Lisa Leondis has been selected to be the permanent director of the County of San Diego Department of Agriculture, Weights and Measures, and to serve as the County’s new Agricultural Commissioner and Sealer of Weights and Measures. Leondis was named as the department’s interim director in June, when Commissioner/Sealer Bob Atkins retired.
“We are delighted to have Lisa Leondis as the new County Agricultural Commissioner and Sealer of Weights and Measures,” said Sarah Aghassi, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer for the Land Use and Environment Group. “Lisa’s vast experience in the field, along with her expertise in pest management and plant protection will help ensure the viability of our agricultural community; and her displayed levels of professionalism and dedication along with her credentials as Sealer of Weights and Measures will enhance our consumer protection for all residents of San Diego County.”
Leondis will oversee a department with a roughly $19 million annual budget and a staff of 155 who protect the public through a wide-ranging array of services.
Agriculture, Weights and Measures services include pesticide monitoring programs to ensure farmers and growers are using pesticides safely and egg-inspection programs to prevent food-borne illnesses. The department also conducts roughly 50,000 inspections each year to make sure that all devices that scan, weigh or measure the items people buy are charging consumers accurately and people are getting what they pay for — from the neighborhood butcher’s scale to the pumps at the gas station down the street and the cash registers at retail stores countywide.
In addition, the department regulates organic growers and certified farmers’ markets and protects the region’s $1.5 billion agriculture industry through exotic-pest inspection programs.
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