Locations
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1201 NE Lloyd Blvd
Suite 1000
Portland, OR 97232
503-273-2400
Fax: 503-273-2401
Light rail map from airport
(exit Lloyd Center/NE 11th Ave. Sta.)
Map for driving from airport
Hotel map
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5601 Sunnyside Ave
Room 1-2150A
Mail Stop 5420
Beltsville, MD 20705
Fax: 301-504-3960
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451 West Street
Amherst, MA 01002-2995
Fax: 413-253-4375
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Expertise Directory
Shaun McKinney, Director
Shaun McKinney comes to the West National Technology Support Center from the US Forest Service where he formerly was a Branch Chief responsible for managing national technology development and information systems for water quality, hydrology, and air issues. In that position he supervised 35 water and air specialists in addition to computer software developers and an annual budget of 15 million dollars. Prior to his current position, he was a fisheries biologist/hydrologist working on major assessment projects and river restoration projects. He has extensive experience with hydrologic analyses and geomorphology as well as water quality monitoring and modeling. Shaun received a BS from Michigan State University in Fisheries Science and a MS at Oregon State University in Aquatic Science. He lives in Canby with his wife Cindy and their two children.
Karma Anderson, Water Quality & Quantity Team Leader
Karma Anderson came to the WNTSC from the NRCS Regional Chief’s office where she was a Coordinator of five water quality based Landscape Conservation initiatives. Prior to that, she served as the Regional Agriculture Advisor for the Environmental Protection Agency in the Pacific Northwest, where she advised the Regional Administrator on agricultural issues and worked to improve understanding of the interface between agriculture and environmental concerns. Karma also worked for the Natural Resource Conservation Service in Colorado as a District Conservationist in the San Luis Valley, and as the NRCS State Water Quality Specialist. She began her career with Colorado and New Mexico state water quality agencies, where she did agricultural permitting, water quality monitoring, data analysis, and site investigations. At the WNTSC, Karma provides technical leadership for water quality and serves as data steward for Edge of Field water quality monitoring. Karma has worked extensively on agricultural water quality issues and conservation approaches to achieve water quality improvements while maintaining agricultural viability. She received her undergraduate degree in Soil Science from Colorado State University, a Masters in Environmental Policy from University of Denver, and is a certified mediator in Environmental Conflict Resolution.
Sally Bredeweg, Environmental Engineer
Sally has worked as an Engineer for NRCS since 1994. She has assisted with Conservation Planning and the design, application and implementation of animal waste management systems for landowners in Kansas and Washington states. She has worked with State and Federal regulatory agencies to build understanding about NRCS Conservation Practice Standards and ensure environmental requirements are met. Sally has developed Engineering Technical Notes for NRCS design and evaluation of engineering structural requirements utilized in animal waste systems. She has provided training to engineers and NRCS field staff on Conservation Nutrient Management Planning and associated structural engineering requirements. In November 2011 Sally moved to the Environmental Engineer position with the Core Team of the West National Technology Support Center in Portland to provide regional support for NRCS work with animal waste storage, utilization, management and alternative manure treatment systems. Sally received her undergraduate degree in Agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University and her Masters degree in Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. She holds Professional Engineering licenses in Kansas and Washington States. Sally and her husband Hollis have three grown children.
Ben Bowell, Organic Conservation Coordinator, Oregon Tilth
Ben Bowell is an Organic Conservation Specialist for Oregon Tilth, a national non-profit organic certification and education organization. Through his joint position with NRCS, he provides technical assistance, delivers trainings, and develops technical resources for use by NRCS staff and organic professionals in order to better support conservation work on organic farms. Ben first became interested in agriculture as a student at Wake Forest University and while completing his degree he worked on small-scale farms in North Carolina. He pursued this interest and received a M.S. from Tufts University’s Agriculture, Food, and Environment Program during which he completed an internship at the Institute of Organic Agriculture in Bonn, Germany. After working as a consultant on environmental and agricultural policy analysis projects for several organizations in New England, he joined the staff of American Farmland Trust in 2007. While at American Farmland Trust, Ben worked on municipal planning for agriculture, state policies and related projects in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He assisted in the publication of several guides and provided related outreach and technical assistance. Ben also spent one year as Project Director of the Working Lands Alliance, a coalition in Connecticut focused on farmland preservation and agricultural viability.
Sarah Brown, Organic Conservation Specialist, Oregon Tilth
Sarah discovered her passion for food and agriculture as a student at the University of California at Davis. While completing her B.S. in International Agricultural Development, she had the opportunity to work on the student-run organic farm, visit agricultural systems from California to Chile, and develop a deeper understanding of sustainable agriculture - from hands-on practice to socio-political perspectives. After graduating, she moved with her husband to SW Washington to build and manage a small, diversified, organic farm. Since moving to Portland 3 years ago, Sarah has worked with a number of agriculture education programs including Zenger Farm’s Emerging Farmer Training Program, Oregon Tilth’s Organic Education Center, and OSU Extension. Now at home on their 2 acre urban farm, Sarah and her husband Conner grow vegetables for a CSA and local restaurants, harvest fruit in abundance, and raise a diversity of livestock. Inspired by the farmers they’ve met, Sarah and Conner thrive in developing a small farm business together, and are happiest when savoring a home grown meal. Sarah is an employee of Oregon Tilth, a national non-profit organic certifying organization, and will be working with NRCS under a two-year Contribution Agreement. Through this national position she’ll be delivering trainings and developing technical information for use by NRCS staff and organic professionals in order to better support conservation work on organic farms.
Steve Campbell, Soil Scientist
Steve Campbell received his BS in Forest Management with a Soil Science option from Washington State University in 1976. Since graduation he has served as a soil scientist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. From 1976 to 1980, Steve was a project member for numerous soil surveys in Washington State including Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties, and the Snoqualmie Pass area (eastern King and Pierce Counties). He served as Soil Survey Project Leader for the Colville Indian Reservation (Ferry and Okanogan Counties) in Washington from 1980-1987, followed by the position of Resource Soil Scientist in the Spokane Washington Area Office from 1987-1995. During his time in Spokane, Steve was responsible for providing soil science and wetlands technical assistance to NRCS field offices, units of government, and private individuals. Steve moved to Portland, Oregon in 1995 to serve as Soil Scientist to the NRCS State Office until 2002. While in that position, his responsibilities included providing technology transfer and training on soil science related issues, including soil quality Prior to becoming the Soil Scientist with the WNTSC, Steve most recently served as the Soil Data Quality Specialist for the Pacific Northwest Soil Survey Regional Office in Portland, Oregon where he provided quality assurance for project soil surveys in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Steve also served as the soil survey database manager for the Pacific Northwest and provided training to NRCS personnel and others on using soil survey data. Steve is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist with the Soil Science Society of America. He lives in Portland with his wife Rhonda and daughter Shannon and enjoys many outdoor activities including canoeing, kayaking, skiing, and hiking.
Giulio Ferruzzi, Conservation Agronomist
Giulio Ferruzzi was born in northern Italy and raised in Beaufort, North Carolina. Giulio received a BS in Soil Science (’91) from North Carolina State University and his Masters in Soil Science and Ph.D. in Agronomy (‘94/’01) from the University of California at Davis. Before his federal service, Giulio’s work experience consisted of pest scouting, environmental consulting, soil laboratory analysis, and university research. In 2001, Giulio began his NRCS service as an Agronomist in the Salinas and Templeton, California field offices. In 2005, he became the State Agronomist of Kentucky where he provided technical assistance and policy guidance with nutrient management, pest management and other agronomic practices until mid-2009. He accepted the position of Agronomist with the West NTSC Core Team and moved to the Portland area in June of 2009 with his wife and two daughters.
Karen Fullen, Ecologist (Environmental Compliance)
A native of Fresno, California, Karen started her NRCS career in the Field Office there in 1992 in the student employment programs. After obtaining an A.S. degree in Forest/Park Technology from Kings River Community College and a B.S. in Biology with an Ecology emphasis from Fresno State in 1997, Karen became a Soil Conservationist for the Fresno Field Office. From 1999-2004, she was the Wetland Team Biologist working out of the Elk Grove Field Office to provide wetland compliance and restoration assistance across a large swath of interior northern California. Prior to joining the WNTSC Core Team in 2014, Karen Fullen served as the State Biologist and Environmental Compliance Specialist for Idaho and Utah over a period of 10 years.
Gene Fults, GLCI Rangeland Management Specialist
Gene Fults comes to the WNTSC from the position of State Range Management Specialist in Nevada, a position he has held since 2004. Prior to this position he was a Range Conservationist in Florida from 1982 to 2004. Mr. Fults has experience in the areas of ESD-soils correlation, prescribed burning, subtropical pasture management planning, and ecology.
Hal Gordon, Economist
Hal Gordon is from the Intermountain West and received a AS in Ecology from Ricks College in 1983, a BS in Range Science from Utah State University in 1986 and an MS in Agricultural Economics from New Mexico State University in 1988. He was a State Economist for 20 years on Oregon's Technology Team, he was the economist on the Oregon Watershed Planning Staff and previously an economist at the West National Technical Center. Hal worked a brief time for the US Forest Service in Idaho, the Extension Service in New Mexico and in several National Parks in southern Utah. His main area of expertise is "field economics" and has developed dozens of tools for field planners and taught many conservation planning courses. He is also a certified "Master Planner" having completed Oregon's planner certification course and written conservation plans. In August of 2007, he was selected as Agricultural Economist on the West National Technology Support Center staff.
Timmie Mandish, Fisheries Biologist
Timmie Mandish comes to the West National Technology Support Center from the Bonneville Power Administration. She brings with her experience and skill in fisheries biology & restoration practices, and is knowledgeable on how those practices can be integrated into viable solutions for working lands. At Bonneville Power Administration, she worked with local stakeholders to developed tools to integrate available research, monitoring and physical data into a GIS format for decision making. These tools helped to advance a framework for strategic implementation of habitat restoration based on current science, which could be vetted by feasibility. She also oversaw and contracted a wide variety of restoration, flow, research, & hatchery projects within agricultural communities and acted as the Technical Liaison between the agency policy team and field level project implementation providing feedback on how policy decisions would affect implementation of work.
Prior to her time with BPA, Timmie worked for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service implementing restoration projects on private land both in NE Oregon and SE Alaska finding the common ground between fish and wildlife species recovery and maintaining working landscapes. She is also a course facilitator & instructor for the River Restoration Certificate Program at Portland State University.
Timmie lives with her husband and son in NE Portland and endeavors to keep the dust from settling on her fly rods, bikes, and hiking boots.
Marcus Miller, Wildlife Biologist
Marcus Miller joined the WNTSC in November 2011 as Wildlife Biologist. Marcus is a graduate of Humboldt State University and began his career with NRCS as a Soil Conservation Technician in Lovington, New Mexico in 1982. Marcus spent the last 20 years as Area Wildlife Biologist in Arizona, Wetland Biologist and Area Wildlife Biologist in Montana, State Wildlife Biologist in New Mexico, and biologist on the ESD team in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Peter Robinson, Water Management Engineer
Before coming to the West National Technology Support Center, Peter Robinson was Lead Engineer at the Grand Prairie Irrigation Project in eastern Arkansas. He also worked at the National Water Management Center for three years where he provided direct assistance to NRCS engineers and technicians in the use of agency sponsored irrigation and drainage software. He has developed models for predicting irrigation efficiencies in large scale irrigation projects, and taken a leadership role in the state of Arkansas for GPS. Peter has also developed and presented a wide range of training sessions for NRCS engineers. Prior to joining NRCS, he worked on numerous water development and water management projects in developing countries in Africa. Peter has a B.S. in Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University and a M.S. in Agricultural Engineering from Cornell University. He is a registered Professional Engineer in Arkansas
Casey Sheley, National Technology Specialist
Casey Sheley joined the West National Technology Support Center staff in February 2016. Casey grew up on a purebred cattle operation in west-central Iowa. Upon graduation from Iowa State University in 1993 with a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology, he began his career in wildlife management. In 1997, Casey began permanent employment with NRCS and has held the positions of Soil Conservationist in Iowa and Colorado, District Conservationist in Colorado and Alaska, and most recently Resource Conservationist, State Resource Conservationist, and Assistant State Conservationist for Management and Strategy in Wyoming. Casey and his wife Katy have two daughters.
Mace Vaughan, Joint Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Mace Vaughan is the Pollinator Program Director, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and the Joint Pollinator Conservation Specialist for NRCS West National Technology Support Center. Mace has led the Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Program since 2003. In this capacity, he supervises research and outreach on habitat restoration for crop pollinating native bees, develops and presents educational materials to farmers, conservationists, land managers and policy makers, and collaborates extensively with scientists researching the role and habitat needs of crop-pollinating native bees. In September of 2008, the Xerces Society entered into a contribution agreement with the WNTSC to create a technical position that supports the agency’s pollinator conservation work. Through this agreement, Mace oversees six staff across the country who are providing training and technical support to NRCS conservationists to help them design and implement pollinator conservation projects. Mace has written numerous articles on the conservation of bees, butterflies, aquatic invertebrates, and insects, and is co-author of the Pollinator Conservation Handbook and lead author of Farming for Bees: Guidelines for Providing Native Bee Habitat on Farms. He was a lecturer on honey bee biology and beekeeping at Cornell University, from which he holds Masters Degrees in Entomology and Teaching. .
Kip Yasumiishi, Civil Engineer
Kip Yasumiishi comes to the West National Technology Support Center from the Regional Design Team in Spokane, WA. Kip is a native of Idaho and began his career with SCS in 1975. Kip has worked as a Civil Engineer with NRCS (field office, Area Office, WNTSC, and Regional Design Team); with the Corps of Engineers; and with the Rural Development Administration. He received a BS in Construction Engineering Mgt. (1981) and an MS in Civil Engineering (1984) both from Oregon State University. Kip is a Licensed Civil Engineer in California, Oregon, and Washington. He and his wife Kristi have two children (and one dog).
Adam Chambers, Co-Leader, National Energy and Environmental Markets Team
Dr. Adam Chambers has fifteen years of experience working in air quality, atmospheric change, and energy conservation, including positions with the EPA and the DOE-National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Washington DC; the Jefferson County (Louisville), Kentucky, Air Pollution Control District; the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria; and, most recently, with the International Resources Group of MPRI in Washington, DC. Over the past nine years Adam has been heavily involved in air pollution, greenhouse gas, and energy assessment at both the international and national levels, with particular focus on India, China, and Pakistan. He holds a Doctorate of Natural Sciences from the Vienna University of Technology; a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; and a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Murray State University in Kentucky. A native of Calloway County, Kentucky, Adam has an agricultural background and lived on a small farm with his wife and daughter in Prospect, KY until relocating to Portland in August of 2010.
Kip Pheil, Co-Leader, National Energy and Environmental Markets Team
Kip Pheil joined the West NTSC in October 2010. He came to the Energy Technology Development Team from the Oregon Department of Energy where he oversaw generating facility eligibility and Renewable Energy Certificate tracking for the Oregon Renewable Portfolio Standard. Kip also worked as the State’s Energy Loan Program engineering analyst, working with public and private borrowers on almost 400 projects valued at approximately $300 million. Those projects either used renewable resources to produce electricity, heat, or fuels; or reduced energy use through efficiency upgrades. Kip began his energy career doing commercial and industrial energy audits for a small consulting firm and also worked for Honeywell in their building control and life safety automation systems group. He received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University.
Greg Johnson, Leader, Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Technology Development Team
Dr. Greg Johnson became Leader of the Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team in October, 2004. He oversees air quality and atmospheric change technology development and integration in the NRCS. Greg formerly served as the NRCS Applied Climatologist at the National Water and Climate Center in Portland for seven years, where he was project leader of several climate-related programs for the agency. From 1991 to 1997 Greg was a Research Meteorologist with the Agricultural Research Service in Boise, Idaho, where he performed hydro-meteorological research at the Northwest Watershed Research Center. The 12 years prior to his ARS service were spent in Raleigh, North Carolina where Greg was a USDA Agricultural Meteorologist at North Carolina State University. At NCSU Greg helped start the North Carolina Agricultural Weather Program. He lived in Raleigh for nearly 12 years, and in 1991 he earned his Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from NCSU. Dr. Johnson is an Oregon native, growing up on a small farm near Eugene, and attending Oregon State University. He received his B.S. in Atmospheric Science from OSU in 1977, and his M.S. in Meteorology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1979.
Greg Zwicke, Air Quality Engineer
Greg Zwicke joined the Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team in September 2005 as an Air Quality Engineer with a primary focus on air emissions associated with animal operations. Greg grew up on a small farm and ranch operation near New Berlin, TX, and received BS and MS degrees in Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University with a focus on environmental engineering and air quality. Prior to joining NRCS, Greg worked for an air quality consulting firm assisting industrial facilities, including those in the agriculture and forest products industries, with air quality regulatory compliance issues. Greg is a registered Professional Engineer in Virginia and a member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. He lives in Ft. Collins with his wife, son, daughter, and dog.
