Established resource professional with over 30 years experience working with and identifying, quantifying and offering solutions to natural resource concerns. Excellent reputation for resolving problems and improving customer relations. Proactively work with partnering agencies to leverage funding and manpower resources. Background includes compiling, analyzing and modeling information regarding the most efficient and effective paths to resource sustainability and restoration. Over 4 years of experience working directly with the WRP and ACEP programs in Nebraska.
Trained field office personnel and area staff in the procedures and programmatic upgrades on an annual basis.
Established ranking criteria for the ACEP program and provided training on the implementation of the process
Managed the budget for both the ACEP program and the stewardship or maintenance of the existing WRP easements
Completed applications from the field for payments, obligations for new easements and maintenance contracts, uploaded them to what was the Accounts Payable Site, currently Service Now for processing
Worked with the newly established Internal Controls Program to reduce the number of errors in the application and easement establishment process.
Trained field office and area staff in the review of eligibility criteria and how to evaluate prospective applications for consideration
Used computer programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, Power Point and Outlook to schedule and complete applications, correspondence to the field and National Headquarters, track progress, manage the annual program's budget for the state and to generally schedule my work to strive for increased efficiency and to avoid missing deadlines
Conducted annual Quality Assurance reviews of area level staff for performance and to assess the need for training.
Conducted annual training of field level and area staff.
Worked with partnering agencies in the development of various procedural adaptations and implementation of both stewardship implementation for maintenance and enhancements of existing WRP easements as well as new and existing ACEP applications and easements.
Worked with National Headquarters while completing Administrative Actions involving and mitigating encroachment on existing easements. Also worked with NHQ, the Office of General Counsel (OGC) and the Department of Justice to develop a plan of action.
Met with landowners to review their concerns when problems occurred. Worked within policy to recommend resource based and common sense solutions.
As the resource conservationist for the Central City Office, I was the office manager. I took applications and processed them for funding consideration. Programs included, CRP, EQIP, CSP, WRP, ACEP, NSWCP and other localized funding opportunities.
Worked one on one with area producers to improve irrigation efficiency monitoring and scheduling to conserve water and to avoid groundwater contamination from fertilizers and pesticides.
Completed HEL and Swampbuster determinations as requested and conducted field reviews and followup on alleged violations. Worked with producers to avoid violations or to mediate a return to compliance status. Worked on violations where the solutions was to establish a perpetual easement and to assist in the filing of the easement.
In the fulfillment of my duties I worked closely with various partnering agencies including the USACE, USFWS, NE Game and Parks, Natural Resource Districts, the Rainwater Joint Venture and the Nature Conservancy. Partnered to leverage funds and resources to maximize conservation efforts in Merrick County.
Served on the Central Platte NRD's EQUIP Local Work Group to provide localized recommendations for program improvements and to establish the protocols for the offices in the NRD for that year.
Served on the state Civil Rights Committee (CRAC) as the special emphasis program manager representing both Veteran and Disabled employees for 6 years.
Worked with the State WRP Coordinator to establish some of the first WRP easements in the state. Helped by working on land and landowner eligibility requirements, soils evaluations, program signup, high diversity grass seeding development, project layout and monitoring of the completed restoration. Established a tactical plan for utilizing prescribed fire, grazing, and haying and mowing to manage and maintain the restoration of these sites.
As a soil conservationist, my main responsibility was to meet with landowners to draft Highly Erodible Land conservation plans that would serve to help them remain in compliance with the Food Security Act. I wrote and reviewed plans with landowners and conducted annual status reviews to ensure that the minimum standards were being met and that a conservation system was being followed.
Responsible for the planning and scheduling of the completion of practices along with conducting annual status reviews in the Bone Creek Watershed PL-566 watershed program.
Worked with producers in the CRP program to develop and evaluate seed mixes and to certify when the grass stand was adequate to certify. Conducted annual status reviews as required to review compliance with program standards and objectives.
Worked on violations of Swampbuster regulations and in moving the offender back into compliance.
Monitored progress reporting for the office and reviewed the data with the District Conservationist and provided recommendations for improvement numerically and in efficiency.
16 year member of the Osceola School Board, 8 as president.
15 year member of the Osceola Volunteer Fire Department the last 6 as President.
Volunteer Basketball Coach
Watershed Planning
FAPD and ACEP Program Management
Wetland Restoration Management and Stewardship
Computer Software Program Usage Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint ARCGIS Office
Conflict Resolution
Customer Service
Leadership
Written Communication
Resumes, and other information uploaded or provided by the user, are considered User Content governed by our Terms & Conditions. As such, it is not owned by us, and it is the user who retains ownership over such content.
School Attended
Job Titles Held:
Degrees
