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State Ag Commissioner to visit Washington County
The event will feature an address by Commissioner Sparks. Refreshments will consist of a dessert table that the Washington County Cattlewomen are well-known for. Also, there will be coffee, tea and cold drinks. Attendees are encouraged to eat supper before they come, but they should leave room for the most a delicious dessert. Also, this event will offer a good opportunity for participants to visit and fellowship with other cattlemen, farmers and citizens while getting to know Commissioner Sparks who is working to promote Alabama agriculture. Dress for this event will be casual and informal. Cattlemen and cattlewomen are asked to prepare and bring at least one dessert. For additional information, contact Tommy Fuller at 847-2237. Prior to the reception, Sparks will address the Washington County Democratic Executive Committee (DEC) at its meeting at 6 p.m., which will also be conducted at the Chatom Community Center. The agenda for that meeting will include the appointment of poll workers for the June 5 special election and dates for poll workers' school. Members of the DEC and local elected officials are asked to attend. Commissioner Sparks was born and raised in Ft. Payne, in DeKalb County. At a very young age, he began working in the sock mills while attending high school. This is where he learned the values of Alabama from his grandmother, who was able to hold the Bible for him while he was being sworn in on Jan. 20, 2003. Upon graduation from Ft. Payne High School in 1971, Sparks entered the United States Coast Guard and served as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Honor Guard. He was also a member of the Coast Guard Search and Rescue. While serving in the Coast Guard Commissioner Sparks received numerous commendations and letters of merit including the United States Coast Guard Commendation Medial for Meritorious Service in the Performance of Duty with Operational Distinguishing Device. After completing his service in the Coast Guard, he graduated from North East State Community College and in 1978 at the age of 24 became one of the youngest County Commissioners elected in the State of Alabama. Sparks has also owned two successful businesses in the Ft. Payne area. He worked in the television industry and had the opportunity to interview a number of great entertainers and political figures. In 1993, Sparks was appointed Director of the 911 System and was instrumental in designing and implementing the online program in DeKalb County. In 1998, he was elected the State President of Alabama 911. Sparks has been active for over 20 years coaching youth athletics in the DeKalb County area and has had the pleasure of seeing some of those he coached on the National Champion-ship football team and also progress to the Professional level of athletics. As a life-long Democrat Sparks worked with Democratic Campaigns on the local, state, and federal levels; including presidential campaigns. From 1982 until 2000 Sparks served as a member of the DeKalb County Democratic Executive Committee. In 1999 he was appointed Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture & Industries running the day to day operations at the department. He served in this post until the opportunity once again presented itself for him to step forward and seek public office. Sparks prided himself on running his campaign the "old fashioned" way, with hard work and determination. With this philosophy Sparks was elected in 2002; winning 54 out of 67 counties including being the only statewide democratic candidate to win Cullman County. He is honored and distinguished to serve as one of the youngest Commissioners of Agriculture and Industries for the State of Alabama. Once elected, Sparks set about building his management team with dedicated democrats who were ready to help move Alabama forward. In his Board of Registrar appointments Sparks was the only appointing authority to make sure that his appointments resembled the state population make up when it came to appointing minorities. In his first two years in office, Commissioner Sparks has been able to bring the public awareness of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries to its highest level in years. He has met with national and international leaders to help open new markets for Alabama's farmers including meeting with Cuban President Fidel Castro. Commissioner Sparks has long been an advocate of Country of Origin Labeling and consumer protection. Commissioner Sparks has helped to implement several new programs at the department including the Farm to School Program. In 2004 Commissioner Sparks oversaw the ground breaking of two new diagnostic labs in Alabama in Auburn and Elba. Commissioner Sparks and his staff have worked aggressively to help bring perpetrators of agriculture crimes to justice. Commissioner Sparks has completed his term as President of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture and has been named to the board of directors to the National Association of Departments of Agriculture. Sparks has three children, Misty Dixon, Sparky Sparks and Luke Sparks and one grandchild, Jake Dixon. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
