November 5, 2020 3:40 a.m.

A Douglas County resident has been appointed to the Oregon State Board of Agriculture.

Governor Kate Brown appointed Elin Miller to a four-year term which was effective on October 29th. Miller will attend her first Board meeting on December 1st and 2nd.

Miller and her husband Bill, own Umpqua Valley Vineyards and farm hazelnuts in Douglas County. She currently serves as co-chair of the Oregon Wine Council and is a member of the Fall Creek Farm and Nursery Board.

A release from the Governor’s office said Miller’s path to farming in Oregon is unique. Raised in Mesa, Arizona, Miller’s lifelong career in agriculture began when she joined the Future Farmers of America while in high school. That led to executive positions in government, corporate and not-for-profit organizations. Miller has also been involved in volunteer work up and down the west coast, Africa, China, Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

Governor Brown also appointed Josh Zielinski of Salem to serve on the Board. Current members Bryan Harper and Luisa Santamaria each were given a second term on the Board.

The release said the Board advises the director and ODA regarding the implementation and administration of programs and the development of policies designed to improve the agricultural industry statewide. The 10-member board is made up of nine people appointed by the governor and the chair of the Soil and Water Conservation Commission.