s four divisions.

In 1988, Brookreson received the Governor’s Distinguished Management Leadership Award and earned a WSDA Director’s Citation Award in 1993.

WSDA carries out more than 25 distinct programs that support the agricultural community and promote consumer and environmental protection. WSDA has more than 500 full-time employees and employs many others seasonally.

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