Nevada Tribal Programs

Program Leads

Staci Emm

Professor - Extension - Reno, NV

Staci Emm leads University of Nevada, Reno Extension's Tribal Programs. Staci is a member of the Yerington Paiute Tribe and grew up on the Walker River Reservation in a generational farming and ranching family. She began her career with Extension's Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP) in July of 2000. Staci works at national, regional and local levels to provide education in Indian Land Tenure and tribal water rights. She co-created an award-winning and internationally known curriculum, People of the Land, which trained U.S. Department of Agriculture professionals on how to implement federal programs on trust lands. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Nevada Reno, and a master's degree in agriculture from Colorado State University. Staci is experienced in business management and entrepreneurship, marketing, Indian land tenure, agricultural water rights, and land-use planning. Areas of expertise include Indian Land Tenure, USDA program access and tribal agricultural water rights.

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Daniel Coen

Lead Coordinator - Extension - Carson City, NV

Daniel Coen holds a master's degree in teaching and a bachelor's degree in history from Georgia State University. He retired from the United States Coast Guard in 2020 after 28 years of service and attained the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer, E8. After retiring, he began with Extension as the overall project mentor for the newly developed Tribal Students Program, providing students encouragement, connections to needed resources and general advice as needed. He developed tutoring and support planning for each student receiving a tuition scholarship. He scheduled and coordinated the retreats for American Indian students twice a year to discuss long-term personal and career goals, identify successes and failures, and enhance self-efficacy. He now coordinates Extension's statewide Tribal programs and works with grant teams and tribal communities to identify funding opportunities and additional offerings. He works with the entire Native Program team on the hoop house project, on reservation Extension programs, and regional and national efforts so that opportunities can be brought back to tribal communities. Daniel's areas of expertise are access to state and federal programs, student programming, small business development, and on-reservation Extension programming.

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FRTEP Coordinators

Nik Wright

Pyramid Lake Reservation FRTEP Coordinator - Extension - Nixon, NV

Nikwich Wright holds a bachelor's degree in English from Stanford University. After graduating from Stanford, he worked at Pyramid Lake Jr./Sr. High School for a short time before joining Extension. Originally hired on to assist in agricultural development with hoop house construction on Northern Nevada tribal lands, he has also continued to promote agricultural knowledge in his community by implementing various programs offered by Extension to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe. These programs include: Veggies for Kids Program, Veggies for Seniors Program, 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 Hoop House Program, fruit tree pruning and beekeeping workshops hosted on the Pyramid Lake Reservation, 4-H and College Preparation camps involving Pyramid Lake Tribal youth, and afterschool programming collaboration with Natchez Elementary School and Pyramid Lake Jr./Sr. High School. With many programs, Nikwich’s main goal for both Extension and the Pyramid Lake Reservation is to improve these current programs and promote opportunity for his community through these programs. Nik's areas of expertise are youth development, Tribal hoop house programs, and Veggies for Seniors and Veggies for Kids.

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Hope Allen

Walker River FRTEP Coordinator - Extension

Nu Hope Allen me nanea. Nu Taboose Tukadu numudooe Agai Dicuttauno. Nu numu yadooa natunetooewunu. E numu yadooa natunetooedu Ralph Burnsgapu (Kooyooe Tukadu). My name is Hope Allen, I am a citizen of the Yerington Paiute Tribe with Walker River Paiute relatives. I am learning to speak Numu. My Numu language teacher was Ralph Burns from Kooyooe Pa’a (pyramid lake). I am a recent pre-law graduate from the University of Nevada, Reno with a bachelor's degree in gender, race and identity and minors in cultural anthropology and Indigenous studies. I previously worked for Extension in Mineral County for several years as a community-based worker. I assisted with data collection and program success for the 4-H Youth Development; Veggies for Kids; Veggies for Seniors; and Think First, Stay Safe Programs, and assisted with the community garden, hoop house construction, and grant writing and editing. My goal for Extension's soo Agai Dicutta (the Walker River) Program is to work with the community to meet their needs through current and new programs to promote opportunity, access and connection for Agai Dicutta numudooe (Walker River relatives). Hope’s areas of expertise are community engagement, youth development, data collection, Indigenous research methodologies, and Indigenous language and cultural revitalization.

CONTACT Hope

Lance Owyhee

Duck Valley Reservation FRTEP Coordinator – Extension – Owyhee, NV

Lance Owyhee is from the Duck Valley Indian Reservation and graduated with a bachelors in Forest Ecology and Management from the University of Nevada, Reno. They helped start the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Program within the Desert Farming Initiative in Fall 2021. The program raises awareness of Indigenous food sovereignty on campus which increases access to culturally significant and healthy foods and medicinal plants. Also, with the help of the Experiment Station and the Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program, it has since blossomed by helping to develop demonstration gardens, providing a space to propagate culturally significant plants, hosting internships, and much more, including holding the program’s main feast event, “Paba Tuka.” Their time working for DFI and the Indigenous Food Sovereignty Program led them to become more knowledgeable in food systems, agriculture and small scale producing. With Lance becoming the new addition to the team, they hope to help tribal members of Duck Valley to become more knowledgeable in their hoop houses, regenerative/sustainable agriculture practices, small scale producing, and integrating indigenous knowledge and plants. They also hope to learn more and provide more access to the youth with 4H and other important community needs. Areas of experience are small scale regenerative/sustainable farming, traditional ecological knowledge and community engagement.

CONTACT LANCE

Program Staff

Cody Hussla

Crop Production Coordinator - Extension - Sparks, NV

Cody Hussla is a crop and pest control advisor who supports and assists with agriculture planning and implementation for Extension's Tribal Programs. Cody is from Sparks, Nevada. He studied entomology and wildlife, fish and conservation biology at U.C. Davis, and worked with U.C. Agriculture and Natural Resources, U.C. John Muir Institute of the Environment, U.C. Natural Reserve System, and the Desert Research Institute. Cody specializes in regenerative agriculture/ecosystems and sustainable production and has experience and practice with conventional agricultural production.

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Laurie A. Thom

Tribal Outreach - Extension - Yerington, NV

Laurie Thom supports Extension's Tribal Emergency Management Programs. She is a member of the Yerington Paiute Tribe. Laurie worked in the tribal sector as an advocate for victims of crime, tribal law enforcement, environmental staff, and served as a council member and as chairman of two different Northern Nevada tribes. She has served on regional and national committees for tribal funding and was honored with Leader of the Year from the Nevada Indian Commission for her service to Nevada tribes. Serving in the legislative branch of tribal government during times of crisis provided her valuable insight into many levels of preparedness needed for tribal emergency management. Serving her community for 10 years in the Schurz Volunteer Fire Department and as a wildland firefighter and support services, she has experienced being on the front lines and received special training. Training included U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Public Health Services Introduction to Institutional Environmental Health, Hazmat, Bioterrorism Awareness, emergency communications, terrorism consequences, Nevada state grants, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS) grants, FEMA Community Emergency Management Team Training, CERT Train the Trainer, as well as numerous health and wellness continuing education units (CEUs). She earned her associate degree at Western Nevada College; graduated and presented cultural inclusion at the National Victims Assistance Academy at California State University, Fresno; earned her massage therapy license; and has been a licensed massage therapist for over 14 years. She is a Great Basin Basket Weavers Association member and actively attends the Four Tribes Alliance and the Tribal Cultural Resources Management Working Group. Laurie’s expertise is in emergency management, Tribal relations and indigenous knowledge of Nevada Tribes.

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Gabriella Madraso

Extension - Fallon, NV

Gabriella Madraso is a fourth-generation Nevadan cowgirl who grew up in rural Nevada in Hawthorne and currently resides in Fallon. She has deep Basque roots and lives with her horses and French Bulldog. Gabriella brings hands-on experience in agriculture, particularly in growing food to support and sustain communities, which has shaped her deep respect for land stewardship and food systems. She studied English and Secondary Education at the University of Nevada, Reno, and earned a Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in School Counseling from Liberty University. Gabriella also holds a Nevada real estate license and is passionate about land conservation, believing strongly in helping others understand the value of land as a finite and precious resource. A former competitive Nevada high school rodeo athlete, Gabriella was crowned Miss Reno Rodeo in 2015. In her free time, she enjoys team roping, golfing, and hunting. She believes that progress is achieved by lifting others along the way and that life is short—meant to be lived fully and with purpose.

CONTACT Gabriella

Catelyn Bridges

Hemp Research Specialist - Extension - Reno, NV

Catelyn Bridges is graduating with her PhD in Horticulture and Agronomy from the University of California, Davis. She also has an MS in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from Texas A&M University and a BS in Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Catelyn spent time in the recreational cannabis industry before pursuing a doctorate, which provided direct insight into organic cultivation practices and observation of the industry's current postharvest processes. That experience prompted her current investigation into how postharvest processes affect the quality of medicinal hemp flowers for her dissertation work. She has also constructed an extension project that benefits the hemp postharvest industries. In addition to her research, she is a Hemp Research Specialist at the University of Nevada, Reno, where she manages hemp field trials, writes extension publications, and organizes local hemp field days.

CONTACT Catelyn

Impact & Promotion

Allison Moreno

Project Manager- Extension - Reno, NV

Allison Moreno is a Project Manager with the University of Nevada, Reno Extension and works directly with program leaders to manage grant-funded projects, document project evaluation and reporting and create and build project partnerships. Moreno has financial and case management experience with the State of Nevada. Areas of expertise include grants management, reporting; budgeting and financial management.

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Becky DeForest

Grant Writer - Extension - Reno, NV

Becky DeForest is the Grant Writer with the University of Nevada, Reno Extension. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Communications from California State University, Stanislaus and brings more than two decades of experience in nonprofit administration, revenue development and strategic communications. Throughout her career, Becky has successfully secured and managed federal, state and private grants supporting initiatives in youth development, workforce training, public safety, natural resources and economic vitality. Her experience across multiple sectors has deepened her commitment to advancing agriculture - and those who steward the land — as key agents of economic, environmental and social prosperity. Becky’s expertise includes grant writing and management, strategic planning, small business advocacy, marketing strategy and customer experience.

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Noah Scott

Digital Media Coordinator - Extension - Reno, NV

Noah Scott is the Digital Media Coordinator for the Nevada Tribal Programs. He graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. During his time as a student, he led the marketing team behind popular student life programs like Pack Provisions and Pack Rides. With experience in strategic marketing, content creation and social media and website management, he has worked with various organizations, specializing in community and student-led marketing initiatives. His expertise includes digital strategy, graphic design, photography and analytics-driven content development to enhance brand engagement and outreach.

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Meet The Team