Ken McFarlane has been named chief deputy director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.
McFarlane began working at the department in June 2014 as director of strategy and business performance. He became deputy director in February 2016, overseeing the administration and operation of the department's Food and Dairy Division, Laboratory Division, and the Office of Organizational Innovation.
Prior to joining the department, he worked in the private sector as a civil engineering consultant on public infrastructure and large land development projects in the Midwest and West.
Department Director Gordon Wenk says McFarlane has played an integral role in areas such as service delivery, sustainable operations and information technology.