COLUMBUS—House Republican Leader William G. Batchelder (R-Medina) today issued the following statement:

“I am pleased that my friend, Representative Jim Zehringer, has been appointed to serve as the director of the Department of Agriculture. As a colleague, he has served the people of his district and this state with the upmost integrity, and I know that he will bring these same high standards while serving as head of the ODA.”

Rep. Zehringer (R-Fort Recovery) made the following comment:

“I’m honored to have been appointed to serve as the director of the Department of Agriculture. I look forward to serving the people of Ohio in this capacity and helping to bolster our state’s number-one industry. While serving as a state representative, I have fought to keep Ohio’s farms strong and address agricultural issues. I fully intend to maintain this same commitment as director of the agency.”