Current Members 2008 - 2010

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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Advisory Committee Membership
February 20, 2008
James R. Moseley, FRRCC Chair
Alicia Kaiser, Designated Federal Officer
Christopher Ashcraft, Junior Designated Federal Officer.

Member	Formal Titles	Biography
James R. Moseley Owner Ag Ridge Farms Clarks Hill, IN	Former Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Former EPA Ag Counselor Grain & livestock farmer	Mr. Moseley served as the Deputy Secretary under Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman. He is the owner of Ag Ridge Farms, which specializes in grains, and managing partner of Infinity Pork, LLC, which raises hogs, located in Clarks Hill, IN. Mr. Moseley has played a key role in developing public policy for agriculture, the environment, and natural resources conservation at the state and national levels. From 1989-1990, he served as Agricultural Advisor to the Administrator of the U.S. EPA. He previously served at USDA as the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment from 1990-1992. In this capacity, he provided leadership to the Forest Service and the NRCS on a variety of issues including endangered species, old growth forests, livestock grazing on public lands, wetlands, and policy issues related to the conservation title of the 1990 Farm Bill. In 1997, he served as Chairman of the industry negotiating team for America’s Clean Water Foundation’s National Environmental Dialogue on Pork Production. Following the 1995 Farm Bill, Moseley served as a consultant to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. From 1993 to 1995, Moseley served as the Director of Agricultural Services and Regulations for the State of Indiana at Purdue University. He also served as a political analyst and member of the editorial board of the Farm Journal Publications.
Martha Guzman Aceves Legislative Advocate California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation Sacramento, CA	Legislative Advocate, CA Rural Legal Assistance Foundation on Farm Worker Health and Safety issues, Environmental Justice, and Education Justice	Ms. Aceves’ current advocacy work has concentrated on occupational and environmental hazards like heat illness and pesticide exposure. In 2003, she served as the Legislative Coordinator for the United Farm Workers, AFL-CIO covering a range of labor and environmental issues. Ms. Aceves is currently an active member of the Environmental Justice Coalition from Water where she concentrates on attaining safe and affordable drinking water for rural communities. She is a board member of the Ag Innovations Network that strives to bring food and food production back to the core of people’s lives; the Pesticide Action Network North America; the Sierra Institute; and, Community to Community Development. She was a gubernatorial-appointed member to the California Water Commission and was a member of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, Class XXXIII. She has an M.S. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California at Davis, and a B.S. in International Economics: Growth and Development, as well as a certificate in Latin American Studies from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. These are further complemented by her studies in Santiago de Chile, South America.
James O. Andrew Owner Andrew Farms, Inc. Jefferson, IA	President and General Manager, Andrew Farms, Inc. Director, Iowa Soybean Association Director, American Soybean Association	Mr. Andrew is a fifth generation Iowa corn and soybean farmer. He has served as Vice President of Membership and Director of the National Corn Growers Association, Director and International Government Affairs Chairperson of the US Grains Council, and Director of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. He currently serves as Director of the Iowa Soybean Association and the American Soybean Association. Mr. Andrew’s ongoing support of conservation includes instrumental work with the Iowa Soybean Association through the On-Farm Network promoting science-based research to minimize inputs of chemicals and fertilizers while maximizing yields without harm to the environment. He has been a key player in ISA’s work with the Sand County Foundation to include the Discovery Watershed program in the new farm bill which would fund on-farm, research-based programs to reduce the flow of nitrates into the Upper Mississippi river basin and thus limit hypoxia growth in the Gulf of Mexico.
Leonard M. Blackham Commissioner Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Moroni, UT	Utah Commission of Agriculture and Food Chairman, NASDA Natural Resources & Pesticide Management Committee Turkey Farmer Former State Senator	Mr. Blackham was appointed Utah Commissioner of Agriculture and Food in January 2005 by Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., becoming the state’s 6th Commissioner since Utah adopted the single commissioner structure. Mr. Blackham was elected to the Sanpete County Commission where he served for four years. He was also elected chairman of the Utah Association of County Commissioners. He was then elected to the Utah House of Representatives and was appointed to the Utah Senate before taking the oath of office. He served in the Senate for 12 years before resigning his seat to accept the appointment as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Food. While serving in the Senate he held various leadership positions, serving as Senate Budget Chairman, Majority Whip, and Majority Leader, and also as chairmen of several commissions, committees, and taskforces on water, energy, agriculture, wildlife, mental health, and the legislative process.
A. Richard Bonanno, Ph.D. Owner Pleasant Valley Gardens Methuen, MA	Adjunct Professor and Extension Educator, University of Massachusetts, Amherst Vice President, Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation Past President, Northeastern Weed Science Society Member, IR-4 Commodity Liaison Committee	Dr. Bonanno is a 4th generation specialty crop producer in Massachusetts. He is the owner and operator at Pleasant Valley Gardens, producing bedding plants and fresh market vegetables. He serves as a weed science Specialist with the University of Massachusetts Extension Service with responsibilities for vegetable and small fruit integrated weed management recommendations. Dr. Bonanno has a Ph.D. from Oregon State University in Plant Physiology & Horticultural Crops. He is a former Professor and Extension Specialist with North Carolina State University. He also currently serves as a public member to the Massachusetts Pesticide Board.
Marion Long Bowlan Farmer Manheim, PA	Farmer, Manheim, PA Executive Director, Pennsylvania Farm Link, Inc. USDA Beginning Farmer Advisory Committee Past President, National Farm Transition Network USDA Small Farm Advisory Committee National Commission on Small Farms-Commission Member	Ms. Bowlan is a third generation farmer from Lancaster County, PA. She has experience raising beef, dairy, hogs, vegetables, potatoes, poultry, eggs, and tobacco as well as direct and wholesale marketing experience. She is currently raising organic dairy heifers on a contract she developed with an organic dairy farmer. She has two small farms, which are certified organic and have conservation plans on each farm. Ms. Bowlan’s experience includes three years working with conservation districts on water quality education and thirteen years of experience as the Executive director of PA Farm Link, where she planned and delivered over 100 workshops on farm start-ups and transfers to the next generation of farmers. She served on the USDA National Commission on Small Farm Advisory Committee, and the Beginning Farmer Advisory Committee. On occasion, Ms. Bowlan has provided state and federal testimony to congressional representatives.
Garth W. Boyd, Ph.D. Senior Vice President, Agriculture Camco Topsail Beach, NC	Senior Vice President, Agriculture, Camco Director, Environmental Technology, Smithfield Foods Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University	Dr. Boyd currently serves as senior vice president for Camco, a global firm that owns one of the world’s largest carbon credit portfolios. In this capacity, Dr. Boyd is working to build an agricultural carbon portfolio in the U.S. to encourage rural economic development, improve ranch and farm income, and reduce green house gas emissions. He also has expertise in anaerobic digestion, climate change, livestock operations management, nutrient management, and carbon offset project development. Dr. Boyd has a Ph.D. in Reproductive Physiology from Kansas State University. He has worked as an Extension Specialist at Colorado State University and Kansas State University. He has also had experience in the private sector as Director of Environmental Technology for Smithfield Foods, Inc. He is a former member of the USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force and the North Carolina GreenPower board. He serves as a Commissioner for the town of Topsail Beach, North Carolina.
Senator Mike W. Brubaker State Senator Pennsylvania State Senate Lititz, PA	State Senator PA State Senate Chair, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee Committee Member, Environmental Resources and Energy Committee Agronomist	Senator Brubaker received a B.S. in Agronomy from West Virginia University. He is an agronomist by education and profession, and a private sector entrepreneur. Prior to joining the Senate, he owned and operated several successful businesses focusing on agricultural production and environmental enhancements. He was the founder and former owner of the Brubaker Consulting Group, Inc., which grew into the fifth largest agricultural consulting company in the U.S. As a state legislator, Senator Brubaker’s priorities include improving Pennsylvania’s business climate, making communities safer and ensuring that the state is spending taxpayer dollars wisely. In addition, Senator Brubaker is the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, giving him the opportunity to work on behalf of the Commonwealth’s number one industry, which plays a strong role in his own district as well. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Aging and Youth Committee, and serves on the Environmental Resources & Energy, Local Government, Policy, and State Government Committees, as well as the Special Session Committee on Energy Policies. In 2008, the Senator was elected Vice Chair of the Pennsylvania Delegation of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and is currently serving a two-year term on the State Agriculture and Rural Leaders (SARL) Board of Directors.
Christine Chinn Manager Chinn Hog Farm Clarence, MO	Chair American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee Owner, 2,400-head farrow-to-finish operation	Ms. Chinn chairs the AFBF Young Farmer & Rancher Committee and, in that capacity, serves on the AFBF Board of Directors. In addition to her leadership role within Farm Bureau, Ms. Chinn is a full-time hog farmer. The Chinn family owns and operates a 2,400-sow farrow-to-finish operation. The family also owns a mill that processes feed and supplies their operation. On the farm, Ms. Chinn coordinates compliance with state and federal environmental laws, including Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans and Environment Management Systems. She handles all production and financial record-keeping, as well as maintaining all relevant permits for the operation.
Gary A. Cooper Owner Cooper Farms Oakwood, OH	Owns/operates Cooper Farms, producer of hogs, turkeys and eggs President, Ohio Poultry Association	Mr. Cooper owns and operates his family farm, Cooper Farms. He is the current President of the Ohio Poultry Association and also serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the National Turkey Federation. Cooper Farms prides itself on its longstanding commitment to Environmental Stewardship. Cooper Farms was the first recipient of the Water Resources Stewardship Award presented by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5. Mr. Cooper attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Otto C. Doering, Ph.D. Professor of Agricultural Economics Purdue University West Lafayette, IN	Professor of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University President, American Agricultural Economics Association	Dr. Doering joined the Agricultural Economics faculty at Purdue University in 1981. He is a public policy specialist and has served the U.S. Department of Agriculture working on the 1977 and 1990 Farm Bills. In 1997 he was the Principal Advisor to USDA’s NRCS for implementing the 1996 Farm Bill. In 1999 he was team leader for the economic analysis of the White House’s National Hypoxia Assessment looking at the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. He has overseas experience with the Ford Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences, primarily in Southeast Asia. He has been a visiting professor at Berkeley, Cornell, and North Carolina A&T State University Cooperative Research Program. Dr. Doering has served on Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education. He has been a Director of the American Agricultural Economics Association and Chairman of the National Public Policy Education Committee. He has twice received the AAEA’s Distinguished Policy Contribution Award, as well as its Extension Economics Teaching Award.
Robert G. Flocchini, Ph.D. Professor of Land, Air, and Water Resources University of California, Davis Davis, CA	Professor, Land air and Water Resources Director, Crocker Nuclear Laboratory Director, McClellan Nuclear Reactor	Dr. Flocchini has a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. He is currently a Professor of Land, Air, and Water Resources, and also serves as Director of the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory and Director of the McClellan Nuclear Reactor, at the University of California, Davis. The emphasis of Flocchini’s research program is the identification of particulate sources, the dispersion of material from those sources and the ultimate fate of that material. His research has stressed the identification of the soil contribution to PM10 and PM2.5 as well as an evaluation of the processes that place these particulates in the atmosphere.
Thomas M. Franklin Senior Vice President Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Woodbine, MD	Senior Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership Conservation Director, Izaak Walton League of America Executive Director, The Wildlife Society, Inc.	Mr. Franklin is the Sr. Vice President of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. He manages TRCP policy initiatives and develops partnerships with conservation NGOs and agencies. Mr. Franklin earned a B.A. in Natural Resource Conservation, Wildlife Management from the University of Maryland, and an M.S. Administrative Science from the Johns Hopkins University. He was a Wildlife Biologist with the Urban Wildlife Research Center (UWRC) and served as that group's Executive Director. He has served as acting Executive Director of the Wildlife Society and Conservation Director of the Izaak Walton League of America where he directed the government affairs and education programs.
Suzy Friedman Project Manager of Agricultural Projects Center for Conservation Incentives Environmental Defense Arlington, VA	Project Manager, Agricultural Projects, Environmental Defense Associate Director of Outreach, American Rivers Assistant Press Secretary, Union of Concerned Scientists	Ms. Friedman is a Project Manager, Agricultural Projects, for the Center for Conservation Incentives at Environmental Defense, where her work focuses on developing and implementing incentive-based conservation projects with farmer, conservation organizations, producer organizations, state and federal agencies, and other local partners. Ms. Friedman earned an M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts, History, and Environmental Studies from Princeton University. She has authored and co-authored numerous reports on agricultural conservation issues. She has served as Co-Chair of the Virginia Waste Solutions Forum, and has done extensive work in a number of capacities in the Chesapeake Bay.
Earl J. Garber President Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts Crowley, LA	President, Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts Owner, Garber Farms District Conservationist, USDA Soil Conservation Service	Mr. Garber is a rice, soybean, and hay producer from southwestern Louisiana. He currently serves as the President of the Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts and is the Louisiana Board Member for the NACD where he also serves on the Legislative Committee. Mr. Garber began his involvement in local soil and water conservation as a soil scientist and district conservationist. He then joined his father and brother in a full-time farming enterprise. He now has his own farming operation and provides daily service to area producers as a crop consultant. He has served on the Arcadia Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors since 1981.
Ralph Grossi Senior Advisor American Farmland Trust Novato, CA	Senior Advisor, American Farmland Trust Third generation cattle/dairy farmer	Since August 1985, Mr. Grossi has served as President of American Farmland Trust (AFT). He is a third-generation Marin County, California farmer, a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, and partner of Marindale Ranch, a family partnership that has been in the dairy and beef business for more than eighty years, spanning four generations. Mr. Grossi has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Smart Growth America, and on the boards of directors of the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation and the Natural Resources Council of America. Additionally, he has served on the advisory board of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the University of California President’s Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education. He has also served on the National Commission on Non-Point Source Pollution and the Maryland Greenways Commission.
Karri M. Hammerstrom Co-owner Hammertime Ranch Kingsburg, CA	Co-owner, Hammertime Ranch Past Chair, Fresno County Planning Commission Manager of Environmental Permitting and Governmental Affairs Cilion, Inc.	Ms. Hammerstrom is a co-owner of Hammertime Ranch (production agriculture-peaches, plums, and alfalfa) and the Manager of Environmental Permitting and Governmental Affairs for Cilion, Inc., a renewable fuels company. She has served as the Senior Project Coordinator for the City of Fresno’s Redevelopment Agency. Hammerstrom also was an Environmental Planner and Legislative Analyst for the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District. Ms. Hammerstrom was recently Chair of the Fresno County Planning Commission, and is currently the 2nd Vice President and State Legislative Co-Director for California Women for Agriculture (CWA), an all-volunteer, non-partisan grass-roots ag-advocay organization with over 2500 members, volunteers, and supporters, and the largest state affiliate of American Agri-Women. She is also a past President of the Central Valley Chapter for CWA. In 2004, she was appointed to serve on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Women’s Task Force. Ms. Hammerstrom has an M.P.A. from California State University, Fresno with honors, as well as a B.S. in City and Regional Planning with a Minor in Agribusiness from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
Michele Laur National Atmospheric Resources Specialist USDA NRCS Washington, DC	National Atmospheric Resources Specialist USDA NRCS Environmental Engineer USEPA Office of Air and Radiation	Ms. Laur holds a Bachelor and Master of Science Degree in Engineering from North Carolina State University. She has over 14 years of experience in the environmental arena, including ten years as a Federal Government employee with both EPA and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. During her employment with EPA, she was employed as an Environmental Engineer in EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. During her last 2 years at EPA, she led the OAQPS agriculture team, a cross-divisional team responsible for resolving agriculture-related environmental issues. Ms. Laur is currently employed as a National Atmospheric Resources Specialist at NRCS, where she holds a leadership position and is responsible for incorporating air quality (and other environmental media) considerations into agricultural practices. She is the Designated Federal Officer for the USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force.
Tom McDonald Vice President for Environmental Affairs Five Rivers Ranch Dalhart, TX	Board Member, National Cattlemens Beef Association Chair of NCBA CAFO Committee Member, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Certified Crop Advisor	Mr. McDonald currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA). He has chaired the NCBA CAFO working group for 8 years and served on the TCFA Legislative and Regulatory Committee for 12 years. Mr. McDonald is a member of the Texas Farm Bureau, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, and is a certified crop advisor through the American Society of Agronomy. In 2003, he had the distinct honor of serving on the national review panel for the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s National Program Assessment. Mr. McDonald also serves on the advisory council of the Texas Cooperative Research, Education, and Extension Triangle. He volunteers his time to local 4-H activities and livestock shows to help young people develop their leadership and livestock skills.
Dave Nelson Chairman of the Board Global Ethanol Belmond, IA	Chairman of the Board Global Ethanol, LLC Owns/operates Iowa grain farm	Mr. Nelson is Chairman of the Board of Global Ethanol, LLC and the Midwest Grain Processors Cooperative. He serves on the National Corn Growers Association Board, and is the liaison from this board to NCGA’s Production and Stewardship Action Team. Nelson resides in Belmond, Iowa. He and his family farm approximately five thousand acres of commercial corn, seed beans, alfalfa, and grass hay. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree From Iowa State University and is a Certified Crop Advisor.
Martha L. Noble Senior Policy Associate Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Washington, DC	Senior Policy Associate Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Vice President, American Bar Association’s Agricultural Management Committee	Ms. Noble is a Senior Policy Associate for the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition in Washington, DC. She works on farm bill conservation programs and on issues concerning environmental regulation of agricultural operations. She partners with environmental organizations to provide a voice for sustainable farmers and ranchers. Before joining the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Ms. Noble was a Staff Attorney for the National Center for Agricultural Law and an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Arkansas. Ms. Noble is currently a Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Agricultural Management Committee for the section on Environment, Energy, and Resources. She also co-chairs the Clean Water Network Feedlot Workgroup, and is a member of the Communications Committee for the American Agricultural Law Association. Ms. Noble has a J.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A. in Biological Sciences from Wellesley College.
Dawn R. Riley Owner Dawn Riley Consulting Louisville, KY	Owns/operates Dawn Riley Consulting Former Chief of Staff USDA Deputy Secretary Acting Deputy Undersecretary Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services & Research, Education and Economics Secretary/Treasurer Burley and Dark Leaf Tobacco Association	Ms. Riley has held a number of senior level positions at the United States Department of Agriculture in the areas of research, education, economics, food safety, nutrition, and consumer services. She also held the position of Chief of Staff to the USDA Deputy Secretary. In these positions she coordinated policy review, directed legislative staff, and advised the Secretary and key staff on programs and activities under various program offices. In addition to serving as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Burley and Dark Lead Tobacco Association, Ms. Riley also was a staff assistant to Senator Mitch McConnell. Ms. Riley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government with an emphasis in Economics from Centre College. She is currently involved in the development of a strategic plan for agriculture in the State of Kentucky.
Cliff S. Snyder, Ph.D. Nitrogen Program Director International Plant Nutrition Institute Conway, AR	Nitrogen Program Director, International Plant Nutrition Institute Past Chair of American Society of Agronomy - Professional Practitioners Division Past Chair of the Soil Science Society of America - Nutrient Management, Soil, and Plant Analysis Division USEPA Hypoxia Science Advisory Board	Dr. Snyder has a Ph.D. in Soil Science and Forestry from North Carolina State University. He currently serves as Nitrogen Program Director for the International Plant Nutrition Institute Dr. Snyder has conducted more than 120 research and education programs in cooperation with Land Grant University and USDA/ARS scientists, focusing on improved plant nutrition management and transfer of research-based technologies to end-users through education and demonstration. His work emphasis in recent years has expanded to include air quality, water quality, and site-specific nutrient management education of the agricultural industry, crop advisors, leading Extension workers, farmers, and the public.
Jeff Tee President Panhandle Environmental Resource Coalition Latah, WA	Farm owner and operator President, Panhandle Environmental Resource Coalition	Mr. Tee operates a fourth-generation family farm. He produces wheat, lentils, and bluegrass seed. He serves as the president of Panhandle Environmental Resource Coalition (PERC), a group of bluegrass farmers and industry partners that have pooled resources to address agricultural burning issues associated with the production of bluegrass After graduating from the University of Idaho, and prior to returning to the family farm, he worked in the elevator management division of Cargill, Inc. in Kansas and Nebraska, as well as for Columbia Grain Inc. in Montana.
Dennis H. Treacy Vice President for Environmental & Corporate Affairs Smithfield Foods Smithfield, VA	Leads environmental work for a major meat producer and processor Former VA Department of Environmental Quality Director	Mr. Treacy oversees and directs the environmental and corporate affairs programs for Smithfield Foods. Since arrival at Smithfield, he has helped enhance Smithfield’s environmental policies and programs to become the meat industry’s leader in stewardship programs. He has more than 25 years of environmental experience, including having served as Director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality under Governor Jim Gilmore, and Assistant Attorney General of Natural Resources for Virginia Attorney General’s Office. Mr. Treacy has also served as the Advisor for Regulatory and Policy Issues at the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, and as the West Virginia Assistant Attorney General of the Environmental and Energy Division. Mr. Treacy has served as a member of more than a dozen statewide and national boards and commissions. He received his J.D. from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon and has a Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, located in Blacksburg, Virginia.
Teferi Tsegaye, Ph.D. Professor and Chair of Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Alabama A&M University Huntsville, AL	Chair/Professor, NRES, Alabama A&M University Professor/Assistant Director, HSCaRS, Alabama A&M University Associate Professor/Assistant Director, HSCaRS, Alabama A&M Univsersity	Dr. Tsegaye holds a Ph. D. in Agronomy – Soil Physics/Geostatistics/GIS from the University of Maryland, College Park, as well as an M.S. in Agronomy – Soil and Water Management and a B.S. in Agronomy from Oklahoma State University. He currently is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES) at Alabama A&M University, in Normal, Alabama. Dr. Tsegaye has secured and managed about $15.2 million in federal and state funds to conduct environmental and water-related studies, and has served as an Assistant Director for the Center for Hydrology, Soil Climatology, and Remote Sensing (HSCaRS) that was established by NASA. He has performed as Principal Investigator of the Alabama Mesonet (ALMNet), and obtained a secured three-year funding from USDA-NRCS to expand the ALMNet to develop drought and flood forecasting tools for the continental U.S.
Jeffrey R. Vonk Secretary South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks Pierre, SD	Secretary, South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks Director, Iowa Department of Natural Resources State Conservationist, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Iowa and California	Mr. Vonk is the Secretary of the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department where he leads all aspects of management related to fish, wildlife, and state parks in South Dakota. He is the former Director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He began his career with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service where he served as a Field Conservationist in New York and as the State Conservationist in Iowa and California. He also was a Peace Corp Volunteer in Valdivia, Chile where he taught ecology and wildlife classes at the Austral University in Southern Chile. Mr. Vonk holds an M.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of Maine at Orono, a B.S. in Forestry Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, and an additional B.S. degree in Biology from Syracuse University.
Jay Vroom President Crop Life America McLean, VA	20 year leader of an agricultural trade association Member of EPA PPDC	Mr. Vroom is currently completing his 20th year as President of CropLife America, the leading U.S. trade association for companies in the plant sciences industry. In that capacity, Mr. Vroom has served on EPA’s Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee for many years, and on multiple EPA advisory committees addressing implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act. Mr. Vroom is a member of many agricultural organizations and societies, and has served in leadership positions for organizations such as the National Agri-Marketing Association, National Association of Farm Broadcasters, and the Agricultural Relations Council. Mr. Vroom is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of CropLife Foundation, a research and educational organization that works with government and private grant resources to advance agricultural safety, environmental stewardship, and understanding of the role of science-based technology in the production of food and fiber. Mr. Vroom served many years on the CropLife International (CLI) Executive Committee and today is a leading member of CLI’s Crop Protection Steering Council. Mr. Vroom was instrumental in the launch in the 1990s of CLI’s “Safe Use Project” which began in Guatemala, Kenya, and Thailand. He has personally visited those three original pilot countries and many other places in the developing world, helping to steer industry efforts to advance safe use of plant science technologies, including training of migrant farm workers on safe technology practices in their home countries prior to their legal arrival in the U.S. to support American agriculture.
William F. Willard President Willard Agri-Service Poolesville, MD	Owner/operator of a fertilizer, crop protection, custom application, crop consulting business. Managing partner of family grain farm	Mr. Willard currently serves as the President of Willard Agri-Services of Frederick, MD, and is a longstanding member of TFI. Willard Agri-Service is a family owned business that supplies farmers with fertilizers, crop protectants, custom applications, and consulting services in the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. In addition, Mr. Willard is the managing partner of a family farming operation consisting of 1,200 acres of corn, 600 acres of soft red winter wheat, and 900 acres of soybeans. He is also very active in his community and has served on the Farm Service Agency County Committee for 12 years.
G. Douglas Young General Partner Spruce Haven Farm Union Springs, NY	Dairy Farmer Board of Directors Dairylea Cooperative National Milk Producers Environment Committee National Council of Farmer Cooperatives Environment Committee	Mr. Young is a dairy farmer and a highly knowledgeable and respected industry leader. His dairy has embraced innovative technologies, while helping to maintain and improve environmental quality. He is involved with efforts to research and implement technologies that will lead to more efficient dairies and help to maintain a very high level of environmental stewardship. Mr. Young currently sits on the Board of Directors for Dairylea, providing insight and perspective on cooperative business. He is very active in the dairy industry, holding leadership roles in a variety of areas on a local, state, and national level. Mr. Young holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University.

Member

Formal Titles

Biography

James R. Moseley

Owner

Ag Ridge Farms

Clarks Hill, IN

Former Deputy Secretary of Agriculture

Former EPA Ag Counselor

Grain & livestock farmer

Mr. Moseley served as the Deputy Secretary under Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman. He is the owner of Ag Ridge Farms, which specializes in grains, and managing partner of Infinity Pork, LLC, which raises hogs, located in Clarks Hill, IN.

Mr. Moseley has played a key role in developing public policy for agriculture, the environment, and natural resources conservation at the state and national levels. From 1989-1990, he served as Agricultural Advisor to the Administrator of the U.S. EPA. He previously served at USDA as the Assistant Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment from 1990-1992. In this capacity, he provided leadership to the Forest Service and the NRCS on a variety of issues including endangered species, old growth forests, livestock grazing on public lands, wetlands, and policy issues related to the conservation title of the 1990 Farm Bill. In 1997, he served as Chairman of the industry negotiating team for America’s Clean Water Foundation’s National Environmental Dialogue on Pork Production. Following the 1995 Farm Bill, Moseley served as a consultant to the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. From 1993 to 1995, Moseley served as the Director of Agricultural Services and Regulations for the State of Indiana at Purdue University. He also served as a political analyst and member of the editorial board of the Farm Journal Publications.

Martha Guzman Aceves

Legislative Advocate

California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation

Sacramento, CA

Legislative Advocate, CA Rural Legal Assistance Foundation on Farm Worker Health and Safety issues, Environmental Justice, and Education Justice

Ms. Aceves’ current advocacy work has concentrated on occupational and environmental hazards like heat illness and pesticide exposure. In 2003, she served as the Legislative Coordinator for the United Farm Workers, AFL-CIO covering a range of labor and environmental issues.

Ms. Aceves is currently an active member of the Environmental Justice Coalition from Water where she concentrates on attaining safe and affordable drinking water for rural communities. She is a board member of the Ag Innovations Network that strives to bring food and food production back to the core of people’s lives; the Pesticide Action Network North America; the Sierra Institute; and, Community to Community Development. She was a gubernatorial-appointed member to the California Water Commission and was a member of the California Agricultural Leadership Program, Class XXXIII.

She has an M.S. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the University of California at Davis, and a B.S. in International Economics: Growth and Development, as well as a certificate in Latin American Studies from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. These are further complemented by her studies in Santiago de Chile, South America.

James O. Andrew

Owner

Andrew Farms, Inc.

Jefferson, IA

President and General Manager, Andrew Farms, Inc.

Director, Iowa Soybean Association

Director, American Soybean Association

Mr. Andrew is a fifth generation Iowa corn and soybean farmer. He has served as Vice President of Membership and Director of the National Corn Growers Association, Director and International Government Affairs Chairperson of the US Grains Council, and Director of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. He currently serves as Director of the Iowa Soybean Association and the American Soybean Association.

Mr. Andrew’s ongoing support of conservation includes instrumental work with the Iowa Soybean Association through the On-Farm Network promoting science-based research to minimize inputs of chemicals and fertilizers while maximizing yields without harm to the environment. He has been a key player in ISA’s work with the Sand County Foundation to include the Discovery Watershed program in the new farm bill which would fund on-farm, research-based programs to reduce the flow of nitrates into the Upper Mississippi river basin and thus limit hypoxia growth in the Gulf of Mexico.

Leonard M. Blackham

Commissioner

Utah Department of
Agriculture and Food

Moroni, UT

Utah Commission of Agriculture and Food

Chairman, NASDA Natural Resources & Pesticide Management Committee

Turkey Farmer

Former State Senator

Mr. Blackham was appointed Utah Commissioner of Agriculture and Food in January 2005 by Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr., becoming the state’s 6th Commissioner since Utah adopted the single commissioner structure.

Mr. Blackham was elected to the Sanpete County Commission where he served for four years. He was also elected chairman of the Utah Association of County Commissioners. He was then elected to the Utah House of Representatives and was appointed to the Utah Senate before taking the oath of office. He served in the Senate for 12 years before resigning his seat to accept the appointment as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Food. While serving in the Senate he held various leadership positions, serving as Senate Budget Chairman, Majority Whip, and Majority Leader, and also as chairmen of several commissions, committees, and taskforces on water, energy, agriculture, wildlife, mental health, and the legislative process.

A. Richard Bonanno, Ph.D.

Owner

Pleasant Valley Gardens

Methuen, MA

Adjunct Professor and Extension Educator, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Vice President, Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation

Past President, Northeastern Weed Science Society

Member, IR-4 Commodity Liaison Committee

Dr. Bonanno is a 4th generation specialty crop producer in Massachusetts. He is the owner and operator at Pleasant Valley Gardens, producing bedding plants and fresh market vegetables. He serves as a weed science Specialist with the University of Massachusetts Extension Service with responsibilities for vegetable and small fruit integrated weed management recommendations.

Dr. Bonanno has a Ph.D. from Oregon State University in Plant Physiology & Horticultural Crops. He is a former Professor and Extension Specialist with North Carolina State University. He also currently serves as a public member to the Massachusetts Pesticide Board.

Marion Long Bowlan

Farmer

Manheim, PA

Farmer, Manheim, PA

Executive Director, Pennsylvania Farm Link, Inc.

USDA Beginning Farmer Advisory Committee

Past President, National Farm Transition Network

USDA Small Farm Advisory Committee

National Commission on Small Farms-Commission Member

Ms. Bowlan is a third generation farmer from Lancaster County, PA. She has experience raising beef, dairy, hogs, vegetables, potatoes, poultry, eggs, and tobacco as well as direct and wholesale marketing experience. She is currently raising organic dairy heifers on a contract she developed with an organic dairy farmer. She has two small farms, which are certified organic and have conservation plans on each farm.

Ms. Bowlan’s experience includes three years working with conservation districts on water quality education and thirteen years of experience as the Executive director of PA Farm Link, where she planned and delivered over 100 workshops on farm start-ups and transfers to the next generation of farmers. She served on the USDA National Commission on Small Farm Advisory Committee, and the Beginning Farmer Advisory Committee. On occasion, Ms. Bowlan has provided state and federal testimony to congressional representatives.

Garth W. Boyd, Ph.D.

Senior Vice President, Agriculture

Camco

Topsail Beach, NC

Senior Vice President,
Agriculture,
Camco

Director,
Environmental Technology,
Smithfield Foods

Assistant Professor,
Department of Animal Sciences,
Colorado State University

Dr. Boyd currently serves as senior vice president for Camco, a global firm that owns one of the world’s largest carbon credit portfolios. In this capacity, Dr. Boyd is working to build an agricultural carbon portfolio in the U.S. to encourage rural economic development, improve ranch and farm income, and reduce green house gas emissions. He also has expertise in anaerobic digestion, climate change, livestock operations management, nutrient management, and carbon offset project development.

Dr. Boyd has a Ph.D. in Reproductive Physiology from Kansas State University. He has worked as an Extension Specialist at Colorado State University and Kansas State University. He has also had experience in the private sector as Director of Environmental Technology for Smithfield Foods, Inc. He is a former member of the USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force and the North Carolina GreenPower board. He serves as a Commissioner for the town of Topsail Beach, North Carolina.

Senator Mike W. Brubaker

State Senator

Pennsylvania State Senate

Lititz, PA

State Senator
PA State Senate

Chair, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee

Committee Member, Environmental Resources and Energy Committee

Agronomist

Senator Brubaker received a B.S. in Agronomy from West Virginia University. He is an agronomist by education and profession, and a private sector entrepreneur. Prior to joining the Senate, he owned and operated several successful businesses focusing on agricultural production and environmental enhancements. He was the founder and former owner of the Brubaker Consulting Group, Inc., which grew into the fifth largest agricultural consulting company in the U.S.

As a state legislator, Senator Brubaker’s priorities include improving Pennsylvania’s business climate, making communities safer and ensuring that the state is spending taxpayer dollars wisely. In addition, Senator Brubaker is the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, giving him the opportunity to work on behalf of the Commonwealth’s number one industry, which plays a strong role in his own district as well. In addition, he is Vice Chairman of the Aging and Youth Committee, and serves on the Environmental Resources & Energy, Local Government, Policy, and State Government Committees, as well as the Special Session Committee on Energy Policies. In 2008, the Senator was elected Vice Chair of the Pennsylvania Delegation of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, and is currently serving a two-year term on the State Agriculture and Rural Leaders (SARL) Board of Directors.

Christine Chinn

Manager

Chinn Hog Farm

Clarence, MO

Chair
American Farm Bureau Federation Young Farmers & Ranchers Committee

Owner, 2,400-head farrow-to-finish operation

Ms. Chinn chairs the AFBF Young Farmer & Rancher Committee and, in that capacity, serves on the AFBF Board of Directors.

In addition to her leadership role within Farm Bureau, Ms. Chinn is a full-time hog farmer. The Chinn family owns and operates a 2,400-sow farrow-to-finish operation. The family also owns a mill that processes feed and supplies their operation. On the farm, Ms. Chinn coordinates compliance with state and federal environmental laws, including Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans and Environment Management Systems. She handles all production and financial record-keeping, as well as maintaining all relevant permits for the operation.

Gary A. Cooper

Owner

Cooper Farms

Oakwood, OH

Owns/operates Cooper Farms, producer of hogs, turkeys and eggs

President, Ohio Poultry Association

Mr. Cooper owns and operates his family farm, Cooper Farms. He is the current President of the Ohio Poultry Association and also serves on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the National Turkey Federation.

Cooper Farms prides itself on its longstanding commitment to Environmental Stewardship. Cooper Farms was the first recipient of the Water Resources Stewardship Award presented by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 5.

Mr. Cooper attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio.

Otto C. Doering, Ph.D.

Professor of Agricultural Economics

Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN

Professor of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University

President, American Agricultural Economics Association

Dr. Doering joined the Agricultural Economics faculty at Purdue University in 1981. He is a public policy specialist and has served the U.S. Department of Agriculture working on the 1977 and 1990 Farm Bills. In 1997 he was the Principal Advisor to USDA’s NRCS for implementing the 1996 Farm Bill. In 1999 he was team leader for the economic analysis of the White House’s National Hypoxia Assessment looking at the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. He has overseas experience with the Ford Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences, primarily in Southeast Asia. He has been a visiting professor at Berkeley, Cornell, and North Carolina A&T State University Cooperative Research Program.

Dr. Doering has served on Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education. He has been a Director of the American Agricultural Economics Association and Chairman of the National Public Policy Education Committee. He has twice received the AAEA’s Distinguished Policy Contribution Award, as well as its Extension Economics Teaching Award.

Robert G. Flocchini, Ph.D.

Professor of Land, Air, and Water Resources

University of California, Davis

Davis, CA

Professor, Land air and Water Resources

Director, Crocker Nuclear Laboratory

Director, McClellan Nuclear Reactor

Dr. Flocchini has a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis. He is currently a Professor of Land, Air, and Water Resources, and also serves as Director of the Crocker Nuclear Laboratory and Director of the McClellan Nuclear Reactor, at the University of California, Davis.

The emphasis of Flocchini’s research program is the identification of particulate sources, the dispersion of material from those sources and the ultimate fate of that material. His research has stressed the identification of the soil contribution to PM10 and PM2.5 as well as an evaluation of the processes that place these particulates in the atmosphere.

Thomas M. Franklin

Senior Vice President

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Woodbine, MD

Senior Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

Conservation Director, Izaak Walton League of America

Executive Director, The Wildlife Society, Inc.

Mr. Franklin is the Sr. Vice President of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. He manages TRCP policy initiatives and develops partnerships with conservation NGOs and agencies.

Mr. Franklin earned a B.A. in Natural Resource Conservation, Wildlife
Management from the University of Maryland, and an M.S. Administrative
Science from the Johns Hopkins University. He was a Wildlife Biologist
with the Urban Wildlife Research Center (UWRC) and served as that
group's Executive Director. He has served as acting Executive Director
of the Wildlife Society and Conservation Director of the Izaak Walton League of America where he directed the government affairs and education programs.

Suzy Friedman

Project Manager of Agricultural Projects Center for Conservation Incentives

Environmental Defense

Arlington, VA

Project Manager, Agricultural Projects, Environmental Defense

Associate Director of Outreach, American Rivers

Assistant Press Secretary, Union of Concerned Scientists

Ms. Friedman is a Project Manager, Agricultural Projects, for the Center for Conservation Incentives at Environmental Defense, where her work focuses on developing and implementing incentive-based conservation projects with farmer, conservation organizations, producer organizations, state and federal agencies, and other local partners.

Ms. Friedman earned an M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts, History, and Environmental Studies from Princeton University. She has authored and co-authored numerous reports on agricultural conservation issues. She has served as Co-Chair of the Virginia Waste Solutions Forum, and has done extensive work in a number of capacities in the Chesapeake Bay.

Earl J. Garber

President

Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts

Crowley, LA

President, Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts

Owner, Garber Farms

District Conservationist, USDA Soil Conservation Service

Mr. Garber is a rice, soybean, and hay producer from southwestern Louisiana. He currently serves as the President of the Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts and is the Louisiana Board Member for the NACD where he also serves on the Legislative Committee.

Mr. Garber began his involvement in local soil and water conservation as a soil scientist and district conservationist. He then joined his father and brother in a full-time farming enterprise. He now has his own farming operation and provides daily service to area producers as a crop consultant. He has served on the Arcadia Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors since 1981.

Ralph Grossi

Senior Advisor

American Farmland Trust

Novato, CA

Senior Advisor, American Farmland Trust

Third generation cattle/dairy farmer

Since August 1985, Mr. Grossi has served as President of American Farmland Trust (AFT). He is a third-generation Marin County, California farmer, a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, and partner of Marindale Ranch, a family partnership that has been in the dairy and beef business for more than eighty years, spanning four generations.

Mr. Grossi has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Smart Growth America, and on the boards of directors of the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation and the Natural Resources Council of America. Additionally, he has served on the advisory board of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, the University of California President’s Advisory Commission on Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the National Center for Smart Growth Research and Education. He has also served on the National Commission on Non-Point Source Pollution and the Maryland Greenways Commission.

Karri M. Hammerstrom

Co-owner

Hammertime Ranch

Kingsburg, CA

Co-owner, Hammertime Ranch

Past Chair, Fresno County Planning Commission

Manager of Environmental Permitting and Governmental Affairs
Cilion, Inc.

Ms. Hammerstrom is a co-owner of Hammertime Ranch (production agriculture-peaches, plums, and alfalfa) and the Manager of Environmental Permitting and Governmental Affairs for Cilion, Inc., a renewable fuels company. She has served as the Senior Project Coordinator for the City of Fresno’s Redevelopment Agency. Hammerstrom also was an Environmental Planner and Legislative Analyst for the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District.

Ms. Hammerstrom was recently Chair of the Fresno County Planning Commission, and is currently the 2nd Vice President and State Legislative Co-Director for California Women for Agriculture (CWA), an all-volunteer, non-partisan grass-roots ag-advocay organization with over 2500 members, volunteers, and supporters, and the largest state affiliate of American Agri-Women. She is also a past President of the Central Valley Chapter for CWA. In 2004, she was appointed to serve on Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Women’s Task Force. Ms. Hammerstrom has an M.P.A. from California State University, Fresno with honors, as well as a B.S. in City and Regional Planning with a Minor in Agribusiness from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.

Michele Laur

National Atmospheric Resources Specialist

USDA NRCS

Washington, DC

National Atmospheric Resources Specialist
USDA NRCS

Environmental Engineer
USEPA Office of Air and Radiation

Ms. Laur holds a Bachelor and Master of Science Degree in Engineering from North Carolina State University. She has over 14 years of experience in the environmental arena, including ten years as a Federal Government employee with both EPA and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

During her employment with EPA, she was employed as an Environmental Engineer in EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards. During her last 2 years at EPA, she led the OAQPS agriculture team, a cross-divisional team responsible for resolving agriculture-related environmental issues.

Ms. Laur is currently employed as a National Atmospheric Resources Specialist at NRCS, where she holds a leadership position and is responsible for incorporating air quality (and other environmental media) considerations into agricultural practices. She is the Designated Federal Officer for the USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force.

Tom McDonald

Vice President for Environmental Affairs

Five Rivers Ranch

Dalhart, TX

Board Member, National Cattlemens Beef Association

Chair of NCBA CAFO Committee

Member, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers

Certified Crop Advisor

Mr. McDonald currently serves on the Board of Directors for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) and Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA). He has chaired the NCBA CAFO working group for 8 years and served on the TCFA Legislative and Regulatory Committee for 12 years. Mr. McDonald is a member of the Texas Farm Bureau, the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, and is a certified crop advisor through the American Society of Agronomy. In 2003, he had the distinct honor of serving on the national review panel for the USDA Agricultural Research Service’s National Program Assessment.

Mr. McDonald also serves on the advisory council of the Texas Cooperative Research, Education, and Extension Triangle. He volunteers his time to local 4-H activities and livestock shows to help young people develop their leadership and livestock skills.

Dave Nelson

Chairman of the Board

Global Ethanol

Belmond, IA

Chairman of the Board
Global Ethanol, LLC

Owns/operates Iowa grain farm

Mr. Nelson is Chairman of the Board of Global Ethanol, LLC and the Midwest Grain Processors Cooperative. He serves on the National Corn Growers Association Board, and is the liaison from this board to NCGA’s Production and Stewardship Action Team.

Nelson resides in Belmond, Iowa. He and his family farm approximately five thousand acres of commercial corn, seed beans, alfalfa, and grass hay. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree From Iowa State University and is a Certified Crop Advisor.

Martha L. Noble

Senior Policy Associate

Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Washington, DC

Senior Policy Associate
Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Vice President,
American Bar Association’s Agricultural Management Committee

Ms. Noble is a Senior Policy Associate for the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition in Washington, DC. She works on farm bill conservation programs and on issues concerning environmental regulation of agricultural operations. She partners with environmental organizations to provide a voice for sustainable farmers and ranchers.
Before joining the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, Ms. Noble was a Staff Attorney for the National Center for Agricultural Law and an Assistant Research Professor at the University of Arkansas. Ms. Noble is currently a Vice Chair of the American Bar Association’s Agricultural Management Committee for the section on Environment, Energy, and Resources. She also co-chairs the Clean Water Network Feedlot Workgroup, and is a member of the Communications Committee for the American Agricultural Law Association. Ms. Noble has a J.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a B.A. in Biological Sciences from Wellesley College.

Dawn R. Riley

Owner

Dawn Riley Consulting

Louisville, KY

Owns/operates Dawn Riley Consulting

Former Chief of Staff
USDA Deputy Secretary

Acting Deputy Undersecretary
Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services & Research, Education and Economics

Secretary/Treasurer
Burley and Dark Leaf Tobacco Association

Ms. Riley has held a number of senior level positions at the United States Department of Agriculture in the areas of research, education, economics, food safety, nutrition, and consumer services. She also held the position of Chief of Staff to the USDA Deputy Secretary. In these positions she coordinated policy review, directed legislative staff, and advised the Secretary and key staff on programs and activities under various program offices.

In addition to serving as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Burley and Dark Lead Tobacco Association, Ms. Riley also was a staff assistant to Senator Mitch McConnell.

Ms. Riley holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government with an emphasis in Economics from Centre College. She is currently involved in the development of a strategic plan for agriculture in the State of Kentucky.

Cliff S. Snyder, Ph.D.

Nitrogen Program Director

International Plant Nutrition Institute

Conway, AR

Nitrogen Program Director, International Plant Nutrition Institute

Past Chair of American Society of Agronomy - Professional Practitioners
Division

Past Chair of the Soil Science Society of America - Nutrient
Management, Soil, and Plant Analysis Division

USEPA Hypoxia Science Advisory Board

Dr. Snyder has a Ph.D. in Soil Science and Forestry from North Carolina State University. He currently serves as Nitrogen Program Director for the International Plant Nutrition Institute

Dr. Snyder has conducted more than 120 research and education programs in cooperation with Land Grant University and USDA/ARS scientists, focusing on improved plant nutrition management and transfer of research-based technologies to end-users through education and demonstration. His work emphasis in recent years has expanded to include air quality, water quality, and site-specific nutrient management education of the agricultural industry, crop advisors, leading Extension workers, farmers, and the public.

Jeff Tee

President

Panhandle Environmental Resource Coalition

Latah, WA

Farm owner and operator

President, Panhandle Environmental Resource Coalition

Mr. Tee operates a fourth-generation family farm. He produces wheat, lentils, and bluegrass seed. He serves as the president of Panhandle Environmental Resource Coalition (PERC), a group of bluegrass farmers and industry partners that have pooled resources to address agricultural burning issues associated with the production of bluegrass

After graduating from the University of Idaho, and prior to returning to the family farm, he worked in the elevator management division of Cargill, Inc. in Kansas and Nebraska, as well as for Columbia Grain Inc. in Montana.

Dennis H. Treacy

Vice President for Environmental & Corporate Affairs

Smithfield Foods

Smithfield, VA

Leads environmental work for a major meat producer and processor

Former VA Department of Environmental Quality Director

Mr. Treacy oversees and directs the environmental and corporate affairs programs for Smithfield Foods. Since arrival at Smithfield, he has helped enhance Smithfield’s environmental policies and programs to become the meat industry’s leader in stewardship programs. He has more than 25 years of environmental experience, including having served as Director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality under Governor Jim Gilmore, and Assistant Attorney General of Natural Resources for Virginia Attorney General’s Office. Mr. Treacy has also served as the Advisor for Regulatory and Policy Issues at the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, and as the West Virginia Assistant Attorney General of the Environmental and Energy Division.

Mr. Treacy has served as a member of more than a dozen statewide and national boards and commissions. He received his J.D. from the Northwestern School of Law at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon and has a Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, located in Blacksburg, Virginia.

Teferi Tsegaye, Ph.D.

Professor and Chair of
Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

Alabama A&M University

Huntsville, AL

Chair/Professor, NRES, Alabama A&M University

Professor/Assistant Director, HSCaRS, Alabama A&M University

Associate Professor/Assistant Director, HSCaRS, Alabama A&M Univsersity

Dr. Tsegaye holds a Ph. D. in Agronomy – Soil Physics/Geostatistics/GIS from the University of Maryland, College Park, as well as an M.S. in Agronomy – Soil and Water Management and a B.S. in Agronomy from Oklahoma State University. He currently is a Professor and Chair of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES) at Alabama A&M University, in Normal, Alabama.

Dr. Tsegaye has secured and managed about $15.2 million in federal and state funds to conduct environmental and water-related studies, and has served as an Assistant Director for the Center for Hydrology, Soil Climatology, and Remote Sensing (HSCaRS) that was established by NASA. He has performed as Principal Investigator of the Alabama Mesonet (ALMNet), and obtained a secured three-year funding from USDA-NRCS to expand the ALMNet to develop drought and flood forecasting tools for the continental U.S.

Jeffrey R. Vonk

Secretary

South Dakota Department of Game, Fish, and Parks

Pierre, SD

Secretary,
South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks

Director,
Iowa Department of Natural Resources

State Conservationist,
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Iowa and California

Mr. Vonk is the Secretary of the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department where he leads all aspects of management related to fish, wildlife, and state parks in South Dakota. He is the former Director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He began his career with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service where he served as a Field Conservationist in New York and as the State Conservationist in Iowa and California. He also was a Peace Corp Volunteer in Valdivia, Chile where he taught ecology and wildlife classes at the Austral University in Southern Chile.

Mr. Vonk holds an M.S. in Wildlife Management from the University of Maine at Orono, a B.S. in Forestry Biology from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry, and an additional B.S. degree in Biology from Syracuse University.

Jay Vroom

President

Crop Life America

McLean, VA

20 year leader of an agricultural trade association

Member of EPA PPDC

Mr. Vroom is currently completing his 20th year as President of CropLife America, the leading U.S. trade association for companies in the plant sciences industry. In that capacity, Mr. Vroom has served on EPA’s Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee for many years, and on multiple EPA advisory committees addressing implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act. Mr. Vroom is a member of many agricultural organizations and societies, and has served in leadership positions for organizations such as the National Agri-Marketing Association, National Association of Farm Broadcasters, and the Agricultural Relations Council. Mr. Vroom is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of CropLife Foundation, a research and educational organization that works with government and private grant resources to advance agricultural safety, environmental stewardship, and understanding of the role of science-based technology in the production of food and fiber.

Mr. Vroom served many years on the CropLife International (CLI) Executive Committee and today is a leading member of CLI’s Crop Protection Steering Council. Mr. Vroom was instrumental in the launch in the 1990s of CLI’s “Safe Use Project” which began in Guatemala, Kenya, and Thailand. He has personally visited those three original pilot countries and many other places in the developing world, helping to steer industry efforts to advance safe use of plant science technologies, including training of migrant farm workers on safe technology practices in their home countries prior to their legal arrival in the U.S. to support American agriculture.

William F. Willard

President

Willard Agri-Service

Poolesville, MD

Owner/operator of a fertilizer, crop protection, custom application, crop consulting business.

Managing partner of family grain farm

Mr. Willard currently serves as the President of Willard Agri-Services of Frederick, MD, and is a longstanding member of TFI.

Willard Agri-Service is a family owned business that supplies farmers with fertilizers, crop protectants, custom applications, and consulting services in the states of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. In addition, Mr. Willard is the managing partner of a family farming operation consisting of 1,200 acres of corn, 600 acres of soft red winter wheat, and 900 acres of soybeans. He is also very active in his community and has served on the Farm Service Agency County Committee for 12 years.

G. Douglas Young

General Partner

Spruce Haven Farm

Union Springs, NY

Dairy Farmer

Board of Directors Dairylea Cooperative

National Milk Producers Environment Committee

National Council of Farmer Cooperatives Environment Committee

Mr. Young is a dairy farmer and a highly knowledgeable and respected industry leader. His dairy has embraced innovative technologies, while helping to maintain and improve environmental quality. He is involved with efforts to research and implement technologies that will lead to more efficient dairies and help to maintain a very high level of environmental stewardship.

Mr. Young currently sits on the Board of Directors for Dairylea, providing insight and perspective on cooperative business. He is very active in the dairy industry, holding leadership roles in a variety of areas on a local, state, and national level.

Mr. Young holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University.

Current Members 2008 - 2010

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