Paul Brierley

Director, Arizona Department of Agriculture

Paul E. Brierley, Director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture, was raised working on his family’s diversified farm. After earning a computer science degree, he returned to production agriculture in southeast Arizona.

He worked with producers across Arizona as Farm Bureau’s Director of Organization for 10 years. Then, in 2014 became the founding Executive Director of the University of Arizona’s Yuma Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture, which he built into a highly effective agricultural research organization. 

On June 26, 2023, Paul took over the reins as Director of the Arizona Department of Agriculture under the appointment of Governor Katie Hobbs. He is highly respected and represents the best of our agricultural industry in Arizona, and will no doubt succeed in leading the Department with diligence, respect, and a deep understanding of the work involved.