State Coordinators' Biographies
Nick Andrews
Nick is the Portland Metro Area Small Farms Extension Agent for Oregon. He provides general advice for small farms and specializes in Horticultural crops with a focus on vegetables. He edits the OSU Small Farm website and regularly contributes articles to Oregon Small Farm News.
Recently Nick has done applied cover crop research and developed the OSU Organic Fertilizer and Cover Crop Calculator. He also teaches agricultural composting workshops and is evaluating simple methods for protecting water quality at agricultural composting sites. Nick also organizes beginning farmer training programs in Oregon.
Rick Gibson
Rick is an agricultural extension agent with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. As part of his regular extension assignment, he has served as the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Coordinator in Arizona since 1994.
With its unique climate and geography, Arizona hosts a wide variety of agricultural opportunities. While many question whether agriculture can be sustainable in a desert, low rainfall climate, various cultures have proved over thousands of years that life can indeed be sustainable in the Southwest. To be successful, however, all people must learn how to carefully live and work with, instead of against, the climate.
In many ways, the Southwest is ideal for the activities of life, including the production of food and fiber. Still, significant hurdles challenge the development of a long-term, sustainable agriculture. Rick and the Arizona Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, working with interested participants throughout the state, strive to understand and help apply the principles of sustainable agriculture in the desert.
Fabian Menalled
Fabian Menalled is an Assistant Professor in Weed Ecology and Management at Montana State University. His research and extension programs are focused in developing and delivering information on the integrated management of agricultural weeds. Specifically, Fabian is interested in understanding the mechanisms conditioning the abundance, distribution and impacts of annual and perennial weeds in agricultural systems. His research includes weed population and community dynamics, pathogen-weed interactions, crop-weed competition, herbicide resistance and weed management in conventional and alternative cropping systems. Prior to arriving to MSU, Fabian worked in Iowa State University and Michigan State University. He received his PhD from the University of Massachusetts and his B.S. from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Bob Newhall
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 and Farmer/Rancher & 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.
As an extension research associate at Utah State University, Bob focuses on soil and water conservation, land use and hydrology. His research plots, located throughout Utah, are related to diversified farming systems, including direct seeding technology, use of animal manures and compost and windbreak establishment. His wide range of research and extension activities also encompasses alternative crops, agroforestry, riparian habitat restoration and range/fire rehabilitation.
Born in Indianapolis ("I was a city boy with an ag background that was 100% consumer"), Bob split his time growing up between Indiana and Southern California. He attended Ricks College (now Brigham Young University-Idaho), earning an associate degree in biological science. He received a bachelor's in soil science and agronomy and a master's in soil conservation and hydrology at Utah State University.
Before returning to USU in 1984, he was plant manager and a salesman for U.S. Steel's Ag Chemical Division in Paul, Idaho, and a soil conservationist with what was then the USDA Soil Conservation Service in Logan, Tremonton and Fillmore, Utah.
He and his wife Maurine have six children, three grandchildren, two dogs and two cats. Bob enjoys gardening (fruit and vegetables), walking, reading and camping.
Steven Newman
Steven's current position is that of Extension Specialst and Professor of Floriculture. He has held this position since September 1994.
At Colorado State Steven has program responsibilities for commercial greenhouse production. By partnering with county faculty with similar responsibilities, he maintains a series of educational programs targeting commercial greenhouse growers based on an established needs assessment plan. Those efforts have developed in more recent years into a series of programs co-sponsored by cooperative extension and commodity groups. These collaborative programs are formulated with industry input and utilize recognized speakers, in- and out-of-state, to provide the best educational opportunities in the Rocky Mountain west for green industry professionals. He received his B.S. in Agricultural Production from Montana State University; a M.S. in Horticulture from University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Texas A & M University.
William Nobles
William (Bill) Nobles is the Peaks & Plains Regional Director with Colorado State University Extension. He is responsible for 31 counties on the eastern side of Colorado. Bill received his M.S. in Agriculture from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California and B.S. in Animal Science from New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico. He pursued a Ph.D. in Physiology of Reproduction at Texas A&M University. Bill is presently located in Pueblo Colorado and offers guidance and support to administration, agents, specialists and county commissioners with the overall goal of providing a better quality of life for Coloradoans. Prior to his appointment as Regional Director, Bill served as an agriculture and 4-H agent in Pagosa Springs, Colorado for over 22 years. Bill is a certified “Real Colors” educator and reached youth and adults improving career planning, teambuilding and communication between youth and teachers.
Jackson Phillip
Jackson, Western SARE PDP Coordinator for Micronesia since 1992, was named Program Coordinator for Agriculture and Natural Resources with the College of Micronesia in March 2004. In the position, he assists the vice president of Cooperative Research and Extension in all aspects of program development and evaluation, works to identify financial and other resources and helps establish or strengthen links with local, regional and national agencies and non-governmental organizations. He also coordinates ANR programs within the Federated States of Micronesia. Since 2002, he has been the CSREES Region 9 Water Quality Coordinator for the FSM.
From 1992 to 2004 Jackson was Assistant Campus Director/Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Agent, with responsibility for plans of work, program planning, implementation and evaluation. He coordinated extension activities on Pohnpei from 1990 to 1992, coordinated 4-H youth activities on Pohnpei from 1987 to 1990 and was a research assistant from 1985 to 1987.
Jackson was Assistant State Agriculturist with the Pohnpei State Government from 1982 to 1985 and assists chief from 1980 to 1982. He served from 1972 to 1980 as extension aide for the Division of Agriculture's Department of Resources and Surveillance, conducting training for agricultural extension agents and farmers.
He is a member and former chair of the Pohnpei Soil & Water Conservation District Board, chair of the Pohnpei Invasive Species Task Force and was named chair in 2003 of the Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council.
Among his major accomplishments are establishing procedures for storage and disposal of hazardous materials; assisting with the first insect pest survey for Micronesia; helping coordinate sustainable kava cultivation in lowland agroforestry systems; conducting pesticide application training for employees and farmers; and demonstrating animal waste management systems with NRCS.
Ted Radovich
Ted Radovich, Ph.D., is an assistant specialist in the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (UHM). Ted received his B.Sc. and M.Sc. from UHM and his Ph.D. from Ohio State University. In addition to serving as PDP State Coordinator, Ted co-coordinates the Sustainable and Organic Agriculture Program at UHM and is principle investigator of the Sustainable and Organic Farming Systems Laboratory. The primary focus of his lab's research are the links between ecological farming practices, yield and crop quality. Ted also teaches multiple classes, including Herbs, Spices and Flavorings, Organic Food Crop Production and Vegetable Crop production.
Allan Sabaldica
In 2007, Dr. Allan Sabaldica took over as PDP Coordinator from Dr. Joaquin Tenorio upon his retirement. His extension and research projects focus on small-scale livestock production systems, animal health and diseases, and prevention.
Allan has been with the Northern Marianas College-Cooperative Research Extension and Education Service (NMC-CREES) since 2002. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree from the University of the Philippines, Los Banos. Currently, he is undertaking post-graduate studies in the veterinary public health and livestock health and production program from the University of Sydney, Australia and Royal Veterinary College- University of London in United Kingdom.
Allan is a member of the American Society of Animal Scientist (ASAS) and Pacific Rim Regional Association- Marianas Resource and Conservation Development (MRC&D). He was awarded with various grants from different local and national funding agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
He is happily married to his ever-loving and beautiful wife, Esperanza and loves being with their cute and adorable daughter, Nina. He enjoys travelling with his family during his free time.
Steven Seefeldt
Steven Seefeldt is an Agriculture and Horticulture Extension Agent with the Cooperative Extension Service at UAF. He completed his B.S. in Forestry at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX; his M.S. in Arid Lands Studies at Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX; and his Ph.D. in Agronomy at Washington State University at Pullman, WA. He was a Weed Scientist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Subarctic Agricultural Research Unit in Fairbanks, AK. In addition, he was a Rangeland Scientist for over four years at the USDA-ARS U. S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, ID; a Weed Scientist in Hamilton, New Zealand for two years with AgResearch; a technician and support scientist for the ARS Non-irrigated Agriculture Weed Science Research Unit in Pullman, WA; a science, math and French teacher at a small secondary school in Nezperce, ID; and Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger.
Jari Sugano
Jari Sugano is an associate extension agent with the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai’i. Her ability to bring together and communicate with farmers, agricultural organizations and communities is one of the hallmarks of Jari’s work and a foundation of her being honored with CTAHR’s 2013 Excellence in Extension Award. Through the LIFE (Local & Immigrant Farmer Education) program, she has brought CTAHR’s research-based information to an underserved group in Hawai‘i, the immigrant farmers. She has also fostered collaborative partnerships between the college, private companies, commodity organizations, numerous state, federal, and county agencies, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau. Jari works on fruit and vegetable trials, CTAHR’s sustainable agriculture research and student projects, pesticide and resistance-management programs, promotion of Hawai‘i-grown products and services, and more. She takes advantage of new social media advances to continue to service CTAHR’s expanding and ever-changing diversified agriculture sector in Hawai‘i and beyond.
Loretta Singletary
Loretta Singletary is a Professor and Area Director with University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. As an Area Director she administers Cooperative Extension offices located in 11 rural counties in central/northeastern Nevada, supervising approximately 50 faculty and staff members. Dr. Singletary is recognized for her work in conducting community needs assessments and Extension program evaluations utilizing the LOGIC model combined with a participatory action research approach; collaborative problem solving; and educating the public about challenges to sustaining agriculture on American Indian lands.
Dr. Singletary was a State Extension Specialist in Rural Development in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology at Penn State University prior to joining the extension faculty in Nevada in 1997. She is a native of South Carolina and alumnus of Clemson University where she earned a Ph.D. in Applied Economics.
Mike Smith
Mike has been with the University of Wyoming since 1978. He received a Ph.D. in range science from Utah State University and Masters and Bachelors degrees from Texas Tech University.
In addition to his assignment as Sustainable Agriculture Professional Development Coordinator for Wyoming, Mike conducts extension education in grazing management, animal behavior, rangeland developments and rangeland monitoring.
His research focuses on timely prediction tools of forage yields from precipitation, forage utilization sampling protocols and sage grouse habitat.
Mike is a member of the Wildlife Society and the Wyoming Section of the Society for Range Management, from which he received the Achievement Award. He was recently honored by the Wyoming Stock Growers Association for his work in grazing education and research. He also received the Fellow award from the Society for Range Management in 2010
He and his wife, Diane, have a daughter, Emily. He enjoys hunting, riding his mule, leather work and brewing beverages.
Brian Tuck
Brian is a Professor with Oregon State University Department of Crop and Soil Science and has been with OSU for 27 years. He serves as the Director for the Mid-Columbia Agriculture Research and Extension Center and as the Mid-Columbia Extension Service Area Administrator.
In addition to administrative duties, Brian is involved in alternative crops research for the Columbia Basin in Oregon, focusing on alternative rotational crops for dryland cropping systems, with an emphasis on intercropping legumes with small grains. He is also involved with providing educational programming for large and small-acreage farms in the areas of production, integrated pest management, marketing and soil and water conservation.
Don Vargo
Don Vargo is Research Coordinator with the Department of Community and Natural Resources of the American Samoa Community College.
A native of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Don earned a B.S. in chemistry from California State College in 1972 and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone from 1974 to 1976. Don graduated from the Ohio State University in 1981 with a Ph.D. in chemistry and in 1983 with an M.S. in agronomy (soil chemistry), a belated decision he credits to his West African experience.
He has been in American Samoa since 1984, where his research interests range from crop variety trials to soil and stream ecology studies. Don is currently working with the local departments of Education and Health to help combat the childhood obesity epidemic in the Territory, and with the Environmental Protection Agency and other local regulatory agencies to minimize land-based pollution in order to improve coastal water quality and enhance coral reef ecosystem function and health.
In addition to serving as State Coordinator for Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, he is State Co-coordinator for Water Quality and Chair of the Department of Health's Institutional Review Board. Don is a graduate of Class 12 of the ESCOP/ACOP Leadership Development Program.
Stephanie Walker
Stephanie has served as the Extension Vegetable Specialist in the Extension Plant Sciences Department at New Mexico State University since 2004. In that year she was also named the Western SARE Professional Development Coordinator for New Mexico. Her duties include extension and research activities designed to advance vegetable production in the state. She works with commercial and private vegetable growers and related industries, providing information and training to enhance sustainability and profitability through a variety of activities. Extension programs include chile and onion field days, workshops, conferences and working group meetings. She also chairs the yearly Workshop in Sustainable Agriculture that trains agricultural professionals in key topics of importance around the state. Her primary research interests include genetics and breeding of chile peppers, vegetable mechanization, enhancing pigment content, post-harvest quality and irrigation efficiency.
Stephanie was first exposed to agricultural field work when she accepted a co-op job as a cotton pest field scout while working on her B.S. degree. She completed her degree in biology, specializing in microbiology, from New Mexico State University in 1984. She accepted the position of Quality Control Supervisor with Pet Inc. at its Old El Paso processing facility in Anthony, Texas in 1985. After 10 years of experience and positions of increasing responsibility in the food processing industry, Stephanie joined NMSU?s Chile Pepper Breeding program, where she studied the genetics of resistance to phytophthora root rot and foliar blight in Capsicum annuum. After earning an M.S. in Horticulture, she accepted the position of Research Specialist in the Agronomy and Horticultural Department at NMSU, working on post-harvest vegetable physiology and breeding sweet onions and paprika. Stephanie completed her Ph.D. in Agronomy in 2007, studying the impact of cultivar attributes on mechanical harvest efficiency in paprika.
Stephanie has two children and has resided in Las Cruces, New Mexico since 1973.
Cinda Williams
Cinda is the University of Idaho's Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator, working on the Moscow campus in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. She has worked in sustainable agriculture at the college since 1994and has served as the Western SARE liaison for Idaho since 1996.
Cinda helps to organize and conduct professional development workshops, tours and conferences related to sustainable agriculture, including composting, direct marketing, organic production, soil quality, and agricultural entrepreneurship. She has helped develop satellite broadcasts, videos and curriculum related to sustainable agriculture education and has been a reviewer for all three types of SARE grants.
Cinda was a co-founder of Rural Roots, a nonprofit small acreage farming group in Northern Idaho and eastern Washington, serving as technical advisor since 1999. She has helped form a longstanding collaboration between Rural Roots and University of Idaho Extension, including organizing and offering multiple workshops, farm tours and small farm conferences and helping to garner support for several grant funded projects including a USDA IFAFS Direct Marketing for Small Farms research grant, a Higher Education Challenge Grant to develop a certificate program for Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching and a Western SARE PDP grant for outreach and training on the Cultivating Success curriculum.
In addition to her work with SARE and Rural Roots, she is currently co-leader of the UI CALS Small Acreage Team and is also the state co-coordinator for the USDA Small Farm Program. She teaches a course for UI students and community members on "Sustainable Small Acreage Farming and Ranching" and is a co-instructor for WSU/UI summer field course on "Field Analysis of Sustainable Food Systems."
Cinda received both her B.S. and M.S. degrees from U of Idaho in Plant Science/Horticulture. Her previous work experience includes four years as a Horticulture and 4-H Extension Educator, four years in a Forest Service Soil Health laboratory and two years as a Horticulturist at a plant nursery. Cinda lives with her husband and two boys in Troy, Idaho.
Tara Zimmerman
Tara Zimmerman is an Associate in Research at Washington State University with the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR). Tara has been with Washington State University since 2002. As a county-based extension educator (2003-2009) Tara promoted sustainable land and water use practices and the enhancement of King County’s natural resource base through volunteer education and public outreach. In her current role as associate in research, Tara’s work focuses on technology and ways to engage audiences in the cutting-edge research supported by the CSANR.
Tara earned her B.A. in Biology from Whitman College in 1996 and M.S. in Environmental Horticulture and Urban Forestry from University of Washington in 2003. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Solomon Islands from 1997 to 1999, where she taught science and mathematics in secondary school.
