Doyle E. Conner has served the citizens of Florida as an elected official for nearly four decades. He is a state legislator and, since 1961, the Commissioner of Agriculture. Conner distinguished himself on a national level by serving as past president of both the Southern and National Associations of State Departments of Agriculture and as the past president and co-founder of the Southern United States Trade Association. He has played leadership roles in cooperative programs with the USDA, engineered land and water management policies, championed private property rights, inaugurated pest management programs and acted to reduce reliance on potentially harmful chemicals. Conner was the first person outside his Foreign Agricultural Service to receive the highly prized USDA Certificate of Merit. He received the Fourth World Meat Congress’ Silver Bucranium Award for promoting international trade.