Ashley Sears Randle was appointed the twenty-first and first female Commissioner at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) on March 6, 2023. MDAR supports, regulates, and enhances the rich diversity of the Commonwealth's agricultural community to promote economically and environmentally sound food safety and animal health measures and fulfill agriculture's role in energy conservation and production. Upon graduating from law school in 2014, she launched her career in government with the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, tasked with the research and development of a sustainable recognition program for the Maine farming community. Prior to joining the MDAR team, Ashley worked for the Northeast Dairy Producers Association (NEDPA) and served as Member Services Director, engaging in public policy work for the dairy industry and building relationships among industry members. Ashley was born and raised on a fifth-generation dairy farm, Indian Acres, in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, where her passion for agriculture and advocacy was first sparked. Ashley obtained her B.S. in Applied Economics & Management and Animal Science from Cornell University in 2011, and her Juris Doctorate from Western New England University School of Law in 2014. She is a licensed Massachusetts attorney.