Today, Lt. Governor Becky Skillman, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, announced the appointment of Tony Hahn to the position of Deputy Agriculture Director.   Hahn is currently Chief of Staff for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA).

"Tony has been an invaluable member of our team and is perfectly suited to assume this new role," Skillman said.  "Indiana agriculture will be well served by his wide range of industry experiences, including his background in production, passion for our industry, and time of service  at ISDA."

As Deputy Director, Hahn will oversee implementation of the Department's strategic plan.  Further, he will serve as a liaison for the Daniels Administration to the state's agriculture industry.  He will also manage the ISDA budget.  "From our producers to agribusiness companies and countless other partners, I am very much looking forward to this  chance to continue to serve Indiana agriculture," Hahn said.  "In particular, I am excited and anxious to get to work in implementing the recent update to our strategic plan-- a plan that will guide our team in navigating these times of incredible opportunity and challenge in agriculture."

Growing up on a diversified crop and livestock farm in Decatur County, Hahn came to ISDA in 2007 as a program manager for regulatory affairs.  There, he was responsible for assisting local governments in addressing land use issues related to agriculture.  He was then promoted to Chief of Staff in 2008.  In this role, he has been responsible for managing all operations functions at the Department as well as grant assistance.  He also played a central role in updating the Department's strategic plan earlier this year.

Prior to joining ISDA, Hahn worked as an attorney with Hensley Legal Group, an Indianapolis law firm, where he specialized in civil litigation and bankruptcy law.  In addition to his practice, he taught classes on bankruptcy and tort law as an adjunct professor at Ivy Tech College.  He also served as a legal intern with Indiana Farm Bureau during law school.

Hahn is a 1999 graduate of Purdue University with a bachelor of science degree in agribusiness management.  In addition, he has completed masters coursework at the University of Illinois in agriculture economics with a specialization in price analysis and commodity futures trading and earned a law degree from Indiana University School of Law-Indianapolis in 2004.

Hahn will assume his responsibilities as Deputy Agriculture Director immediately.

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