State Rep. Raymond Poe (R-Springfield) has been tapped to serve as director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. 

Gov. Bruce Rauner's office announced Poe's appointment to the position on Friday. Philip Nelson, the state's former agriculture department director, resigned in September.

"Poe's experience as a legislator, as a businessman and as a farmer makes him the ideal choice to lead the agency," reads a statement from governor's office.

Poe, former president of the Sangamon County Farm Bureau and the Lincoln Land Farm Supply, was first elected as a state representative in 1995.

House Republican Leader Jim Durkin issued a statement upon news of Poe's appointment: 

I consider Raymond Poe a very good friend and I am going to miss working with him in the Illinois House. I also want to thank him for everything he has done on behalf of the House Republican Caucus. For the past 21 years, Raymond has devoted himself to serving the residents and communities of central Illinois. He is well-liked and respected by everyone he meets. Raymond Poe's experience as a lifelong family farmer and lawmaker make him uniquely qualified for the position of Agriculture Director - he will do an outstanding job.