Ryan Quarles
| Ryan Quarles | |
|---|---|
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| Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky | |
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Assumed office January 4, 2016 |
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| Governor | Matt Bevin |
| Preceded by | James Comer |
| Member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from the 62nd district |
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In office January 2, 2011 – January 4, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Charlie Hoffman |
| Succeeded by | Chuck Tackett |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 20, 1983 Georgetown, Kentucky |
| Political party | Republican |
| Residence | Georgetown, Kentucky |
| Alma mater | University of Kentucky, Harvard |
| Occupation | Attorney, Farmer, Politician |
Ryan Francis Quarles (born October 20, 1983) is an American politician and member of the Republican Party from the Commonwealth of Kentucky who has served as Agriculture Commissioner of Kentucky since 2016.
He previously served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 2011-16. From 2005-08, he served two consecutive terms on the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education as the Council's student member and various other leadership positions in Washington D.C. and Kentucky. On November 3, 2015, Quarles was elected Agriculture Commissioner, defeating his Democratic opponent, Jean-Marie Lawson Spann.
Quarles is a native of Georgetown, Kentucky, where he graduated valedictorian and class president from Scott County High School in 2002. While working on the Quarles family farm, he went on to complete a triple major undergraduate and two master's degrees from the nearby University of Kentucky in under 4 years. Quarles triple major was in Agriculture Economics, Public Service & Leadership, and Political Science and graduated summa cum laude with Honors in 2005. While enrolled in school, Quarles took as many as 27 credit hours per semester and was on the Dean's List in each term.
Throughout his academic career, Quarles has received numerous national academic awards including the Truman Scholarship, Zuckerman Fellowship, as well as scholarships from the Future Farmers of America and Toyota Corporation. Quarles went on to earn four graduate degrees. As one of 25 Zuckerman Fellows nationally, Quarles was awarded a full-ride scholarship to Harvard University where he completed a Master of Education in 2009. Quarles also holds a Master of Science in Agricultural Economics from the University of Kentucky, a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and International Relations from the Patterson School of Diplomacy, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Kentucky College of Law.
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