Technical Service Center
Economics and Resource Planning Group
Who We Are
The Economics and Resource Planning Group includes 16 professionals with diverse academic and professional backgrounds, including agricultural and environmental economists, planners, managers, social scientists, and historians (as listed below).
Name (year joined Reclamation) (other experience) |
Education |
Areas of Expertise |
Rick Vinton (1982) Manager, Economics and Resource Planning Group |
B.S. (Biology and Wildlife Management), San Jose State University; M.S. (Agricultural Economics), Brigham Young University |
Project Formulation and Planning; Agricultural Economics; Environmental Economics; |
James Bailey (2003) |
B.A. (History) Metropolitan State College of Denver; M.A. (History) University of Northern Colorado; Ph.D. (History) Arizona State University |
20th Century American, American Western Regional, Indian, and Environmental History; Architectural History; Oral History; Cultural Resources Management; Comparative World Revolutionary Movements; Archival Photography |
Susan Black (1974-81; 1991) |
B.A. (Economics) St. Martin’s University |
Resource Management; Public Involvement; Project Planning; Social Analysis; Environmental Justice; Indian Trust Assets |
Chuck Borda (1988) |
B.A. (Economics and History), University of Colorado-Boulder; M.A. (Economics), University of Colorado-Boulder |
Environmental Economics; Regional Impact Analysis; Financial and Repayment Analysis |
Randy Christopherson (1985) |
B.S. (Agricultural Economics), Brigham Young University; M.S. (Agricultural Economics), Brigham Young University |
Project Formulation and Planning; Agricultural Economics; Financial and Repayment Analysis |
Thayne Coulter (1974) |
B.A. (Rural Sociology), Kansas State University |
Resource Management; Social Impact Analysis; Public Involvement; Decision Process Analysis; Planning Team Leader |
Rob M. Davis (1995) |
B.S. (Agricultural Business), Colorado State University; M.S. (Agricultural Economics), Utah State University; Ph.D. (Agricultural Economics), Colorado State University |
Agricultural Economics; Financial and Repayment Analysis |
Paula M. Engel (1992) |
B.S. (Animal Sciences and Agribusiness), University of Idaho; M.S. (Agricultural Economics), University of Idaho |
Agricultural Economics; Environmental Economics; Regional Impact Analysis |
Kurt Flynn (1984) |
B.S. (Biology) Old Dominion University |
Environmental Planning and Compliance |
David A. Harpman (1992) |
B.S. (Wildlife and Fisheries Management), West Virginia University; M.S. (Agricultural Economics), Colorado State University; Ph.D. (Resource Economics), Colorado State University |
Hydropower Analyses; Environmental Economics; Non-market Valuation Training; Mathematical and Statistical Modeling |
Marlene Johnson (1999) |
A.B.A. (Business Administration), University of Denver |
Resource Management |
Richard Lichtkoppler (1999) |
B.S. (Business Administration), The Ohio State University; M.S. (Park and Recreation Administration), The Ohio State University; Ph.D. (Resource Economics), Auburn University |
Natural Resource Economics; Recreation Economics; Economic Damage Assessment; National Park Planning; Environmental Justice |
Dawn M. Munger (1998) |
B.S. (Economics), West Virginia University; M.S. (Resource Economics), West Virginia University |
Environmental Economics; Regional Impact Analysis; Economic Damage Assessment |
Steven Piper (1990) |
B.S. (Economics), Colorado State University; M.S. (Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics), Colorado State University; Ph.D. (Environmental Economics), Colorado School of Mines |
Environmental Economics; Regional Impact Analysis; Valuation of Municipal and Industrial Water Supplies |
Jonathan L. Platt (1991) |
B.S. (Finance and Economics), Bryant College; M.S. (Finance), University of Northern Colorado; M.S. (Natural Resource Economics), Colorado State University |
Natural Resource Economics; Recreation Economics; Fisheries Economics; Regional Impact Analysis |
Becky Redhorse (1991) |
B.S. (Economics), University of Utah; B.S. (Sociology), University of Utah; M.S. (Environmental Policy and Management), University of Denver |
Project formulation and planning (NEPA); Indian trust assets and working with tribes; Economics; Sociology; Public Involvement |
For further information about the Economics and Resource Planning Group, our people, and the services we provide, we invite you to follow any of the links on the left-hand navigation bar, or contact our manager, Rick Vinton (303-445-2738 or RVinton@usbr.gov).