A former owner of Meiring Poultry and Fish farm, Zehringer has made a career out of agriculture.
[1] With Republicans winning the gubernatorial election in 2010, Zehringer was chosen to lead the Department of Agriculture by John Kasich.
[2] In 2011 John Kasich appointed Zehringer to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
[3] As director of ODNR, Zehringer oversaw many accomplishments for the department, including completing the new dam at Buckeye Lake two years early and $43M under budget,[4] starting the purchase of almost 60,000 acres of wilderness called AEP's RE-creation land,[5] millions of dollars invested in state parks starting with the $88.5M of capitol improvements announced in 2014,[6] and multiyear and lifetime hunting and fishing licenses.
[7] Zehringer retired at the end of his term in 2019 [8] and Mary Mertz was appointed by incoming Governor Mike DeWine as the new director of ODNR.