The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) strives to provide exceptional programs for preserving and protecting agricultural resources and the environment, as well as promoting consumer confidence and profitable agriculture. MDA programs include Agriculture and Seafood Marketing, Animal Health, Food Quality Assurance, Forest Pest Management, Agricultural Preservation, Fair Board, Horse Industry Board, Mosquito Control, Pesticide Regulation, Plant Protection and Weed Management, Resource Conservation programs, State Veterinary Board, State Chemist Section, Turf and Seed, and Weights and Measures.
Kevin M. Atticks
Secretary
https://mda.maryland.gov
Prior to Kevin’s appointment as Secretary, he was CEO (and founder) of Grow & Fortify, a non-profit that supports value-added agricultural organizations and the businesses they represent. Grow & Fortify published the first assessment of the state’s value-added agricultural industry, illustrating the expansive impact generated by this sector, which includes wineries, creameries, meat processing, agritourism, equine and dozens of other industry segments.
He was also the Executive Director of the Maryland Wineries Association, Brewers Association of Maryland and the Maryland Distillers Guild, and served as the President of the Maryland Agricultural Resource Council, and the Chair of the WineAmerica State & Regional Associations Advisory Council.
Kevin also formerly served on the University of Maryland College of Agriculture's Global Leadership Council, the board of Future Harvest and the board of the Maryland Tourism Coalition.
Originally from Bowie, Maryland, Kevin graduated with a journalism degree from Loyola University Maryland. Shortly thereafter, he received a master's degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder, CO. He later earned his doctorate in communications design from the University of Baltimore. He holds a faculty position at Loyola University Maryland where he teaches book publishing.