Rod Snyder, the first director of EPA’s agriculture and rural affairs office, said on Monday that he was leaving the agency after nearly three years as its agriculture adviser. EPA administrator Michael Regan said farmers, ranchers, and rural communities “will always have a seat at EPA’s table” thanks to Snyder’s influence.
“Rod’s vision, strategy, and tenacity have been nothing short of transformational,” said Regan in a statement. “From the establishment of the first Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs to a renewed commitment to rural and agricultural communities across the entire agency, Rod’s impact will be felt for many years to come.” Regan announced the creation of the rural office, with the goal of expanding two-way communication between EPA and the agriculture sector, at the largest U.S. farm gathering in March.
“This is my final week as @EPA senior adviser for #Agriculture,” said Snyder on social media. “Serving in this role and partnering w/ ag & #rural communities for the past three years has been the honor of my career.” Snyder’s final day of work will be Wednesday, said a EPA press aide.
Snyder was appointed agriculture adviser in October 2021, following seven years as head of Field to Market, a group working on the sustainability of commodity crop agriculture. Before that, he was an executive at the National Corn Growers Association and CropLife America, a pesticide industry trade group.