Dr. Reuben Beverly came to the Georgia Department of Agriculture in 1999 as State Chemist and Director of the Chemical Laboratories Division, and was appointed Director of the Plant Industry Division in 2011.  Prior to that, he served as Director of the Precision Farming Division for GoldKist Inc, and was on the research faculties of the University of Georgia (Georgia Experiment Station, Griffin) and the University of Florida (Everglades Research and Education Center, Belle Glade).  Dr. Beverly received his BSA and MS degrees in Agronomy from the University of Georgia, and his PhD in Soil Science from the University of California, Riverside.

Dr. Beverly has served as President of the Southern Section of AOAC International and on the Board of Directors for the Georgia Certified Crop Advisors.  He has served as Associate Editor and reviewed numerous articles for professional scientific journals, and has several research publications and presentations at professional meetings.

Dr. Beverly and his wife, Millie, have lived in Griffin since 1984, and have three grown children.  They are members of Second Baptist Church in Griffin.  In his leisure time, Dr. Beverly enjoys watching University of Georgia football and spending time fishing, hunting and working in the blueberry field of his family farm in Ochlocknee, Georgia.