Filling open positions in any organization can be challenging. The aim is to find just the right person for the role, and recently the Colorado Department of Agriculture has faced the need to fill two major positions.

Early in March, Jennifer Yezak came on as deputy commissioner for CDA. She filled a position that opened with Chris Wiseman’s retirement in late 2017.

Raised in a small rural Texas town, Yezak still helps run the family’s cow-calf operation. She was also a senior adviser at USDA until January 2017.

Commissioner of Agriculture Don Brown notes that the deputy commissioner plays a “vital role” in the day-to-day management of the department. He says he is “confident that Jenn’s vast knowledge of government affairs and her dedication to agriculture will serve the people of Colorado well.”

In her work at USDA, Yezak focused on operations management, policy development and intergovernmental affairs. Prior to her work at USDA, she was the director of legislative and regulatory affairs with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. She also spent time at AgSource Inc./Gordley Associates, where she advised and represented the United Soybean Board and the National Biodiesel Board.

The principal responsibilities of the deputy commissioner include coordinating policy development and implementation, overseeing the management of the department’s divisions and assisting the commissioner in achieving the department’s goals.

New head of Plant Industry Division
When Mitch Yergert retired as director of the Plant Industry Division, a new head was needed. Turns out Brown had to look no further than to the department’s assistant director. Duane Sinning has been named to head the CDA Plant Industry Division.

Brown says Sinning has served the agency and the department well for several years, and his leadership ability was apparent with staff. “Duane’s career has been focused on furthering plant and seed development, and I’m confident that his dedication to agriculture will help him successfully transition into his new role,” Brown says.

Sinning joined CDA in 2014 as assistant director of the Plant Industry Division, where his duties included enforcing statutes and rules for numerous agricultural programs including nursery, seed, phytosanitary and organic. He also spearheaded development of rules and implementation of the state’s industrial hemp program.

Before joining CDA, Sinning worked in private industry, where he held a number of roles that included oversight and maintenance of variety seed lines in traditional and GMO breeding programs; and risk mitigation and isolation for compliance, variety evaluation, product positioning, staffing, budgeting and business development.

Source: Colorado Department of Agriculture