The Vermont Department of Public Safety has hired Lisa Milot as the first director of its Division of Animal Welfare, the department announced in a press release on Monday. 

Milot, a lawyer and academic originally from Georgia, is expected to begin her role in May, according to the release. As the sole employee of the new division, her first task will be to formulate a comprehensive plan for coordinating Vermont’s disparate system of animal welfare services. 

“I am looking forward to collaborating with the many dedicated volunteers and professionals who worked to create this position to improve animal welfare — and by extension, human welfare — throughout the state of Vermont,” Milot said in the release. 

Milot was not available for further comment.

Republican Gov. Phil Scott signed the law creating the animal welfare division in June. The bill, crafted by the Legislature in response to numerous animal cruelty cases in the state, directed the public safety department to hire a division director who then has the responsibility of creating “a comprehensive plan for the development, implementation, and enforcement of the animal welfare laws of the State.” The law requires the director to submit the plan to the Legislature within eight months of being hired for further action.

Department of Public Safety Deputy Commissioner Dan Batsie said in the release that Milot’s broad set of skills and experiences, including a tenure at the University of Georgia Law School with a focus on animal welfare and as a federal policy consultant, qualify her for the job. He also said her “keen spirit of collaboration” can help unite the many Vermonters concerned with animal welfare.

“We look forward to creating a thoughtful and sensible plan that can serve as a model for states throughout the country,” Batsie said. 

Batsie did not respond to a request for further comment.