West National Technology Support Center Directory
Locations
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1201 NE Lloyd Blvd
Suite 1000
Portland, OR 97232
503-273-2400
Fax: 503-273-2401
Light rail map from airport
(exit Lloyd Center/NE 11th Ave. Sta.)
Map for driving from airport
Hotel map
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5601 Sunnyside Ave
Room 1-2150A
Mail Stop 5420
Beltsville, MD 20705
Fax: 301-504-3960
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451 West Street
Amherst, MA 01002-2995
Fax: 413-253-4375
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Expertise Directory
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, and Andy.
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.
Evelyn Johnson, Office Administrative Assistant
Evelyn graduated with a BA in Geography from the University of South Carolina in 2005. She came to the West National Technology Service Center from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources where she was the Administrative Assistance to the Hydrology Section and the State Climatology Office. During college, she was an environmental project coordinator and an asbestos building inspector for an geotechnical and environmental engineering firm. Evelyn relocated to Portland in the summer of 2009 and is very happy to make the Pacific Northwest her new home.
Sally Bredeweg, Environmental Engineer
Sally has worked as an Engineer for NRCS since 1994. She has assisted with Conservation Planning and the design, application and implementation of animal waste management systems for landowners in Kansas and Washington states. She has worked with State and Federal regulatory agencies to build understanding about NRCS Conservation Practice Standards and ensure environmental requirements are met. Sally has developed Engineering Technical Notes for NRCS design and evaluation of engineering structural requirements utilized in animal waste systems. She has provided training to engineers and NRCS field staff on Conservation Nutrient Management Planning and associated structural engineering requirements. In November 2011 Sally moved to the Environmental Engineer position with the Core Team of the West National Technology Support Center in Portland to provide regional support for NRCS work with animal waste storage, utilization, management and alternative manure treatment systems. Sally received her undergraduate degree in Agricultural Engineering from Colorado State University and her Masters degree in Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering from the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. She holds Professional Engineering licenses in Kansas and Washington States. Sally and her husband Hollis have three grown children.
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.
Sarah Brown, Organic Conservation Specialist, Oregon Tilth
Sarah discovered her passion for food and agriculture as a student at the University of California at Davis. While completing her B.S. in International Agricultural Development, she had the opportunity to work on the student-run organic farm, visit agricultural systems from California to Chile, and develop a deeper understanding of sustainable agriculture - from hands-on practice to socio-political perspectives. After graduating, she moved with her husband to SW Washington to build and manage a small, diversified, organic farm. Since moving to Portland 3 years ago, Sarah has worked with a number of agriculture education programs including Zenger Farm’s Emerging Farmer Training Program, Oregon Tilth’s Organic Education Center, and OSU Extension. Now at home on their 2 acre urban farm, Sarah and her husband Conner grow vegetables for a CSA and local restaurants, harvest fruit in abundance, and raise a diversity of livestock. Inspired by the farmers they’ve met, Sarah and Conner thrive in developing a small farm business together, and are happiest when savoring a home grown meal. Sarah is an employee of Oregon Tilth, a national non-profit organic certifying organization, and will be working with NRCS under a two-year Contribution Agreement. Through this national position she’ll be delivering trainings and developing technical information for use by NRCS staff and organic professionals in order to better support conservation work on organic farms.
Steve Campbell, Soil Scientist
Steve Campbell received his BS in Forest Management with a Soil Science option from Washington State University in 1976. Since graduation he has served as a soil scientist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. From 1976 to 1980, Steve was a project member for numerous soil surveys in Washington State including Grays Harbor, Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties, and the Snoqualmie Pass area (eastern King and Pierce Counties). He served as Soil Survey Project Leader for the Colville Indian Reservation (Ferry and Okanogan Counties) in Washington from 1980-1987, followed by the position of Resource Soil Scientist in the Spokane Washington Area Office from 1987-1995. During his time in Spokane, Steve was responsible for providing soil science and wetlands technical assistance to NRCS field offices, units of government, and private individuals. Steve moved to Portland, Oregon in 1995 to serve as Soil Scientist to the NRCS State Office until 2002. While in that position, his responsibilities included providing technology transfer and training on soil science related issues, including soil quality Prior to becoming the Soil Scientist with the WNTSC, Steve most recently served as the Soil Data Quality Specialist for the Pacific Northwest Soil Survey Regional Office in Portland, Oregon where he provided quality assurance for project soil surveys in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Steve also served as the soil survey database manager for the Pacific Northwest and provided training to NRCS personnel and others on using soil survey data. Steve is a Certified Professional Soil Scientist with the Soil Science Society of America. He lives in Portland with his wife Rhonda and daughter Shannon and enjoys many outdoor activities including canoeing, kayaking, skiing, and hiking.
Richard Fasching, Conservation Agronomist
Richard Fasching was born and raised on the family farm in dairy country just west of Minneapolis, MN. With a BS in Agronomy (’81) from North Dakota State University and a Masters in Agronomy (‘99) from Montana State University, Rick began with the then Soil Conservation Service in 1980 in the small town of Lamoure, ND. He was a Soil Conservationist in Grand Forks, North Dakota from 1981-1983, followed by the position of District Conservationist in Minnewaukan, North Dakota from 1983 -1987. In 1987, he transferred to Baker City, Oregon as Area Agronomist. Rick’s most recent position was as State Agronomist in Bozeman, Montana from 1992-2009. He accepted the position of Agronomist with the West NTSC Core Team and moved to the Portland area in June of 2009.
Giulio Ferruzzi, Conservation Agronomist
Giulio Ferruzzi was born in northern Italy and raised in Beaufort, North Carolina. Giulio received a BS in Soil Science (’91) from North Carolina State University and his Masters in Soil Science and Ph.D. in Agronomy (‘94/’01) from the University of California at Davis. Before his federal service, Giulio’s work experience consisted of pest scouting, environmental consulting, soil laboratory analysis, and university research. In 2001, Giulio began his NRCS service as an Agronomist in the Salinas and Templeton, California field offices. In 2005, he became the State Agronomist of Kentucky where he provided technical assistance and policy guidance with nutrient management, pest management and other agronomic practices until mid-2009. He accepted the position of Agronomist with the West NTSC Core Team and moved to the Portland area in June of 2009 with his wife and two daughters.
Gene Fults, GLCI Rangeland Management Specialist
Gene Fults comes to the WNTSC from the position of State Range Management 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.
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.
Russ Hatz, National Technology Specialist
Russ Hatz received his BS in Forestry Management from Iowa State University in 1975. While a student he worked for the US Forest Service in Union, Oregon for two summers. After graduation he joined the Peace Corps and served as a forester in Liberia, West Africa. After returning from Africa in 1977, the Makah Indian Tribe in Neah Bay, Washington hired Russ to conduct an inventory of the Tribe's forest lands. Upon the completion of the inventory Russ started work with the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs as an Timber Sale Administrator in Neah Bay. In 1980, he joined the Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service in Ida Grove, Iowa as a Soil Conservationist and then as a District Conservationist in Spencer, Iowa. Russ moved to Portland, Oregon in 1984 to work at the Oregon State Office as the State Forester. In 1999 Russ received his MA in Anthropology from Portland State University and served as the Cultural Resources Specialist for Oregon NRCS. From 2002 to 2009, Russ served as the State Resource Conservationist and Leader for the Ecological Sciences staff also in the Oregon NRCS State Office. Russ became the National Technology Specialist for the West National Technology Support Center in Spring 2009. As the National Technology Specialist, Russ works to develop technical tools and provides technology support for conservation in the Western United States.
Marcus Miller, Wildlife Biologist
Marcus Miller joined the WNTSC in November 2011 as Wildlife Biologist. Marcus is a graduate of Humboldt State University and began his career with NRCS as a Soil Conservation Technician in Lovington, New Mexico in 1982. Marcus spent the last 20 years as Area Wildlife Biologist in Arizona, Wetland Biologist and Area Wildlife Biologist in Montana, State Wildlife Biologist in New Mexico, and biologist on the ESD team in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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
Mace Vaughan, Joint Pollinator Conservation Specialist, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation
Mace Vaughan is the Pollinator Program Director, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and the Joint Pollinator Conservation Specialist for NRCS West National Technology Support Center. Mace has led the Xerces Society’s Pollinator Conservation Program since 2003. In this capacity, he supervises research and outreach on habitat restoration for crop pollinating native bees, develops and presents educational materials to farmers, conservationists, land managers and policy makers, and collaborates extensively with scientists researching the role and habitat needs of crop-pollinating native bees. In September of 2008, the Xerces Society entered into a contribution agreement with the WNTSC to create a technical position that supports the agency’s pollinator conservation work. Through this agreement, Mace oversees six staff across the country who are providing training and technical support to NRCS conservationists to help them design and implement pollinator conservation projects. Mace has written numerous articles on the conservation of bees, butterflies, aquatic invertebrates, and insects, and is co-author of the Pollinator Conservation Handbook and lead author of Farming for Bees: Guidelines for Providing Native Bee Habitat on Farms. He was a lecturer on honey bee biology and beekeeping at Cornell University, from which he holds Masters Degrees in Entomology and Teaching. .
Kip Yasumiishi, Civil 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, WNTSC, 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 Kristi have two children (and one dog).
Craig Ziegler, Forester
A native of Arizona, Craig Ziegler is a 1976 graduate of the University of Arizona with a BS in Watershed Management. His degree included an emphasis in Forest Management. Ziegler began federal service with the USDA Forest Service in 1976. Shortly thereafter, he began his career working for the then Soil Conservation Service in central Texas. A move to east Texas for ten years included positions as a forester as well as a district conservationist in 3 field offices. In January 1989, Ziegler accepted the position of area forester and moved with his family to Bend, OR. In 1996, he accepted the position of OR state staff forester and held that position until taking the position of forester on the Core Team of the West National Technology Support Center in March, 2010.
Kip Pheil, Energy Conservation Specialist
Kip Pheil joined the West NTSC in October 2010. He came to the Energy Technology Development Team from the Oregon Department of Energy where he oversaw generating facility eligibility and Renewable Energy Certificate tracking for the Oregon Renewable Portfolio Standard. Kip also worked as the State’s Energy Loan Program engineering analyst, working with public and private borrowers on almost 400 projects valued at approximately $300 million. Those projects either used renewable resources to produce electricity, heat, or fuels; or reduced energy use through efficiency upgrades. Kip began his energy career doing commercial and industrial energy audits for a small consulting firm and also worked for Honeywell in their building control and life safety automation systems group. He received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University.
Greg Johnson, Leader, Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Technology Development Team
Dr. 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 hydro-meteorological 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.
Adam Chambers, Air Quality Scientist
Dr. Adam Chambers has fifteen years of experience working in air quality, atmospheric change, and energy conservation, including positions with the EPA and the DOE-National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Washington DC; the Jefferson County (Louisville), Kentucky, Air Pollution Control District; the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis in Laxenburg, Austria; and, most recently, with the International Resources Group of MPRI in Washington, DC. Over the past nine years Adam has been heavily involved in air pollution, greenhouse gas, and energy assessment at both the international and national levels, with particular focus on India, China, and Pakistan. He holds a Doctorate of Natural Sciences from the Vienna University of Technology; a Master of Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies; and a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Murray State University in Kentucky. A native of Calloway County, Kentucky, Adam has an agricultural background and lived on a small farm with his wife and daughter in Prospect, KY until relocating to Portland in August of 2010.
Greg Zwicke, Air Quality Engineer
Greg Zwicke joined the Air Quality and Atmospheric Change Team in September 2005 as an Air Quality Engineer with a primary focus on air emissions associated with animal operations. 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 with a focus on environmental engineering and air quality. 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, son, daughter, and dog.
