FRANKFORT (April 12, 2021) –Brian Lacefield, of Versailles, has been named the new director of the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy, Agriculture Commissioner Dr. Ryan Quarles announced today.

The Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy is the new name for the former Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy after Senate Bill 3 shifted responsibilities for the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund from the governor’s office to the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

“Brian Lacefield is well-respected in Kentucky’s agricultural community and has years of agribusiness and investment experience that makes him the perfect fit to lead the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy,” Commissioner Quarles said. “Brian will be a strong asset for the KDA as we implement Senate Bill 3 and move the management from the Governor’s Office to the Department of Agriculture. I am grateful for his willingness to serve.”

“I am honored to be named to this position by Commissioner Quarles,” Lacefield said. “I look forward to working with board members to uphold the great tradition of innovation and excellence at the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund. There is tremendous opportunity to strengthen and diversify our agricultural economy and I am excited to hit the ground running.”

Lacefield most recently served as the Kentucky State Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), where he directed and administered FSA programs and managed staff across the state. Prior to joining the Trump administration, Lacefield served in various roles in the agriculture industry, most recently as market president at Trigg County FNB Bank. He has also worked as chief financial officer of Agri-Chem and general manager for Commonwealth Agri-Finance, both divisions of Hopkinsville Elevator Cooperative. He served as vice president of agriculture and commercial banking with Planters Bank and as an area extension specialist with the University of Kentucky Farm Business Management Program.

Lacefield has been a board member for the Kentucky Retail Federation, Kentucky Corn Growers, Kentucky FFA Foundation, and the Kentucky Ag Leadership Program. Over the past decade, he has served nonprofits and charitable organizations in his communities including Cadiz Rotary, the United Way of the Pennyrile and the Hopkinsville Farmers Market.

“Commissioner Quarles has made a solid appointment in the selection of Brian Lacefield to serve as director for the Kentucky Office of Agricultural Policy,” said Warren Beeler, former executive director of the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy. “Brian has the experience and the passion for this role and will help move Kentucky’s agricultural community forward.”

Lacefield is a graduate of Western Kentucky University, where he gained a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness and a master’s degree in agriculture. He also holds a master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Florida. Lacefield and his wife, Michelle, live in Versailles with their two children, Brianne and Braden.