Staff Biographies
Kim Anderson
Accounting Assistant
Kim is excited to combine her enjoyment of numbers with the fun of agriculture. Kim has returned to USU and is working hard to receive her B.S. in Accounting this coming year. She has three sons and one daughter, and she enjoys spending time with them and watching them do all the things they enjoy doing. Kim also loves to garden, quilt, watch movies and occasionally ride her Harley.
Jim Belliston
Applications Programmer & Webmaster
Jim is an Applications Programmer in the IT Services Department of Utah State University Extension. His responsibilities include building and maintaining administrative information systems, web server management, general technical support, technology research and some teaching. Jim works with Western SARE to create and upkeep the online submission and process of grants. Jim has a Master’s degree in Soil Science and Biometeorology from Utah State University.
Stacie Clary
Communications Specialist
Stacie has directed or consulted with a variety of sustainable food and farming organizations in California since 1999, including the California Coalition for Food and Farming, Ecological Farming Association, California Certified Organic Farmers and Roots of Change. She held the non-profit representative seat on the Western SARE Administrative Council for seven years before she was named the Western SARE Communications Specialist. Stacie has a B.A. in English from UC Davis.
Ron Daines
Communications Consultant
Ron joined Western SARE in October 2001 as the Communications Specialist. In his role, he promoted Western SARE and sustainable agriculture by writing news releases, taking photographs, producing periodic reports, updating the Western SARE website and coordinating communications with public and private ag-support organizations. Ron now works as a Communications Consultant for Western SARE.
Kelsie Davis
Staff Assistant
Kelsie is currently a student at Utah State University pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications. Prior to coming to Utah State, she obtained an Associate’s degree from Snow College in Ephraim, UT. Kelsie grew up in Mona, UT where she graduated from Juab High School. When Kelsie isn’t at work she enjoys hiking, camping and riding bikes with her husband Josh. At Western SARE Kelsie assists the staff with correspondence and documentation. She really enjoys participating in the work done at Western SARE because she feels that agricultural research really makes an impact. Kelsie also loves working with all of the people associated with Western SARE and feels lucky to get to work with such a variety of great people.
Jim Freeburn
Regional Training Coordinator, PDP Program
Jim Freeburn has served as the Western SARE Professional Development program coordinator since 1998, providing oversight and guidance for the state and protectorate PDP coordinators and their activities and managing the PDP competitive grants program. He also serves as the director of operations for the University of Wyoming’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center near Lingle, Wyoming. Jim’s educational background is in wildlife and agricultural economics. His passions are his family and the outdoors, especially mule deer, cattle and the wide-open spaces of western North America.
Kelly Greenwald
Administrative Assistant, PDP Program
Kelly Greenwald has been with the Western SARE program as its PDP Administrative Assistant since January 2007. She works half-time for Western SARE and half time for the University of Wyoming Sustainable Agriculture Research and Extension Center. Having been raised on a conventional ranching operation, Kelly very much enjoys and appreciates learning about the extreme diversity of agriculture in the Western Region. A Wyoming native, Kelly is a graduate of the University of Wyoming with degrees in Microbiology and Medical Technology. Along with her husband and two sons, Kelly lives and farms just outside Lingle, Wyoming.
Kristi Jensen
Contracts Manager
Kristi is the contracts manager for Western SARE, where she has worked since May 1999. As an accountant, her role is to make certain that coordinators and investigators of funded projects submit timely annual and final reports. She is also responsible for releasing project funds and managing the overall accounts of Western SARE.
Al Kurki
Associate Training Coordinator, PDP Program
Al serves as Associate Coordinator of Western SARE's Professional Development Program, a position he has held since October 1994. He handles Professional Development grant reports, works with the Extension Indian Reservation Program, serves as a liaison with non-governmental organizations and recruits Technical Review panelists. He also helps with Western SARE and other regions on planning and evaluation issues. Al also works as a Program Specialist for the National Center for Appropriate Technology's Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) project.
Tammy Neilson
Staff Assistant
Tammy joined the Western SARE staff in the fall of 2007. She helps coordinate the travel needs of the staff and Administrative Council members, processes the various grant applications as they come into the office and assists in the organization and planning of the Technical Review panels. As a native of Cache Valley, she loves living among the alfalfa fields and dairy pastures and resides with her husband and their two daughters in the same small town where she grew up.
Bob Newhall
Deputy Coordinator
Bob has been the Utah Professional Development coordinator for Western SARE since 1995 and Deputy Coordinator since 1997. His deputy duties include managing the Request for Applications for Chapter 1 Research and Education, Graduate Fellow Farmer/Rancher and Professional + Producer applications and all of the activities related to the proposal review process. That includes initiating the requests for applications, handling queries and bringing reviewed proposals to the Administrative Council for their approval.
Camille Ostler
Administrative Assistant
Camille is currently a student at Utah State University pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. She received an Associate’s Degree from Dixie State College in St. George, UT. Camille grew up in Kaysville, UT and graduated from Davis High School in 2010. She assists the staff with correspondences, meeting arrangements and travel. Camille loves living in Logan and all the beautiful surroundings. She loves soccer and being outside. She enjoys working for Western SARE because of all the great people she works with and all the new things she learns every day.
Joleen Pantier
Contracts Manager, PDP Program
Working at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Joleen has been the Western SARE Professional Development Program contracts manager since September 2003. As an accounting associate for the PDP, she reviews state and EIRP proposal budgets, writes the subcontract agreements and manages the projects for 13 states and 4 territories in the Western region as well as the program administrative accounts. She graduated from Laramie County Community College with an associate's degree in general studies. While working as a graphic artist and attending college, she was also an AmeriCorps volunteer, tutoring children and adult students and assisting with the English as a Second Language program. Joleen and her husband Rick enjoy cooking, camping and fishing in the Snowy Range Mountains west of Laramie and spending time with family. Joleen also enjoys reading, crocheting and cross stitch projects.
V. Philip Rasmussen
Coordinator
Dr. Phil Rasmussen has been the coordinator of Western SARE since 1994 and has been associated with National SARE since 1988, having served on the first SAN Committee. He is also an assistant director in both the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station and the Utah State University Cooperative Extension Service. In 1999, Phil was appointed as the first NASA geospatial extension specialist in the nation.
Phil received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Utah State University and his Doctoral degree at Kansas State University. Currently, he serves as the Regional Coordinator for the Western Region SARE Program and is the Geospatial Extension Specialist for Utah.
Katelin Robins
Assistant to Contracts Manager
Katelin joined the Western SARE staff in fall 2008. She is currently attending Utah State University working on a major in FCHD (Family, Consumer and Human Development) and a minor in Parks and Recreation. She is planning on graduating in May 2013. Katelin grew up on a potato farm in southern Idaho. She was an active member of the farm crew; hoeing beets and moving pipe, to name a few of her duties. Katelin has enjoyed her time at Western SARE and is glad she has had the privilege of working with such a great staff.
Chod Stephens
Research Technician
Chod Stephens received his Bachelor’s degree from Utah State University in Crop Science in May 2003 and his Master’s Degree from Utah State University in Soil Science in May 2006. He currently lives in Logan, Utah, and works as a Research Technician for Utah State University and Western SARE. He is also working on his Ph.D. degree.
Megan Wouden graduated from Utah State University in 2009 with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations. After living in Los Angeles for 18 months, she has returned to live in Logan with her husband while he pursues his degree. Megan is originally from Morgan, Utah - a small farming community in Northern Utah. Megan assists the staff with correspondences, meeting arrangements and travel. She is excited to be part of the “tipping point” as SARE continues to grow and reach new heights.
