Three candidates seeking to become the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s next director met in Salem, Ore., with a panel of interviewers on Nov. 2.

The state’s Department of Administrative Services, which is overseeing the hiring process, refused to disclose two of the candidates’ identities because it could damage their relationships with current employers.

The third candidate, Lisa Hanson, has served as ODA’s interim director since early October and before that was the agency’s deputy director for 11 years.

The Department of Administrative Services did release the names of the 10 panelists — drawn primarily from state government and the farm industry — as well as the criteria upon which the candidates would be evaluated.

Among the representatives from state government are Katy Coba, the ODA’s former director and current chief of DAS, as well as Madilyn Zike, Oregon’s chief human resources officer, and Lauri Aunan, a natural resources policy adviser to Gov. Kate Brown.

Panelists from the farm industry include Pete Brentano, nurseryman and chairman of the Oregon Board of Agriculture; Lynn Youngbar, board president of the organic certifier Oregon Tilth; Bryan Ostlund, executive director of multiple commodity commissions; and Jenny Dresler, state public policy director for the Oregon Farm Bureau.

Jas Adams, an adjunct law professor at Willamette University; Michelle Delepine, member of the Oregon Invasive Species Council; and Shawn Miller, president of the Northwest Grocers Association, are also on the panel.

It’s possible there will be a consensus of support for one candidate, or the panel members may be divided in their recommendations, said Matt Shelby, communications strategist for DAS.

The ultimate hiring decision will be up to Gov. Brown, he said.