THIS IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM AG COMMISSIONER GUS DOUGLASS.

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass Thursday announced his bid for an 11th term in office. The Mason County native has overseen the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) since 1964, when he was first elected.

During the intervening years, he has seen the scope of the Department's duties expand to changes in society, trade, agriculture and the needs of the public.

"When I came into office, West Virginia was a dumping ground for poor-quality meats," said Commissioner Douglass. "One of the first things I did to put a stop to that was to create a meat inspection division within the Department to oversee processing within the state and to let distributors know that their dumping practices would no longer be tolerated in this state."

Now know as Meat and Poultry Inspection Division, the group has, for nearly two decades, been ranked by USDA as the top program of its type in the country.

More recently, Commissioner Douglass has focused on providing advanced personnel training and emergency response equipment to prepare the Department to act in the event of a terror attack on the food supply or the introduction of non-native diseases into the state such as the high-pathogenicity avian influenza that has sickened humans in Asia and Europe. Commissioner Douglass' vision for the future of the WVDA includes new, top-quality laboratory facilities.

"The key to containing any disease outbreak - whether intentional or naturally occurring - is rapid detection. We have made great advances in our diagnostic capabilities in West Virginia, and I am proud that the Department is seen as a national leader in threat preparedness, but there is still so much work to be done in this regard," said Commissioner Douglass.

Another of Commissioner Douglass' initiatives is continued development of farmers' markets in the Mountain State.

"Farmers' markets are important because they help support our local economies and provide fresh, safe food for the citizens of the state. Decentralized food production is important to our nation's economic security, and I believe this trend is here to stay," he said.

Raised amidst agriculture in Grimms Landing, West Virginia, Commissioner Douglass served as state and national president of the Future Farmers of America (FFA), was chosen as a West Virginia Star Farmer and later helped to organize and served as first president of the National FFA Alumni Association. He is also a 4-H All-Star. He holds a bachelor's degree from West Virginia University, an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from West Virginia State University and an honorary Doctor of Sciences degree from West Virginia University.

In addition to his position as Commissioner of Agriculture, he and his son Tom operate their 540-acre family farm in Mason County, specializing in beef cattle and grain production. He and his wife Anna Lee, also a 4-H All-Star, have four children, six grandchildren, two great-grandsons and three great-granddaughters. They belong to the Leon Baptist Church. Commissioner Douglass is a Mason and a Shriner.