2018 The Landscape Show

Leroy Whilby

Division of Plant Industry


Dr. Leroy Whilby is the Bureau Chief of the Diagnostics sections (Entomology, Nematology, and Plant Pathology) at the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry (FDACS-DPI). He coordinates all identifications and diagnostics of arthropods, plants, pathogens and nematodes from samples submitted by the Bureau of Plant Inspection, survey programs, citizens and industry. Dr. Whilby has over 11 years of regulatory agriculture experience, 9 of which is with the Division of Plant Industry where he served as a Pest Survey Specialist and State Survey Coordinator working on invasive pest detection before his current position as Bureau Chief. In addition to his main duties with DPI, some of his additional duties throughout his career include coordination of farm bill funded survey programs such as the Interdiction Stations/Marinas and Canals, Tomato Commodity (Tuta absoluta) surveys, Red Palm Weevil surveys, Exotic Wood Boring Insects surveys and Palm Surveys including Texas Phoenix Palm Decline (TPPD). Dr. Whilby also coordinated the expanded survey efforts in response to the 2015 Old World Bollworm finds in Bradenton, FL. He also has experience in conducting national surveys such as Plum Pox Virus (PPV), Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM). He obtained his Doctor of Plant Medicine (DPM) from the University in Florida, MS in Plant Science from Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University (FAMU) and his BS in Agricultural Sciences from Lincoln University Missouri. Dr. Whilby is very passionate about pest detection and regulatory agriculture and is a firm believer in the mission of protecting Florida agriculture and natural resources from Invasive pests and diseases.

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