CORVALLIS — Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Lisa Charpilloz Hanson, who spoke at the Hyslop Farm Field Day in Corvallis on May 22, said the agency will unveil a new strategic plan in June that focuses on customer service.

“The plan focuses on rebuilding the foundation in the agency,” said Charpilloz Hanson, who started as director last December. “It focuses on customer service, and it focuses on building expertise in our staff so that we can be of service to all of you.”

Charpilloz Hanson was the featured speaker during the annual field day that showcases Oregon State University and USDA Agricultural Research Service field crops research. Despite it being a blustery day, the event drew well, topping 300 participants, according to Tom Chastain, head of the Department of Crop and Soil Science. “It’s a big group,” he said.

Charpilloz Hanson, who spent more than two decades at ODA before a two-year stint as director of the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, said the agency began developing the strategic plan earlier this year as a part of an initiative from Gov. Tina Kotek to improve agency services, many of which suffered during the COVID pandemic.

“ODA, like many agencies, struggled during the COVID years,” Charpilloz Hanson said. “We all had to learn to work in different ways, and coming back from that, it’s not the same place that I worked before. And I think in some places, our customer service has struggled because of that.

“And so, we will be working on our turn-around times in terms of getting back to people,” she said. “We will be working on follow-through, as well as the core services that we provide.”

She said the strategic plan will be designed to guide the agency for two to three years, at which time it will be revisited.

“It is a short strategic plan, but there are significant measurable milestones in it that I think will ultimately help us create a stronger agency that long-term will better serve all of Oregon,” she said.

Charpilloz Hanson closed her presentation by stating she is “committed to building bridges and building relationships so we can support all of you.”

“And that is whether you’re a member of the public, a member of the industry, or one of our licensees,” she said. “We want to be an agency that’s approachable and that you can come to with your problems, and we can work together with the expertise that we have on staff to solve those and to make Oregon a better place for all of us.”