He assumed his new duties on Oct. 2, and will serve as one of the department’s two deputy directors, overseeing the divisions of Animal Industry, Food Safety, Meat Inspection, Dairy, and the Consumer Analytical Laboratory.

“Paul is a valuable addition to my management team,” said Dailey. “He has a long tenure in state government where he has demonstrated leadership and foresight in promoting and improving food safety in Ohio. Paul’s expertise will help the department to better protect Ohio’s food and agriculture industry which is critical in maintaining consumer confidence in our food supply.”

Panico has more than 30 years of experience in state food safety programming, 21 of which were at the Ohio Depart-ment of Health. In 1997, he was hired as assistant chief of the ODA’s Food Safety Division. He was promoted to chief of the division in 1999, where he has since managed and directed the statewide wholesale, processing, and retail food safety programs.

During his tenure at the ODA, Panico has reorganized the division to run more efficiently; helped improve licensing and inspection of retail food establishments; helped develop new retail food establishment rules; updated all state food processing rules; and initiated new programs for shellfish sanitation, farm and farmers’ market inspections, and voluntary standards for maple syrup, honey and sorghum producers who collect at least 75 percent of their product themselves.

He has been instrumental in developing bioterrorism preparedness materials for the food processing and retail food industries and has served as a key player in tabletop and functional exercises pertaining to food safety, foot and mouth disease, and pandemic avian influenza.

Panico holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Providence College and a Masters Degree in Public Health from the University of Michigan. He lives in Pataskala with his wife, Ginger.

Morra named president of McCormick USA
NORCROSS, Ga. — McCormick International USA, a division of ARGO Tractors and part of ARGO S.p.A., a holding company owned by the Morra family in Italy, recently announced the appointment of Simeone Morra as president of McCormick USA.

McCormick USA markets the McCormick and Landini tractor brands in the United States. Morra assumes responsibility for all McCormick business interests in the U.S. market.

“The U.S. market continues to represent our major opportunity for growth, and we are delighted that Simeone has agreed to accept this position which we believe further underlines our commitment and belief in the U.S. tractor market,” said Valerio Morra, President of the ARGO Group.

Simeone Morra has considerable experience in the agricultural equipment sector within the ARGO group and primarily with McCormick Tractors Inter-national Limited, where he has held positions of increasing responsibility.

Most recently, as sales director for McCormick, Morra managed the company’s sales and distribution activities on a global basis.

This farm news was published in the Oct. 18, 2006 issue of Farm World, serving Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Tennessee.