Commissioner Quarles Appoints KYHA Representatives to Industrial Hemp Advisory Board

Kentucky Commissioner of Agriculture Ryan Quarles has made eight appointments to the state’s Industrial Hemp Advisory Board. The Hemp Advisory Board is a statutory body that advises the Kentucky Department of Agriculture on policy and administration of the state’s hemp program.

Four of the eight appointees are Kentucky Hemp Association (KYHA) Members, Board Directors, or Advisors, including:

• Dr. Bob Pearce, University of Kentucky, fills a vacancy on the board, will serve for the remainder of the unexpired term ending Oct. 31, 2021. (KYHA Advisor)
• Merion Haskins, a hemp grower from Campbellsville, is reappointed to a term expiring Oct. 31, 2023. (KYHA Member)
• Dr. Tony Brannon, Dean of the Hutson School of Agriculture at Murray State University, is reappointed to a term expiring Oct. 31, 2024. (KYHA Advisor)
• Katie Moyer, a hemp processor from Dawson Springs and secretary of the Kentucky Hemp Association, is reappointed to a term expiring Oct. 31, 2024. (KYHA Board Secretary)

Others who were appointed include:

• Dan Strunk, Western Kentucky University, fills a vacancy on the board for a term expiring Oct. 31, 2023.
• Eddie Melton, a farmer from Louisville who is also a vice president at the Kentucky Farm Bureau, is reappointed to a term expiring Oct. 31, 2023.
• Bill Peterson, a hemp processor from Loretto, fills a vacancy on the board for a term expiring Oct. 31, 2024.
• Tom Hutchens, a farmer from Winchester, is reappointed to a term expiring Oct. 31, 2024.

For more information, read the full press release.