Thursday, January 2, 2014

ISDA Announces Meg Leader as Program Manager for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs

INDIANAPOLIS – ISDA Director Gina Sheet is pleased to announce that Meg Leader is joining the department as Program Manager for Agriculture and Environmental Affairs.

Prior to joining ISDA, Leader served as the conservation director of the Vermillion County Soil and Water Conservation District.  A civil engineer by training, Leader is a graduate of Syracuse University.  She has worked on conservation projects throughout California and the East Coast, including wetland replication in New England and storm-water runoff design in Los Angeles County.

“The Division of Soil Conservation is pleased to welcome Meg Leader as our agriculture and environmental affairs program manager,” DSC Director Jordan Seger said.  “Her extensive knowledge of conservation efforts throughout the United States, and experience with Indiana’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts, will serve our program participants well.”

ISDA believes that conservation of soil is crucial to the continued viability of agriculture.  ISDA’s Division of Soil Conservation personally works with land owners and farmers throughout the state, offering voluntary conservation programs aimed at establishing best management practices and benefitting bottom-lines.

Leader, originally from a farm in upstate New York, currently resides in Terre Haute with her husband.

About ISDA
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) was established as separate state agency by the Legislature in 2005.  The Director is appointed by the Governor and is a member of the Governor’s Cabinet.  Administratively, ISDA reports to Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann, who also serves as Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture.  Major responsibilities include advocacy for Indiana agriculture at the local, state and federal level, managing soil conservation programs, promoting economic development and agricultural innovation, serving as a regulatory ombudsman for agricultural businesses, and licensing grain firms throughout the state.


Media Contact:
Ben Kenney
Indiana State Department of Agriculture
bkenney@isda.in.gov
317-690-3303