Scott Leibsle, who has served as Assistant State Veterinarian in Idaho since 2011, was named to the helm following the resignation of Bill Barton.
Celia Gould, director of the Idaho Department of Agriculture, announced the appointment on Wednesday.
Leibsle received his veterinary degree from the University of Wisconsin in 2003. He first worked in Idaho in 2005 while practicing with the Sawtooth Equine Service in Bellevue for two years.
He then returned to Wisconsin to practice large animal medicine and moved back to Idaho in 2011.
Most recently, he was actively involved in overseeing the Idaho dairy industry, coordinating animal care training for law enforcement agencies in Idaho, and developing the Idaho farm animal traceability program.
According to the Agriculture Department, Leibsle is one of only 55 veterinarians in the whole country to have been certified as an equine specialist.
Barton has been with the department for 14 years. He leads animal disease response staff, provides service to a growing livestock sector, and works on behalf of producers to maintain a functioning market in Idaho and elsewhere.
The Idaho State Veterinarian also acts as the administrator for the Animal Industries Department, which oversees animal health, dairies and milk processors, pasture services, and other aspects of animal-related agriculture.
Milk and cattle production is Idaho’s largest agricultural sector, accounting for more than half of the state’s total revenue.