Georgia Official and Statistical Register 1983-84 - the Digital Library ...

zations; and for participating as a member of, or in an advisorycapacity to, any organizations or associations which are ofbenefit to the agricultural community or consumers of theState. The Commissioner promulgates rules and regulationsconcerning the operations of the Department, including suchrules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out andenforce the legally mandated duties and responsibilities. TheDepartment is organized along functional lines, with nineassistant commissioners charged with planning and supervisingthe operations of the Department.The 1945 Constitution (Art. V) named the Commissioner ofAgriculture an Executive Officer. The Commissioner is electedfor a four year term at the same time as the Governor, and musthave had experience as a farmer.The Commissioner and the Department©s responsibilities areenumerated in OCGA Title 2.HISTOR Y. Georgia©s concern for agricultural developmentmay be traced to the Colonial period. A 1739 letter fromOglethorpe to the Trustees refers to ". . . pushing on theImprovements of Silk and Wine, and other Agriculture... ."In1755, ten acres of land were laid out for the Trustees Garden. I n1810, the State legislature passed an Act to Incorporate theAgricultural Society of Georgia and authorized the Society toestablish a lottery for the purpose of raising not more than$10,000 (Ga. L. 1810, p. 3). An 1837 Act incorporated theBoard of Agriculture and Rural Economy of the State ofGeorgia.The State Department of Agriculture was established by an1874 Act of the Georgia legislature (Ga. L. 1874, p. 6). ManyActs have been passed since which have enlarged on the dutiesof this Department.Thomas T. Irvin, Mt. Airy. Commissioner of Agriculture, Jan. 22,1969-date. Born July 14, 1929,Hall Co., Ga. Farmer and businessman. Attended White CountySchools. Democrat. Baptist.Mason. Shriner. Aghon. Hon.Mbr., Alpha Zeta. Mbr. House ofRep., 1957-60; 1965-67, res. Exec.Secretary to Governor LesterMaddox, March 1967-Jan. 22,1969. Wife, former Edna B. Frady; 5 children.A.T. Bray, Assistant to Commissioner. Serves as legislativeliaison for Department of Agriculture, and works closely withadministrative division of the Department.Administration and Consumer Services - Deborah A. Pullin.Assistant Commissioner. Responsible for accounting,budgeting, statistical reporting, personnel, special services,information and education, training, computer services, purchasing safety, civil defense, records management, and property control. Administers the Georgia Grade A Milk laws.Effective September I, 1984, assumed responsibilities of Consumer Services Division.Animal Industry and State Veterinarian — Dr. John A.Cobb, Assistant Commissioner. Responsibilities include enforcing all laws and regulations pertaining to livestock and poultrydisease control and eradication, and to meat slaughter processing. The state veterinarian and seven assistant veterinarianssupervise animal health, and meat inspection operations; collect and disseminate information from the poultry industryused in establishing markets; grade livestock and collect infor-mation for the State-Federal Market News Report; cooperatewith all equine breeders in promoting horse shows and encouraging 4-H members participation in the equine program;assure quality milk by cooperating with owners and operatorsof problem herds; and administrate two veterinary diagnosticlaboratories in Tifton and Athens; and seven poultry and diagnostic laboratories located in Oakwood, Dalton, Canton,Royston, Douglas, Tifton, and Statesboro.Consumer Services — Henrietta M. Canty, Assistant Commissioner. Responsible for educating Georgia producers, processors, retailers, and consumers concerning Georgia lawsenforced by the Department of Agriculture. Handles all consumer complaints and questions. Disseminates informationand literature on Georgia consumer protection programs suchas food, meat, grocery stores, pest control, fuel and weights andmeasures, plant identification, and disease control. OperatesSpeakers Bureau. (Responsibilities assumed by AdministrationDivision, September 1, 1984.)Consumer Protection Field Forces — George E. Seaton,Assistant Commissioner. Responsible for enforcing the Georgia Food Act, Georgia Bottling Act, Wholesale Fish Dealer©sAct, and Georgia Egg Law. Supervises inspection of retail andwholesale food stores, food processing plants, food warehouses, bakeries, confectioners, soft drink bottlers, and seafoodprocessing plants. Reviews all food labels. Enforces beddingregulations. Supervises field operations through five districtoffices.Entomology and Pesticides — J. Ron Conley, AssistantCommissioner. Responsible for enforcing Georgia laws requiring the registration and labeling of pesticides, licensing privateand commercial pesticide applicators, restricted use pesticidedealers, plant nurseries and nursery dealers, and treated timberprocessors and dealers. Inspects honeybees to insure their freedom from disease; and all irrigation systems to insure that theyhave appropriate devices to prevent groundwater contamination from fertilizers and pesticides. Inspects and certifiestomato, pepper, and cabbage transplants for interstate shipment; conducts pest surveys including imported fire ant andgypsy moth; promulgates and enforces quarantines as appropriate. Administers licensing, inspection, and enforcement ofthe rules for regulation of the pest control industry. Cooperateswith the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the enforcement of the Federal Insecticide Fungicide, and RodenticideAct within Georgia.Fuel and Measures — Olin D. Mullinax. Assistant Commissioner. Maintains a weights and measures laboratory andsupervises a field force of weights and measures inspectorsengaged in heavy scale, light scale, liquid petroleum (LA) gasmeter, and milk tank calibration inspection programs. Operates a state oil laboratory and manages a field force of fuel oilinspectors. Duties involve calibration of large tank trucks,various chemical analyses to insure that petroleum productsand anti-freeze sold are in compliance with state and federalspecifications, and also enforces correct advertising of gasolineprices.General Field Inspection Forces — Jack A. Leard, Sr.,Assistant Commissioner. Supervises five district supervisorsand ten assistant supervisors who inspect approximately eightweekly livestock auction markets and tag all eligible animalsthat are sold to slaughter; assist in disease control of animalsand poultry; audit and enforce bonding and licensing of alllivestock auction markets; issue licenses and enforce bird laws;and pull fertilizer and feed samples during peak season.38