COLUMBUS — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has reappointed Cathann A. Kress, vice president of agricultural administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State University, to the Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board. Kress began her first term on the board in 2017. Her new term began on July 31, 2020, and will end on Jan. 25, 2023.
Also serving on the board with Kress is Lisa Bielke, assistant professor and poultry scientist from the university’s department of animal sciences.
In 2009, Ohioans passed a constitutional amendment requiring that the state of Ohio establish comprehensive livestock care standards, including topics such as euthanasia, disease prevention and animal housing.
The Ohio Livestock Care Standards Board was created to obtain public input and recommend guidelines for the Ohio Department of Agriculture to adopt as rules under the authority of the director of agriculture and the state veterinarian.
The board, composed of 13 members, meets three times a year to review established rules governing the care of cattle, swine, poultry, sheep, goats, llamas, alpacas and horses. The rules, which were created by the board, went into effect in 2011.
At its meetings, the board receives public input on rules that, if violated, can come with civil penalties. Leading the board is Dorothy Pelanda, director of the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Members include farmers, veterinarians, consumers and representatives from statewide farm organizations.
