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Gianforte appoints Christy Clark to lead Department of Ag – Daily Montanan

['Daily Montanan Staff', 'More From Author', '- January']

Date: 2022-02 

Gov. Greg Gianforte has appointed former Republican Rep. Christy Clark as the new director of the Montana Department of Agriculture, the governor’s office said in a news release on Monday.

“Montana producers work hard to feed the world, and today they have a partner and established advocate in Christy Clark as the director of the Montana Department of Ag,” Gov. Gianforte said in the news release. “A fifth-generation rancher, Christy understands the challenges and opportunities our producers face, and shares my commitment to strengthening and supporting our state’s number one industry.”

Clark, a Choteau native, has worked at the department since 2015 and was tapped to be the department’s acting director when former director Mike Foster temporarily left the agency to serve as the state’s ARPA program director in May. In October 2021, Clark resumed her role as acting director when Foster retired. Clark had worked under Foster as deputy director since 2020.

Before becoming deputy director, Clark served as the department’s agricultural sciences administrator and agricultural development and marketing bureau chief.

“I am honored to be a part of Gov. Gianforte’s team and lead an agency serving our farmers, ranchers, and other ag-related industries. They are the lifeblood of our state,” Clark said in the news release. “Agriculture is my greatest passion, and I can’t help but feel like everything I’ve done in my life up until this point, both personally and professionally, has led me here.”

Presidents of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Montana Grain Growers Association and Montana Stockgrowers Association all endorsed the appointment, according to the news release.

“I’ve known Christy since our kids were little. She will be an incredible leader for the Montana Department of Agriculture, just as she is an incredible advocate for agriculture,” said Cyndi Johnson, president of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation. “She’s walked in our shoes, dealt with our issues, and shared our struggles. Christy understands agriculture from a very personal perspective, and we are excited to continue working with her.”

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