Lisa Hanson

Lisa Charpilloz Hanson, deputy director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture, has won the James A. Graham Award for Outstanding Service to Agriculture from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

The award, which will be presented to Hanson Sept. 12 at NASDA’s annual meeting in Hartford, Conn., recognizes her “leadership in highly controversial natural resources issues, participation in successful trade policy development and missions, and productive relationships with federal and state agencies,” according to the association.

Hanson began her career in the food processing industry and joined ODA as the manager of its commodity commission program in 1996 before eventually working at “almost every level of the department,” according to a joint letter of support from the agency’s three most recent directors — Alexis Taylor, Katy Coba and Phil Ward.

Her accomplishments include a change to ODA’s structure to create a “flatter” organization and reduce the bureaucracy for farmers, ranchers and other customers, as well as legislative leadership in representing agriculture’s interests among Oregon lawmakers, the letter said.

“Lisa comes to work each day so that she can create an agricultural legacy for her daughters, so they too will have the opportunity to work in a vibrant Oregon agricultural and food section,” the letter said.