San Rafael, CA – Stefan Parnay, Marin County’s Deputy Agricultural Commissioner/Director since 2010, is the County of Marin’s choice to lead the department following the September 2020 retirement of longtime director Stacy Carlsen. Parnay has served as the department’s Acting Commissioner since Carlsen’s departure.
Stefan Parnay, the new head of Marin County's Department of Agriculture / Weights and Measures, has worked for Marin and Sonoma counties his entire career and grew up in Sebastopol.The Marin County Board of Supervisors will consider the recommendation of County Administrator Matthew Hymel to confirm Parnay’s appointment at its regular meeting May 25.
“Stefan has served the County well for many years as the Deputy Director and more recently as the Acting Director,” said County Administrator Matthew Hymel. “We are fortunate to have someone with Stefan’s skill and ability leading the department forward, especially as we confront the challenges of a major drought.”
Agriculture / Weights and Measures has 14 employees and an annual budget of $3 million, operating under the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR).
On the agriculture side, the staff promotes sustainable agricultural practices through its organic certification program; provides education on integrated pest management principles and strategies; inspects plant shipments for invasive pests of agricultural crops and horticultural plants; inspects farmers markets; provides support for the management of invasive weeds; implements a livestock protection program; produces an annual livestock and crop report; and more.
The Weights and Measures Division inspects commercial weighing and measuring devices and verifies retail price accuracy of commodities at the time of sale to ensure consumers receive the lowest advertised or posted price. Inspectors test and seal a wide variety of devices, including: gas pumps; various meters such as electric, taxi, and water meters; weighing devices such as scales at grocery check-out stations, deli scales, and livestock scales; and point-of-sale systems.
Parnay has managed and prepared the department’s budget for more than a decade, including the implementation of budget reductions during challenging times. He has prepared, reviewed, and submitted work plans and budget proposals for state contracts and cooperative agreements.
“It is a great privilege to be able to serve the community and industry in this capacity,” Parnay said. “I am very grateful for the wonderful people I work with and the passion and devotion they have to making Marin County a great place live, work, and visit. I look forward to continuing the critically important work we have collectively been doing in response to the pandemic, racial equity, climate change, the drought crisis, and more.”
Prior to joining the County of Marin, Parnay was deputy agricultural commissioner (five years) and chief deputy agricultural commissioner (six years) in Sonoma County. He started there in 1994 as a senior agricultural biologist program assistant.
Parnay, who grew up in Sebastopol, earned a bachelor’s degree with honors in ornamental horticulture from Cal Poly / San Luis Obispo. Parnay’s annual salary will be $173,680 and his benefits will be consistent with those received by other County department heads.