Cindy Hyde-Smith

Cindy Hyde-Smith is the Mississippi Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce. She took office in January 2012 and is the first woman to hold the position. Prior to serving as Agriculture Commissioner, Hyde-Smith was a member of the Mississippi Senate for three terms, holding the position of Senate Agriculture Committee chair for eight years.

Biography

Hyde-Smith was a Republican member of the Mississippi Senate, representing the 39th District from 2000 to 2012. She switched parties from Democratic to Republican in 2010. Senator Hyde-Smith served as chair of the Senate Agriculture committee since 2004 and was a member of Appropriations, Constitution, Corrections, Elections, Forestry, Public Health and Welfare, Veterans and Military Affairs, and Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks committees. She was also Vice Chairman of the National Agriculture Committee of State Legislators.

She is a member of the American Cancer Society, the Junior Auxiliary, Hospice, the Mississippi Cattleman's Association, the Mississippi Wildlife Federation, the National Rifle Association, Mississippi National Guard Legislative Caucus, and the Copiah Lincoln Community College Foundation Board.