Governor Northam has appointed Dr. Jewel H. Bronaugh Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Dr. Bronaugh is an accomplished leader in the agriculture community, in government, and in higher education.  She brings many years of experience in administrative governance and collaboration from her public service in state and federal government.

After several years teaching, Dr. Bronaugh joined Virginia Cooperative Extension where she served in a variety of leadership roles, including Associate Administrator. During her tenure, she developed lasting partnerships with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia Tech, the Virginia Department of Forestry, USDA Rural Development and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

From 2010 to 2015, Dr. Bronaugh served as the Dean of the College of Agriculture at VSU. Under her leadership, the College garnered more than $1.2 million in federal, state and private support. Her signature initiatives included the bolstering of student scholarships and international agreements with universities in Costa Rica, Jamaica and Nigeria to establish agricultural research projects and faculty/student exchange programs

Dr. Bronaugh was named the State Executive Director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in 2015, where she was instrumental in forming partnerships and raising $1 million for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program Riparian Buffer Initiative. She successfully launched the Bridges to Opportunity Service in Virginia, a program developed to help meet the needs of farmers and ranchers across the nation.  Dr. Bronaugh currently serves as the Executive Director of the Center for Agricultural Research, Engagement & Outreach at VSU.

Dr. Bronaugh earned her Ph.D. in Career and Technical Education and her MS in Education from Virginia Tech. She received her BS in Education from James Madison University.  Dr. Bronaugh joins VDACS as Commissioner on May 25, 2018.