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Contact West National Technology Support Center
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Bruce J. Newton, Director
Bruce Newton became Director of the West National Technology Support Center in the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on July 25, 2004. In this position he is responsible for managing the development of technical tools and providing technology support for conservation in the Western United States. Mr. Newton has also served as the Director of the NRCS National Water and Climate Center and as a scientist with the National Water and Climate Center and the West National Technical Center. Prior to joining NRCS in 1993, Mr. Newton was a senior manager with the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC, responsible for managing various water quality programs. He began his career in public service in 1979. Mr. Newton is a native of New York. He received his undergraduate degree in Botany and Chemistry from Ohio Wesleyan University and received his Master of Science degree in Environmental Science from Rutgers University. He and his wife, Wendy, have two children – Elissa, 19, and Andy, 13. Betty Shatto, Office Administrative Assistant
Betty Shatto came from the West Regional Office, where she had worked for the past nine years as an administrative assistant. Previously, Ms. Shatto worked for the Watershed Planning Staff in the California State Office as a secretary, illustrator, and program analyst. Betty has an AA degree in Civil Engineering Technology. Betty is the mother of four and a grandmother of seven. Terry Aho, Soil Scientist
Terry Aho comes to West National Technology Support Center from the Information Technology Center, Fort Collins, CO where he served from 1996 to 2004 as the soil scientist business area specialist for the National Soil Information System (NASIS) and soil application development for conservation planning. He began his career in 1976 with SCS and over the years has served as a soil survey project leader, area soil scientist, state soil correlator and state resource soil scientist. He received a B.S. in soil science and a B.S. in environmental science from Washington State University. Meg Bishop, Ecologist (Environmental Compliance)
Meg Bishop has been serving as Ecologist at the WNTSC since the reorganization, with a focus on environmental compliance (NEPA, ESA, NHPA, etc.) and conservation planning. Prior to her duties here, she most recently served as the West Regional Grazing Lands (GLCI) Coordinator for several years. She began her NRCS career as a student trainee in Montana in the early 1980s and has since served in a variety of capacities, including Soil and District Conservationist in various locations in Montana, State Grazing Land Coordinator in Montana, and State Grazing Specialist (Agronomist) in Vermont. Meg is a graduate of Montana State University in Range Science, and Pasture & Hayland Agronomy. She also received her Masters degree in Ecosystem Management (with an emphasis in Landscape Ecology and Public Participation) from the University of Montana. Prior to coming on board with the NRCS, Meg worked for the U.S. Forest Service conducting forest stand evaluations, pre-sale activities, controlled burning and fire suppression activities. Kathryn Boyer, Fisheries Biologist
Kathryn Boyer has served NRCS as a senior level Fisheries Biologist since 1997. She recently led the revision of the Stream Visual Assessment Protocol to expand its utility for conservation planning and implementation. She is the agency’s technical contact for guidance regarding the use of SVAP and Conservation Practice Standard 395: Stream Habitat Improvement and Management. She serves on the training cadre of NEDC’s Stream Corridor Restoration, Conservation Buffers, and Fish and Wildlife Habitat Management courses. As a member of the WNTSC Core Team, Kathryn has co-developed training in Riparian Ecology and Management for New Mexico and Stream Corridor Restoration for Arizona. She is currently working on a training course for Utah field conservationists on the planning, design, and implementation of irrigation diversions that provide both fish passage and safety from entrainment in irrigation ditches, pumps, and diversions. Kathryn serves as the aquatic ecologist on the WNTSC’s “stream team.” To this end she provides technical assistance to the team and field offices interested in integrating ecological considerations into projects associated with stream corridors to assure that conservation of fish and aquatic species habitats are an integral part of the project objectives. Projects include, but are not limited to, stream habitat improvement or restoration, floodplain and wetland management and restoration, fish passage, fish screens, streambank and channel stabilization, grazing management and riparian restoration and management. Kathryn is the NRCS regional contact for implementation of the Western Native Trout Initiative and the Desert Fish Habitat Partnership which can provide landowners leveraged funding for fish habitat projects. Prior to her affiliation with NRCS Kathryn worked as a district and forest-level fish biologist for the US Forest Service from 1990 to 1997. Kathryn studied marine and desert fish ecology as an undergraduate at the University of Arizona and received her graduate degree at Oregon State University in 1984 where she completed a thesis on smolt physiology of coho salmon. She currently collaborates with ARS, USEPA, OSU, CSU and the NRCS National Agricultural Wildlife Center to determine the effects of agricultural practices on aquatic species. Kathryn is a member of the American Fisheries Society, the North American Benthological Society, and the Desert Fishes Council. Jim Briggs, Plant Materials Specialist
Jim has worked with the NRCS plant materials program for over 20 years and has been in his current position at the WNTSC since 2005. He has experience managing PMCs as well serving as state plant materials specialist for Arizona and Nevada. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Plant Science and did graduate study in Agronomy and Plant Breeding at the University of Maryland. John Copeland, Natural Resources Specialist
John Copeland came to the WNTSC in March 2005 from Alaska where he served as State Resource Conservationist from October 1997 until March 2005. John served as the West Region representative to the National Conservation Practice Standards Subcommittee for 5 ½ years. Prior to moving to Alaska, John was on the Texas State Office Staff and was responsible for implementation of the Conservation Planning Module of FOCS. He has served as an Area Resource Conservationist and Area Agronomist. John was born and raised in Texas and began his career with SCS in January 1977. He received a General Agriculture degree from Tarleton State University in December 1971. Kathleen Dobler, Natural Resources Specialist
Kathleen Dobler comes to the WNTSC from the position of State Resource Conservationist in Hawaii. Kathleen’s experience includes Resource Liaison for the Water Management Center in Little Rock Arkansas, ASTC for Operations in Arkansas, EPA Liaison for the Pacific Northwest and geologist in Washington and Iowa. She left the Corps of Engineers and began her SCS career in 1982 on the Snow Survey Staff in Portland Oregon. Kathleen was raised on a cattle ranch outside of Helena, Montana, and received her BS in Geology from Portland State University. Kathleen is the Center's webmaster and administrator for the Assistance Tracker data base. She has two grown children and 5 darling grandchildren, and currently shares her life with husband Brett and two very social parrots. Gene Fults, GLCI Rangeland Management Specialist
Gene Fults comes to the WNTSC from the position of State Range Managment 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.
Wendell Gilgert, Wildlife Biologist
Wendell Gilgert was born and raised in California on a fourth generation family farm in eastern San Joaquin County. The farm has been in the family since 1851 and has been farmed in a wildlife friendly manner for several decades. Wendell took both his BS in Biological Science and MS in Plant and Soil Science from California State University, Chico. He started with NRCS as a Cooperative Education Student in 1977 and has worked his entire career with SCS/NRCS. He worked as a Soil Conservationist, District Conservationist, and Area Conservationist in Northern California. For six years he was a Wildlife Biologist for the NRCS Wildlife Habitat Management Institute stationed in the Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology at Colorado State University, where he remains a Faculty Affiliate. Most recently, he served as the NRCS State Biologist for California. While in California, he was program manager for the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program that emphasized work on anadromous fish, corridor and endangered species habitats. Wendell lives in Beaverton with his wife Becca, son Jaime, and two dogs. Tom Gohlke, Conservation Agronomist
Tom Gohlke comes to the WNTSC from the Oregon State Office, Portland, OR where he served since 1989 as the State Agronomist on the State Technology Team. He began his career in 1974 with SCS and has worked in field and area offices in Oregon and Washington serving as Soil and District Conservationist and as Area Agronomist. Tom is a Certified Professional Agronomist (CpAg), Certified Crop Advisor (CCA), licensed Pesticide Consultant and has earned an Oregon Master Planner Certification in conservation planning. Tom attended Mt Hood Community College earning an AA, and is a 1973 graduate of the University of Kentucky where he received a B.S. in Agriculture with a major in Agronomy.
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.
Stacy Mitchell, Communications Specialist
Stacy Mitchell was born and raised on the family ranch her grandparents homesteaded near Geraldine, Montana. Following a career in banking in Denver, CO, Stacy returned to college in 1990 and graduated in 1994 with a degree in Business Marketing from Montana State University. She began her career with NRCS while still a student, working for the then Soil Conservation Service as a Public Affairs cooperative education trainee in the MT State Office. After graduation, Stacy served over a year as a public affairs specialist for a 12-county field team in eastern Montana as well as 2 ½ years in the State Office before moving to Pennsylvania where she was the State Public Affairs Specialist for 8 years, working out of Harrisburg. She accepted the position of Public Affairs Specialist with the West NTSC Core Team and moved to the Portland Area in April, 2005. Mitchell enjoys travel, writing, and photography.
Jeff Repp, Rangeland Management Specialist
Jeff Repp began his NRCS career in 1983 and has since served as a Soil Conservationist, District Conservationist, and Rangeland Management Specialist in various locations in Montana and Oregon. He was the State Rangeland Management Specialist in Oregon from 1997 to 2005. Jeff is a graduate of Montana State University with a BS in Range Science and Plant Taxonomy. He has spent most of his career engaged in grazinglands conservation planning, designing and analyzing grazing systems, and developing ecological site descriptions on rangelands (including alpine, wetland, and riparian sites). Jeff is a Certified Professional in Range Management (Society for Range Management - CPRM) and a certified Master Conservation Planner (Oregon NRCS). He has been at the West National Technical Support Center since March, 2005.
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. Pat Shaver, Rangeland Management Specialist
Pat Shaver was born and raised in New Mexico. He attended New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Range Science in 1973. Pat worked in several Field Offices in NM, as Range Conservationist and District Conservationist and as Area Range Conservationist in Roswell, NM. He left NM in 1988 and served as State Range Conservationist in Texas, then transferred to the same position in Utah before joining the West National Technical Center in Portland, OR in 1994. In 1995 Pat was assigned to the Grazing Lands Technology Institute and housed in the Rangeland Resources Department at Oregon State University. In September of 2004, he was reassigned as Rangeland Management Specialist on the West National Technology Support Center staff. Pat is a Certified Professional in Range Management (Society for Range Management - CPRM). Lyn Townsend, Forester
Lyn Townsend comes to the West National Technology Support Center with thirty-five years of experience with planning, consultation and instructing in forestry, agroforestry, forest ecological sites, watershed management and riparian ecology. Lyn’s experience includes field, area, state and national positions in forestry and supervisory soil conservation. He has had international exchanges on agroforestry, forest and watershed conservation, and riparian technology in Canada, Costa Rica, China, Denmark, Micronesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia and Australia. From 1972 to 1974 Lyn served with the military in Sinop, Turkey, including living off-base in the local economy. Lyn received a Bachelor of Science in Forest Science from Colorado State University and a Master of Science in Forest Resources from the University of Idaho.
Kip Yasumiishi, Agricultural 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, WNTC, 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 Christy have two children (and one dog). Charles Zuller, Environmental Engineer
Charles Zuller arrives at the WNTSC from the Mississippi State Conservation Engineer’s staff in Jackson, MS. He received a BS in General Agriculture from Tennessee Tech (1978) and a BS in Agricultural Engineering (1984) from the University of Tennessee. In addition he has a MS in Engineering (Environmental) from Mississippi State University (2003). Charles has been with NRCS since 1976, working in Tennessee (Project Engineer), Missouri (Agricultural Engineer), Mississippi (Planning Engineer), Mariana Islands (Project Engineer), and Mississippi (Environmental Engineer) Charles and his lovely wife Susie are originally from Tennessee. Stefanie Aschmann, Leader, Energy Technology Development Team
Stefanie Aschmann began her Federal career as a Soil Conservationist with the Navy Department in Oceanside, California, Washington, DC and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. In 1992 she joined the West National Technical Center as a Conservation Agronomist. From 1996-2004 she served as the Agroecologist on the Watershed Science Institute, returning to Portland in November, 2004 to lead the newly-formed Energy Technology Development Team. She grew up in California and has a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the University of California, a Master of Science degree in Forest Biology from the University of Washington, and a PhD in Agronomy from the University of Maryland.
Stan Hitt, Physical Scientist
Prior to working for NRCS and the WNTSC’s Energy Team, Stan Hitt was at the US Environmental Protection Agency in Dallas, Texas for twenty three years. At EPA he held many positions including several in waste management, and most recently he was the Region’s Senior Agriculture Advisor, and a member of their energy team. Stan started his federal government career as a soil scientist with the Soil Conservation Service and holds a BS from Texas Tech University and a MS from the University of Arkansas.
Greg Johnson, Leader, Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Technology Development Team
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 hydrometeorological 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. Roel Vining, Natural Resources Specialist
Roel Vining is a husband of one, father of two, who was born and raised on a small grain farm in eastern North Dakota. Roel has been with NRCS for over 12 years. Starting as a hydrologist at the former Midwest National Technical Center in Lincoln, NE, he moved to the position of erosion prediction and air quality cooperating scientist at the ARS National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory in West Lafayette, IN, in 1995. He has worked on numerous project areas for the agency, including water quality, wetlands and drainage, erosion prediction model development, air quality technology development, and maintenance of numerous agency websites. Before entering federal service, Roel received a bachelor’s degree in Earth Science-Meteorology from the University of Northern Colorado, and a master’s degree in Soil Science from North Dakota State University. He actively farmed in North Dakota for 15 years, worked as a crop consultant-trainee in northern North Dakota, and was a meteorologist on weather modification projects in the United States and southeastern Europe for 3 years. Greg Zwicke, Air Quality Engineer
Greg Zwicke joined the Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team in September 2005. 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. 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 Hillsboro with his wife Jennifer, a son, and two dogs. Susan O’Neill, Physical Scientist
Susan O’Neill joined the Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team in October 2005 as a Physical Scientist. Previously she was a Research Air Quality Engineer with the USDA Forest Service, Atmosphere and Fire Interaction Research and Engineering (AirFIRE) Team in Seattle, Washington. With the AirFIRE Team she was the Development Team Leader for the BlueSkyRAINS Smoke Prediction System, a system designed to forecast PM2.5 concentrations from prescribed fires, wildfires and via its interaction with the ClearSky system, agricultural fires. BlueSky won the prestigious National Fire Plans’ Excellence in Research Award in 2005. Susan has a B.S in Mechanical Engineering, M.S. in Environmental Engineering, and Ph.D in Civil Engineering. Since 1994 she has focused on air quality modeling, first designing an instantaneous plume dispersion model as part of her M.S. work at Montana Tech, then applying the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system to the Pacific Northwest to evaluate its’ performance predicting ozone and aerosol concentrations as part of her dissertation at Washington State University. She also has five years experience as a software engineer and holds a minor in Computer Science. Susan enjoys yoga and triathlon training and she and her husband make their home in Battle Ground, Washington along with their cat Bruiser. Shaun McKinney, Leader, Water Quality and Quantity Technology Development Team
Shaun McKinney comes to the West National Technology Support Center from the US Forest Service where he most recently 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 this position which he has held for the last six years, 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. Joseph K. Bagdon, Pest Management Specialist
Joe Bagdon brings 20 years of pest management experience to the National Water Quality and Quantity Technology Development Team. He is located in Amherst, MA at the Massachusetts NRCS State Office. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with a Bachelor of Sciences Degree in Plant and Soil Sciences in 1980. He ran a small vegetable, tobacco and dairy farm before he began his career with the Soil Conservation Service in 1985. He spent two years as a County Executive Director for the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service and then came back to the Soil Conservation Service as a Soil Conservationist. He continued on as a Resource Conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service and then became the Project Leader for NAPRA: National Agricultural Pesticide Risk Analysis. Since 1994, Joe has served as a national Pest Management Specialist and he has helped develop and deliver Nutrient and Pest Management Considerations in Conservation Planning training, CORE 4 training, and Conservation Boot Camp training. Joe is responsible for NRCS pest management related technology and technical policy. He represents NRCS on the Federal IPM Coordinating Committee and works with CSREES, ARS, EPA and the pesticide industry to help coordinate NRCS activities in the pest management arena. His main focus is to provide technology support to NRCS field staff nationwide so they can evaluate the environmental risks of pest management activities and recommend appropriate mitigation in the conservation planning process.
Eric Hesketh, Soil Scientist
Eric Hesketh is the Soil Scientist and Pest Management Specialist for the
Water Quality and Quantity Team of the West National Technology Support Center.
He is the lead technical expert and developer for the Windows Pesticide
Screening Tool (WIN-PST). He also is involved with the development of the
Nitrogen Trading Tool (NTT) and the development of other conservation technology
tools.
Harbans Lal, Environmental Engineer
Harbans Lal joined the Water Quality and Quantity Team of the West
Technology Support Center in Oct. 2006 with a Ph.D. in Agricultural
Engineering and over 30 years of experience in natural resource
management. He is passionate about environmentally-friendly
agriculture that can provide food, fiber and fuel for the world
population with a minimum impact to our environment. W. Barry Southerland, Fluvial Geomorphologist
Barry comes to the WNTSC from the Spokane, WA State Office where he served in various positions with the NRCS including: soil conservationist, stream geomorphologist, and watershed planner. Barry has served 25 years with various federal agencies in the field of natural resource sciences. Twenty-four of 27 years of federal career service, has been with the NRCS. Previous to 1991 most of his NRCS (SCS) work was at field office positions such as soil conservationist, supervisory soil conservationist, team leader, and hydrologic unit (watershed) project coordinator. Barry completed and received his Ph.D. (NRCS Graduate Studies Program) in fluvial geomorphology at Washington State University in October of 2003. He also has MPA, BS, and AA degrees in natural resource science fields. Barry’s principle expertise is geomorphic river restoration: training, analysis, planning, design, and implementation. He has completed numerous river restoration recommendations, designs, and other watershed-based studies.
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