Director
Missouri Department of Agriculture
Chris Chinn, a fifth generation Missouri farmer from Clarence, was named Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture in January 2017. Director Chinn has held leadership positions in agriculture on the local, state and national level for more than 15 years, working to move the state’s agriculture industry forward.
As a trailblazer in ag advocacy, Chinn has established her brand through social media and public speaking. Her blog and Twitter audiences have attracted more than 10,000 faithful followers who have tuned in to hear her farm story. Through her outreach, she stands up for both rural and urban Missouri by bridging the gap between farmers and consumers and contributes to the advancement of the state’s No. 1 industry.
As the Director of Agriculture, Chinn created the MORE Strategic Initiative to protect and promote Missouri’s agriculture industry. The four pillars of the initiative are Feed MORE, Reach MORE, Connect MORE and Empower MORE, tying in to the needs of farmers and consumers in our state. She also works closely with Governor Parson and fellow cabinet members. Together they have advanced the Governor’s workforce development and infrastructure priorities. These priorities help expand job opportunities in agriculture and repair roadways, bridges and buildings.
Chinn is a member of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA), which represents the departments of agriculture in all 50 states. She is a member of the Missouri State Fair Commission, Missouri Wine & Grape Board, Missouri Development Finance Board and Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority Board of Directors.
In 2007, she served as chairman for the American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee and served on the board of directors for the American Farm Bureau Federation. In 2013, Chinn became a national spokesperson when she was named one of four Faces of Farming and Ranching by the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, an honor that identifies farmers and ranchers that are eager to share their farm story. She has served as a board member for the Shelby County University of Missouri Extension Council and the Long Branch Area YMCA board of directors. Chris is a member of the Missouri Pork Association and served on the association’s state board since 2015. She is a member of ALOT (Agriculture Leaders of Tomorrow) Class 13, American Farm Bureau PAL (Partners in Agricultural Leadership) Class 5 and is a member of the Shelbina Christian Church.
Chinn resides on her family’s farm in Shelby County with her husband, Kevin and her two children, Rachelle and Conner, where she helps manage their 1,600 sow farrow-to-finish hog operation, as well as their family feed mill. Chinn and her husband also have a small cow-calf herd, as well as raise corn, soybean and hay.