Combee
State Rep. Neil Combee, R-Auburndale, will leave the Legislature after he was appointed Friday as federal Farm Service Agency and Rural Development state director.
It was not immediately clear when Combee will leave the House. “Would like to stay until the end of Session unless it is an absolute requirement. Know for sure in a few days,” Combee tweeted Sunday.
A news release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture said state directors, who are appointees of President Donald Trump, are involved in planning and administering programs in their states and running the state Farm Service Agency office. “These state directors will help ensure that USDA is offering the best customer service to our farmers, ranchers, foresters, and agricultural producers across the country,” U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a prepared statement.
Combee, first elected to the House in 2012, chairs the Oversight, Transparency & Administration Subcommittee. He is a former board member of the Southwest Florida Water Management District and served on the Polk County Commission.