WELD X Interns Alphabetically by State

Joshua Moore | Arizona

Joshua Moore is the 4-H Youth Development Agent for a large county in southeastern Arizona where he works with community clubs, livestock projects, military 4-H programs, and STEM programming. Josh joined the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Service in 2016. Growing up in western Arizona, Josh earned his BS (2014) and MS (2015) at the University of Arizona in Agricultural Education. In his spare time, Josh enjoys reading, grilling and cooking, and spending time outdoors with his wife Lillian.

Kimberly Christman | Arizona

Kim Christman is a 4-H Youth Development professional with over 25 years of experience working in Cooperative Extension in both Arizona and Illinois. Kim has a Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Northern Illinois University and a Bachelor’s of Science in Child and Family Community Services from Bowling Green State University. Kim is specifically interested in Leadership Development, camping, and New 4-H Delivery Modes. Kim is also an officer in the Air Forces Reserves and has served for over 32 years.

LaVerne Vinyard | Arizona

LaVerne joined the team at The University of Arizona in July of 2013. She came to the Cooperative Extension office in Navajo county as an Administrative Associate, later promoted to Business Officer.

She has since been promoted to cover a second county in her region, Apache County. LaVerne studied accounting at the Lamson Business College in Phoenix and is an Arizona native. Before coming to the U of A, she served as a Business Manager for a private investment firm for 8 years. Kayaking is among her many outdoor interests, as well as spending time with family and geocaching with grandkids!

Morgan Doran | California

Morgan is a Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor with UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) covering Napa, Solano, Yolo and Sacramento counties and the Director of the three-county UC Cooperative Extension Capitol Corridor unit that includes Sacramento, Yolo and Solano counties. Before becoming an advisor, he received his Bachelor’s degree at Sonoma State University in business management, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador where he worked with indigenous groups to improve animal husbandry practices, and then received his Masters degree at UC Davis in International Agricultural Development with a specialization in ruminant ecology. Much of his work in Cooperative Extension has focused on rangeland and pasture management and the use of livestock for specific vegetation management objectives in range and croplands. Morgan has been happily married to his wife Wendy and has worked with UCCE, both for 18 years, and has two children.

Surendra Dara | California

Morgan is a Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor with UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) covering Napa, Solano, Yolo and Sacramento counties and the Director of the three-county UC Cooperative Extension Capitol Corridor unit that includes Sacramento, Yolo and Solano counties. Before becoming an advisor, he received his Bachelor’s degree at Sonoma State University in business management, served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador where he worked with indigenous groups to improve animal husbandry practices, and then received his Masters degree at UC Davis in International Agricultural Development with a specialization in ruminant ecology. Much of his work in Cooperative Extension has focused on rangeland and pasture management and the use of livestock for specific vegetation management objectives in range and croplands. Morgan has been happily married to his wife Wendy and has worked with UCCE, both for 18 years, and has two children.

Aimee Kanode | Colorado

Aimee is a 4-H Youth Development and Horticulture Agent with Colorado State University in Morgan County. She has been in the position since 2016 and loves her ability to work with youth and the community through the 4-H Programs. She has always had a passion for youth, being heavily involved in 4-H and FFA in Phillips County, Colorado, as well as serving as a Colorado State FFA Officer. These experiences led her to pursue a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Agriculture Communication and afterwards she obtained a Master’s of Science in Agriculture Consumer Resources, both from Tarleton State University, in Stephenville, Texas. Aimee hopes that with her passion for youth and her experiences through her career, she can make an impact on the 4-H program in both Morgan County and Colorado during her tenure.

Barbie Garnett | Colorado

Barbie Garnett is a Colorado native and has worked for Colorado State University Extension for the past 12 years. Barbie holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Fashion Design and Product Development from Stephens College, and a Masters of Science in Agriculture Extension Education from Colorado State University. She is currently the Park County Extension Director in Fairplay, Colorado, previously she was the 4-H youth development agent in Jefferson County in Golden, Colorado. In her spare time, Barbie enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her husband and daughter.

Melinda Macpherson | Colorado

I have worked at Colorado State University as the 4-H STEM AmeriCorps program manager for four years. Our program provides AmeriCorps service members to deliver STEM programming to underserved youth around the state of Colorado. I have been lucky enough to work on this initiative since we first received the grant funding and it’s been a wonderful adventure. Prior to joining CSU Extension, I was the AmeriCorps Program Manager at the United Way of Larimer County. I have a background working in the hospitality industry, including a stint working at the hotels in Yellowstone National Park, the human services field, and in education. I’ve lived most of my life in Colorado and have been in Fort Collins for about 15 years. I love being outside – watching wildlife and birds, camping, fly fishing, and growing vegetables. I’m a dyed in the wool knitter. I’m always excited about new adventures with my Australian Shepard, Bliss, and I’m a huge ice hockey fan.

Education:

• B.A. Psychology, Reed College, Portland, OR
• M.Ed. Education, Colorado State University, CO

Tami Eggers | Colorado

I am honored to be the Routt County 4-H Agent for the past 7 years. I love coming to work each day! I am encouraged by our amazing volunteer’s commitment to our 4-H program and am inspired by our motivated youth – our future leaders. Routt County 4-H continues to grow – we are making the best better! I am very involved at the state level including being co-chair of the Volunteer Work Team and sit on the NAE4-HA Youth Empowerment committee. I am a proud graduate of University of Florida – Go Gators! In my free time I enjoy family time, horseback riding, rafting, skiing (downhill and cross-country) and doing home improvements.

Kathleen Duenas | Guam

Kathleen Duenas is an Extension Associate in Communications and Marketing as the Communications Chief with Cooperative Extension and Outreach (C-E&O) at the University of Guam. She is responsible for working on the development, implementation and promotion of the C-E&O brand at UOG. As a graphic designer, marketing and administrative professional, she aims to match creativity and marketing on the difference in viewers and thrive when given the opportunity to form concepts from beginning to end. She is committed working on projects with trending design and constantly challenges herself to learn more about Extension.

Kathleen graduated from the Guam Community College with Associate of Science in Marketing and Associate of Arts in Visual Communication. Her dedication to her studies further led to pursue Bachelor of Sciences in Public Administration and Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Guam. Her research interests are in public policy, community development, adaptation on marketing strategies, graphic design theory, multisensory design practice of products, environments, and media.

Kathleen and her husband Frank have a 12-year-old daughter and 8-year-old son. She very much enjoys reading, outdoor activities, going to the beaches, family gatherings, island fiestas, and watch movies with her family.

LaJoy R. Spears | Guam

LaJoy R. Spears is the Extension Evaluation Specialist and Assistant Professor in Family Life and Youth Development at the University of Guam. Her experience includes program planning, curriculum development, youth/student development, agricultural education, evaluation and online/distance learning. Her current focus is on theory-based, culturally sensitive educational approaches to youth/student development, family life education, and sexual assault and domestic violence advocacy. She is also passionate about building evaluation capacity in Extension as well as promoting diversity in Extension. LaJoy earned her Ph.D. in Agricultural Education and Curriculum and Instructional Technology from Iowa State University, M.S from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville in Agricultural and Extension Education, and BS in Agricultural Economics and Business from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Ariel Agenbroad | Idaho

Ariel leads and facilitates collaborative, multidisciplinary and multifaceted applied research and education in community food systems, urban agriculture, and small farms for a six-county area in a six-county area in southwestern Idaho. She is committed to helping individuals and communities grow!

She earned a BS in Agricultural and Extension Education with a minor in Horticulture from University of Idaho (UI), and a MS in Plant Science, also from UI. She now proudly holds the rank of Associate Professor, Extension, at UI. Her areas of specialization include home and market vegetable production, direct marketing of small farm products, beginning farmer education, food safety, and gardening with youth.

For eight years as a horticulture educator, she coordinated and taught the Master Gardeners and numerous small farms classes and workshops. She created the Idaho Victory Garden Series, a popular UI Extension program designed to help families produce more food at home, now offered statewide. She also she began the Master Gardener School Garden Mentor program in Idaho, which trains and certifies volunteers to support school garden projects.

Since beginning a new position as an Area Educator in 2015, her focus has turned to community food systems in the greater Boise metropolitan area, particularly working around issues related to local food access, farmers’ markets, farm and food entrepreneurship, on-farm food safety, farm to school programs and community food security.

Grace Wittman | Idaho

Grace is a Family and Consumer Sciences/4-H Youth Development Extension Educator in Cassia County, Idaho. She has worked for the University of Idaho for 13 years. Grace holds a BS in Family and Consumer Sciences Education and an MS in Family and Consumer Sciences from the University of Idaho. She has programming responsibilities in eight central Idaho counties focusing on Food Safety/Home Food Preservation, Health and Nutrition and 4-H Youth Development. Grace enjoys camping, fishing, snow skiing and spending time with her husband and two children.

Kari Lewis | Idaho

Kari Lewis has been serving the residents of Glacier county with Montana State University-Extension since May, 2014. As the single agent for the county, Kari provides programming in everything from beef cattle nutrition to slow cooker meals to computers and Master Gardener courses. Kari’s passion is 4-H/youth development and anything cattle-related. Kari received a B.S. degree in Animal Science from Montana State University followed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln( UNL) Feedyard Internship program. Following the internship, Kari completed her Animal Science Master’s Degree at UNL with the summers spent in the Sandhills completing research. In her spare time, Kari is active on the nearby family ranch, kayaking in Glacier National Park, baking, or spending time with her husband, Kaleb.

Bonnie Hopkins | New Mexico

Bonnie Hopkins has served San Juan County as the Agricultural Extension Agent for New Mexico State University since 2013. In 2010, she completed her undergraduate degree in Sustainable Agriculture from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. She completed her graduate studies, a Master of Agricultural Sciences, Integrated Resource Management from Colorado State University in 2013. She combines each of her degrees in her Extension work, fostering the development of on-farm food safety procedures and increasing local food awareness and opportunities wherever possible. Her program of work for New Mexico State University includes a focus on profitable livestock production; emergency management; brush and weed management; and urban horticulture. She also oversees the San Juan County Master Gardener program, assists with the county 4-H program and serves on the board for the Farmington Growers Market.

Jason Lamb | New Mexico

Jason Lamb is the Agricultural Extension Agent in Quay County, NM. He is in charge of providing farming and ranching programs and also manages the 4-H Livestock show program and assists with the 4-H shooting sports program. Jason’s programming has included many agricultural components with emphasis on beef cattle production, weed management, vegetable and gardening workshops, along with 4-H show programs and jackpots. Jason has been an Extension Agent for thirteen years and was the County Director in two other counties prior to his appointment to Quay County. He received the Achievement Award from NACAA in 2018 for his Excellence in Agricultural Programing. Before his career in Extension, Jason worked as a high school agricultural instructor for eight years teaching industrial arts, agriculture and served as an FFA Advisor. Jason graduated with his Masters in Agriculture and Extension Education in 2008 and his Bachelors in 1997 from New Mexico State University. In his spare time, Jason likes to draw, work on his farm and enjoys spending time with his children, Kyle and Jessica.

Alice Phillips | Oregon

Alice Phillips is a 4-H Educator in Washington County, an urban county situated in the Portland-Metro region. She has been with Oregon State University since 2009. Prior to OSU, Alice served as an Environmental Educator with the Maine Conservation Corps. Her current position focuses on reaching underserved youth and families through college and career readiness programming. Alice also serves as a facilitator for eXtension’s Impact Collaborative who offer nation-wide innovation skill-building events for Extension professionals and partner organizations. Outside of work she enjoys gardening, hiking, exploring Portland’s neighborhoods and restaurants, and travelling back east to visit family and friends.

Kaci Buhl | Oregon

Kaci serves as the Statewide Coordinator of the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) in Oregon, building a program that serves a wide range of industries, including agriculture, transportation, forestry, and landscaping. She is also involved at the national level as Deputy Director of the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC). Before joining Extension in 2017, Kaci coordinated the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC), and investigated pesticide incidents for the Oregon Department of Agriculture. She earned her Master’s degree in integrated pest management at Michigan State University. With a strong interest in public policy, Kaci works closely with state/federal agencies with pesticide-related mandates.

Lauren Grand | Oregon

Lauren Grand joined OSU Extension as the Lane County Extension Forester in 2016. Lauren’s role is to provide objective, research-based educational opportunities related to forest ecology, forest stewardship, and small woodland management. Before becoming an extension forester Lauren worked as a wood products consultant in Vietnam and research assistant with fire ecology labs at UC Berkeley and the Forest Service. She has a BS in Environmental Science from the University of California Berkeley. Her expertise also includes amphibian conservation management, which was the focus of her MS work at the University of Washington. In her free time, Lauren enjoys exploring wetlands for amphibians, hunting for edible mushrooms with her pup, and experimenting with kombucha and pickle recipes.

Elizabeth Davis | Utah

Elizabeth Davis has been involved in education for the last 10 years and an Assistant Professor of Extension at Utah State University for 3 of those years. She has a split assignment between 4-H and Family and Consumer Sciences. Elizabeth is passionate about youth development and providing high quality STEM programming to the youth and families in Kane County. She has a Bachelor of Science in Family Consumer and Human Development from Utah State University and a Master of Science in Adolescent Development from Utah State University. She currently resides in Southern Utah where she enjoys the amazing outdoors, hiking, spending time with her family and traveling.

Nell Larson | Utah

Nell is the Director of the Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter, an Extension center located in Park City, UT. The center’s work focuses on environmental education, land preservation and restoration, and providing an engaging experience to EcoCenter visitors through exhibits. Prior to her role as Director, Nell acted as Conservation Director where she focused on the restoration and management of the 1,200 acre nature preserve, with a focus on water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Nell grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York. She completed her undergraduate degree at Yale in Environmental Studies and her Master of Environmental Management with a focus in ecology at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Outside of work, Nell loves to hike, ski - both nordic and alpine, sail, travel, and generally take advantage of Utah's great outdoors.

Chris Page | Washington

Chris Page has been an Assistant Professor in the Community & Economic Development Unit of Extension at Washington State University in Seattle for five years with a focus on collaborative public policy. Prior to this, Chris facilitated multi-party consensus on public agency projects as a consultant and did fundraising and organizational development for environmental nonprofits and worked as an Executive Director for a science education nonprofit. He has a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and serves on the Steering Committee for the national University Network for Collaborative Governance. Chris grew up in Seattle and northern Virginia, went to college in rural Massachusetts, and has now lived in back the Puget Sound region of Washington for 28 years. Chris and his wife have a eleven- and eight-year old daughters and love ultimate “Frisbee,” their pup Cooper, and exploring the Great Northwest in the sun, rain and snow.

Kayla Wells | Washington

Kayla Wells was hired by WSU Extension in September 2011 as a Family & Consumer Sciences Coordinator on the Colville Indian Reservation. In 2013, Kayla was promoted to a Family & Consumer Sciences Regional Specialist and Assistant Professor. As a Regional Specialist, Kayla’s main program areas are: 1) Food, Nutrition & Food Safety, 2) Parenting & Family Relationships and 3) Financial Education. As a faculty member, Kayla has focused her efforts on the development, delivery and evaluation of educational programs to address the three identified areas of needs. Significant to her work is the adaption of traditional educational materials and curriculum to meet the cultural learning style of the Native American audience. In the winter of 2017, Kayla was asked to take on additional leadership responsibilities as the Interim Director of the Okanogan County Extension Office. After a successful year as Interim Director, Kayla’s leadership and professional conduct was rewarded with a re-appointment as Director of Okanogan County Extension through June 30, 2021. Kayla was born and raised in the state of Washington, earning her B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Puget Sound and her Master’s in Teaching (MIT) from Washington State University. Prior to her work with Extension, Kayla was a middle school teacher for four years. In her spare time, Kayla stays active through playing sports and finds relaxation in the pages of a good book.

Michael Jensen | Washington

My educational and experiential background is Forest Resource Management and Positive Youth Development. I am also a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician. Throughout my Extension career, I have served in many rural communities and on the State Extension level. I am currently a County Extension Director in a small rural county in Washington State (Pend Oreille County) . I serve in the Community and Economic Development Unit and focus on risk management and community development projects. I have been successful in both field and campus position in Extension in Michigan (MSU), Florida (UF) and Washington State (WSU). I have worked in all program areas of Extension as both a member of teams and as leading state-wide teams. I have successfully authored millions of dollars in grants and successfully implemented a variety of grant funded projects.

Even with all my years of service and experience, I still enjoy learning more about how we can do better in serving our Communities and our States through Extension programs and research. I look forward to share and learning from each of the WELD participants and staff. "May the Forest be with You!"

Rebecca Sero | Washington

Rebecca Sero is the Evaluation Specialist for Washington State University Extension. In this position, she leads a statewide evaluation effort and is responsible for increasing WSU Extension's capacity to assess the effectiveness and efficiency of its programs and services. Primarily, she works closely with teams to conduct periodic, focused evaluations of major WSU Extension programs. Additionally, she also develops and disseminates evaluation best practices and tools for use by Extension educators and develops evaluation-related professional development opportunities. She earned her Ph.D. from Purdue University and a M.S. from Miami University.