Title: Senior Policy and Science Advisor
Company: National Association of State Departments of Agriculture
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Orlo “Bob” Ehart, Senior Policy and Science Advisor at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Scientists for dedication, achievements, and leadership in Agriculture and Food Safety.
Mr. Ehart has been a leading authority as a senior policy and science advisor at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) in the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore area since 2012. Over the past decade, he has been at the forefront of his field, working exclusively on food safety issues. As such, he primarily focuses on two Federal Drug Administration (FDA) grants from 2014 and 2016, allowing for collaboration between the FDA and state governments to enhance compliance and safety in agricultural practices.
Most recently, Mr. Ehart has been engaged with the Produce Safety Rule, specifically a section that addresses composting, referred to by the FDA as biological soil amendments of animal origin. The concern surrounding this practice is the potential presence of harmful organisms. Before being named to his position, Mr. Ehart was a public policy director for NASDA from 2008 to 2013. He also served as an animal and plant health safeguarding coordinator, working alongside the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture, between 2003 and 2008. This role involved liaising between state and federal programs.
Before his distinguished tenure at NASDA, Mr. Ehart spent a decade in entrepreneurship as the founder and president of Next Wave Enterprises, beginning in 1993. The environmental monitoring firm focused on identifying and mitigating on-farm risk for agricultural operations, including farms, nurseries, greenhouses and multi-national food companies. Mr. Ehart also succeeded as manager of issues, policies and public affairs at Ciba-Geigy AG from 1989 to 1992. Earlier in his career, he gained experience as an executive assistant for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection in Madison, Wisconsin, between 1976 and 1989.
In addition to his extensive background in the industry, Mr. Ehart has been a professor at his alma mater, North Dakota State University, since 1975. Earlier, he gained experience teaching at a veterinary school in Iran for a year after receiving his master’s degree.
Possessing a rich educational background, Mr. Ehart received a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks in 1968 and a Master of Science in entomology and ecology from North Dakota State University in Fargo in 1974. He also completed coursework toward a Doctor of Philosophy in agricultural and environmental policy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1988.
Mr. Ehart has served with various professional groups and organizations throughout his tenure in the industry. He was appointed chair of the Agriculture Science and Technology Review Board, established under the 1990 Farm Bill to assess science and technology transfer in agriculture. He also had the opportunity to represent Region 5 in the State Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act Issues Research and Evaluation Group and chaired three significant committees within the organization.
Besides his work-related initiatives, Mr. Ehart was active civically through various programs, particularly 4-H, where he contributed to youth development and agricultural education. He also participated in the International Farm Youth Exchange program and is a past president of the University of North Dakota Alumni Association.
As a seasoned professional, Mr. Ehart spent 10 years as the author of ‘The Contrarian Agrarian’ via Wall Publishing while employed by Next Wave Enterprises. The thought-provoking column addressed various agricultural and economic policies influencing farming practices and challenged conventional perspectives on agriculture, food and related industries, such as flower and seed production.
As he anticipates the future, Mr. Ehart hopes to continue his efforts in retirement and benefit his field for years to come. He remains committed to the idea of safe foods, the vital role of rural America in the nation’s well-being, and the importance of advocating for a more sustainable food production system in the U.S.
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