Commissioner of Agriculture-Elect Cody Simpson announces official transition plans

HOME BRANCH, SC – Following Tuesday’s election victory, Cody Simpson, a fifth-generation farmer and South Carolina’s next Commissioner of Agriculture, today announced plans for the initial phase of his transition.

Henry Swink, co-owner of McCall Farms in Effingham, and Thomas Rhodes, a partner at Rhodes Companies, will serve as co-chairs of Commissioner-Elect Simpson’s transition team. Together, they will help guide the transition, identify key leadership priorities, and build a team prepared to deliver results to the farmers and citizens of South Carolina.

“I am honored to have received the voters’ confidence on Tuesday as South Carolina’s next Commissioner of Agriculture, and I look forward to serving our people and our farmers,” Simpson said. “We’ve had a great team that helped us achieve our campaign objectives, and I look forward to building the best team of any agriculture agency in America. That begins today with the naming of key leaders who bring strong business experience and share my love for South Carolina. I’m thankful for their willingness to serve.”

“Cody understands the importance of agriculture to South Carolina’s economy, and I’m excited about what he can accomplish,” said Rhodes. “I’ve always believed in setting clear goals, building strong teams, and delivering results. I look forward to bringing that same approach to this transition and helping Cody get off to a strong start.”

“I’m thankful for the dedicated staff at the Department of Agriculture and the work they have done for agriculture and for serving South Carolina,” Simpson added. “I look forward to working with them to bring the people back to their department.”

For transition requests or comments, please contact [email protected]. Additional transition team members and updates on the transition process will be announced at a later date.