Andrew “Andy” Meier | Submitted Photo

RALEIGH – Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler recently named Andrew “Andy” Meier of La Grange as the new director of the Property and Construction Division in the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Meier replaces Richard Clark, who retires at the end of the month.

“Andy has already been with the department for about 23 years, serving in roles at the Cherry Research Station and more recently as the director of operations for our Research Stations Division. He primarily served as a liaison between the research stations and the Property and Construction Division, so he’s well prepared to take on this new leadership role,” Troxler said.

Meier joined NCDA&CS in March of 1997 to manage the grass-based dairy operation at Cherry Research Station in Goldsboro. In January of 2009 he was promoted to superintendent of the research station and remained in that role until April of last year. Meier was then promoted to his more recent role as director of operations for the Research Stations Division.

“The men and women that support the Research Stations Division are extremely dedicated and talented; I’m very thankful for the opportunity to be have been part of that team for 23 years,” Meier said. “My wife and I decided this is a logical next step for my career. It was a humbling experience to be part of the conversation as candidates were being considered and a tremendous honor to have been asked to serve in this capacity.”

Meier was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., but his family moved away from the city when he was young. He got his start in agriculture as a young teenager working for a neighboring dairy farmer. After attending Penn State, Meier was a dairy farmer until 1996.

He and his wife Susan have been married for 37 years. They have five children and five grandchildren who live nearby.