2019 Arizona Cooperative Extension Conference

Mr. Buchanan Davis - 2019 Keynote Speaker

"Effectively Communicating the Extension Message to Stakeholders"

Buchanan Davis was raised in the small town of Clay Springs, AZ and currently resides in the Queen Creek area with his wife Ariann, and 4 energetic children. He comes to UA with a strong background in community and government relations throughout the State. Immediately before joining UA, Buchanan was US Senator Jeff Flake’s State Director where he oversaw all state operations, including outreach and constituent service activities. He also has extensive policy experience on issues of energy, natural resources, agriculture, and environment. He spends any free time fishing, hiking, camping, hunting, chopping wood and driving dirt roads. Buchanan earned a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from Brigham Young University and later a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Arizona State University.

Don Alamban

Where Is The A In CENTRL?

Adonis “Don” Alamban is a Tribal Extension Educator with the La Paz County/Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT) Cooperative Extension Office in Parker, Arizona. He graduated from CENTRL’s 27th Class June 2019. He handles the Federally Recognized Tribal Extension Program (FRTEP) and the Master Gardener Program. He also works with the county Ag Agent in conducting pest management trials. Don has a Bachelors’ degree in Agriculture that he earned in the Philippines and has worked in the Ag Industry for more than twenty years before migrating to the US.

Traci Armstrong Florian

Motivational Interviewing In Groups

Traci L. Armstrong Florian, MS, RDN, is an Associate Agent at the UA Cooperative Extension Maricopa County. She oversees two grant-funded federal nutrition programs in Maricopa County: SNAP-Ed and EFNEP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education program and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program) as well as her newest program, piloted this year, the Diabetes Prevention Program through the CDC. In FY18, her programs employed over 25 staff members, taught over 50,000 adults and children, achieved over 70 thousand nutrition educational contacts with participants, had over 1,600 community site liaisons and brought in over $2.1 million. Her areas of interests in research have included working with underserved populations to increase food security and nutritional health, as well as examining traditional diets and the effect of acculturation among Mexican women living in the US. Traci enjoys writing and collaborating on projects to better the community. Outside of work, Traci enjoys family time with her husband and six fantastic children, gardening, organizing, cooking, baking and volunteering with her children's schools and her church women’s organization.

Melissa Barnett

Community Conversations

Dr. Melissa A. Barnett is an Associate Professor of Family Studies and Human Development and the Norton Endowed Chair in Fathers, Parenting and Families in the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences. Her research focuses on identifying resources and processes to support positive development among young children from disadvantaged families. Dr. Barnett is the Interim Director of the Frances McClelland Institute for Children, Youth and Families, which serves as a catalyst for cross-disciplinary research on children youth and brings together interdisciplinary researchers and community members to improve the lives of children, youth and families.

Bill Brandau

Where Is The A In CENTRL?

Bill Brandau is the Graham County Extension Director and Area Associate Agent in Agriculture & Natural Resources for Graham and Greenlee Counties. He graduated from CENTRL’s 6th Class in 1990. He provides leadership in research-based education to increase the knowledge, skills, and effectiveness of agricultural producers, natural resource agencies, local governments, local schools and college, community groups, citizens and the business community. His time is spent 80% in Graham County and 20% in Greenlee County with primary focus areas of: water resources, water conservation and watershed management, public policy/land use, arid lands, rangeland management and horticulture.

Hattie Braun

Where Is The A In CENTRL?

Hattie Braun is the Coconino County Extension Director and runs the Master Gardner Program. She graduated from CENTRL’s 25th Class in 2018 and has lived and gardened in Flagstaff for 25 years. She has a M.S. in Horticulture from Pennsylvania State University. She began coordinating the Coconino Master Gardener in 2003 and has worked with Northern Arizona gardeners on a variety of projects and topics including native plant gardens, invasive species, pollinator gardens, low-water landscaping, vegetable gardens, and rain gardens. In 2016, Hattie took on the additional role of Director for Coconino Cooperative Extension.

Vanessa da Silva

Motivational Interviewing In Groups

Vanessa da Silva is an Extension Specialist in the University of Arizona, Department of Nutritional Sciences. She has a PhD in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Florida, and is a registered dietitian nutritionist. Dr. da Silva is currently directing the statewide implementation of the CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program through Arizona Cooperative Extension. Currently in 7 counties, this lifestyle change program is helping participants lose an average of 10 lbs/year, thereby reducing their risk for type 2 diabetes by almost 60%. Dr. da Silva is also interested in addressing health through the lens of food and food preparation. She is developing recipe-based nutrition education that will focus on the prevention or management of type 2 diabetes and other diet-sensitive conditions.

Madeleine deBlois

Models To Guide Evaluation

Madeleine deBlois is a Research Scientist with the Community Research, Evaluation, and Development (CRED) group in the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Arizona. She holds a doctorate in Social Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health and a M.S. in Elementary Education from Saint Joseph’s University. Madeleine and the rest of the CRED team provide evaluation support for Cooperative Extension as well as working on a diverse array of other research and evaluation projects inside and outside UA. Madeleine’s areas of focus include schools, early childhood, socioeconomic well-being, and health.

Pamela Denney

Where Is The A In CENTRL?

Pamela Denney, Administrative Associate in the Prescott office of Yavapai County Extension. She graduated from CENTRL’s 13th Class in 1997. Denney brings more than 16 years of experience working in UA Cooperative Extension to her role and is active on many extension-wide committees including the Training and Development Employee Engagement Task Force. She was awarded the 2018 Maria Teresa Velez Outstanding Mentor Award at the UA for her proven excellence in diversity, inclusion and mentoring.

Kara Haberstock Tanoue

Models To Guide Evaluation

Kara Haberstock Tanoue is a Senior Research Specialist on the University of Arizona’s Community Research, Evaluation and Development (CRED) team in the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Arizona. Her background is in geospatial modeling and analysis and data visualization. Her research interests include the use of GIS and geospatial modeling in the study of food access as well as mixed-methods analysis to guide community resource allocation for public health and development. She has supported a number of Cooperative Extension programs, including Rangeland Management, 4-H, and various FCHS projects.

Charlinda Haudley

How Inclusive Is Your Program?

Charlinda Haudley, Program Coordinator Senior, (she/her/hers pronouns) is from the Navajo tribe and is the Program Coordinator Senior in the Office for Diversity and Inclusive Excellence. Prior to this, Charlinda served as the Coordinator for Student and Cultural Engagement at Arizona State University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in American Indian Studies from the University of Arizona and a Masters of Education from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a PhD student in the higher education Program at the University of Arizona.

Laurel Jacobs

Nourish

Why Do English and Spanish Speakers Report Different Behavior Changes In Response To The Same Extension Health Education?

Dr. Laurel Jacobs is Principal Investigator and lead evaluator for the Arizona SNAP-Ed Evaluation project. SNAP-Ed operates in every Arizona county, including twelve Cooperative Extension units, to address diet and physical activity-related health disparities. She worked for Extension’s SNAP-Ed program for ten years before becoming the state’s lead external evaluator in 2015. Her research and practice interests include: innovating SNAP-Ed evaluation at local, state, and national levels, best practices in program planning, implementation, and evaluation, the economic contribution of SNAP-Ed, community and grassroots advocacy to address heath disparities, and trauma-informed approaches to health promotion practice. Outside of SNAP-Ed, her previous research has explored the role of social capital in a community health worker model for grassroots community advocacy. She enjoys presenting topics of evaluation interest in graduate level courses, at national conferences, and within the SNAP-Ed professional community. Her public health passion is empowering people and families to be their own greatest advocates, and she seeks to capture and celebrate communities’ successes in creating healthier communities through her work as an evaluator.

Scott Koenig

Where Is The A In CENTRL?

In 2017, Scott Koenig began serving as the fifth Executive Director of Arizona’s Center for Rural Leadership (Project CENTRL) since its founding in 1983. He spent the prior seven years raising nearly $14M for his alma mater UA. He graduated from CENTRL’s 21st Class in 2013. Koenig holds an MBA in Marketing and BS in Psychology from UA. Training rural leaders aligns with his passion for leadership that started as a student at UA he was captain of the men’s swimming and diving team, President of the Student Athlete Advisory Council and UA representative at the Pac-10 Leadership Conference.

Eileen Lawless

Life & Work Connections

As the Dependent Care Advisor, Eileen Lawless, MSW, provides support and resources to caregivers of adults and elders. After almost 20 years of experience in adult and elder care, Eileen is proud to work with the LWC team to focus on work/life balance for the caregivers of our UA community.

Cathy Martinez

Motivational Interviewing In Groups

Cathy L. Martinez, Ph.D., has worked for over 30 years for nonprofit organizations focused on a variety of family and youth development issues. Her current position is Family and Consumer Science Agent with University of Arizona Cooperative Extension where she leads a variety of community based programs. Her primary areas of interest include nutrition education, parenting skills, youth development, healthy lifestyle education and promotion, brain development, and increasing access to and quality of child care in her region. Funding for such programs comes predominately from grants and contracts, as well as through fund raising efforts and collaborations. She has extensive experience with teams and recognizes that her most successful programs are the result of strong partnerships with other individuals and organizations.

Chad Myler

Life & Work Connections

Chad is the Senior Coordinator, Employee Wellness and Health Promotion. Chad has a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion from Weber State University and a Master of Science in Health Promotion and Education from the University of Utah. He is a Certified Health Education Specialist through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc. as well as a Certified Personal Trainer through the American College of Sports Medicine. Chad has worked in health promotion and employee wellness in both the private and public sector with USANA Health Sciences, Inc. and with civilian employees in the United States Air Force at Hill Air Force Base and most recently serving as a program manager for the Salt Lake County Health Department.

Kathryn Orzech

Why Do English and Spanish Speakers Report Different Behavior Changes In Response To The Same Extension Health Education?

Dr. Kathryn Orzech is a Program Evaluator for the Arizona SNAP-Ed Evaluation project. She works directly with the twelve Cooperative Extension units that deliver SNAP-Ed services, addressing diet and physical activity-related health disparities. Her current role focuses on evaluation of policy and practice for active living interventions, and assessment of adult health behaviors. Her research interests include adolescent and adult health behaviors, understanding health behaviors within a community context, and the contributions of community-level interventions to health equity. She received a PhD from the University of Arizona in 2010 (biocultural anthropology – adolescent sleep) and completed two post-docs at Brown University and the University of Dundee (Scotland) related to adolescent sleep and digital technology use across the lifespan.

Matt Rahr

CCT and CES

Hello, I’m Matt Rahr, Director of Information and Cyber Technologies for the Division. I’ve worked directly for CALS/CES for close to twenty years in developing technological solutions for our agents, specialists and programs. I run a “Cyber” Experiment Station Unit called “CCT” (Communications and Cyber Technologies). My unit is composed of 27 web/mobile developers, video producers, classroom technologists, data scientists, and systems engineers. Our goal is to develop digital products that deliver the education and research that often get “stuck” within academia out into the community, mostly through our agents and specialists within Cooperative Extension. Outside of our web apps and video documentaries, I share the responsibility for finding solutions that deliver secure IT systems and broadband networking to our County offices and communities.

Ursula Schuch

How Inclusive Is Your Program?

Ursula Schuch, Ph.D., Professor and Extension Specialist, School of Plant Sciences, (she/her/hers pronouns) has statewide responsibility in environmental horticulture. She has a diploma in Forestry, a M.S. in Forest Science, and Ph.D. in Horticulture. Her research and Extension programs address relevant issues in horticulture production practices and landscape management, including biotic and abiotic problems of landscape plants and specialty crops. She organizes and presents seminars and workshops for professionals in the green industry. She is the Special Assistant to the Vice-President for Diversity and Inclusion in ALVSCE.

Susan Sekaquaptewa

What Is A Focused Conversation And How To Use It

Susan Sekaquaptewa is Assistant Agent for the Federally Recognized Tribal Extension program with the Hopi Tribe. She organizes and administers educational workshops related to local growing, seed saving, food foraging, food preservation, ranching and youth leadership. She also offers training in Financial Literacy. Before coming to Extension, she offered Facilitation consulting to local non-profits. She still utilizes many facilitation elements in her current work. Susan is a Hopi tribal member from the village of Sitchomovi and is married with one son.

Natalie Shepp

Participatory Evaluation

Natalie Shepp is the Program Coordinator for several programs offered by the University of Arizona's Cooperative Extension, including the 4-H Healthy Living Ambassadors, Healthy Futures, Healthy Habits, and Diabetes Prevention programs. Natalie is also the Founder and Site Coordinator of the Community Gardens of Tucson Highland Vista Garden. She is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and will be completing a master’s of public health in August 2019.

Liz Sparks

Participatory Evaluation

Elizabeth “Liz” Sparks has a Masters in Education and a Bachelors in Environmental Science. She is the 4-H Youth Development Assistant Agent of the Farm, which means she gets to hone her multitasking abilities talking on the phone while writing grants and fielding questions from co-workers. She currently runs the 4-H High Ropes Course and High Adventure Program, which she insists is the only way to get her off the phone. Liz has been taking kids on leadership and wilderness adventures with 4-H for over 15 years to exotic places like Alaska, Russia, and Mexico. In her free time…what free time? She is the mother of 2 boys and loves mountain biking and rock climbing.

Katherine Speirs

Community Conversations

Dr. Katherine Speirs is an Assistant Specialist for Early Childhood and Assistant Professor in the Norton School. She works with Extension faculty from across the state to develop and evaluate FCHS programming. She and Hope Wilson are developing an early literacy and healthy eating program for use with preschool-aged children. She is also working with a team of state Extension Agents and FRTEP Agents to develop an early literacy program for two American Indian communities in AZ. She leads the statewide School Readiness Workgroup. This group of FCHS faculty and staff recently completed a survey of child care providers’ experiences earning professional development credentials. She provides independent study opportunities for students from across campus in order to introduce them to Cooperative Extension and applied research.

Charlotte Taylor

Actually Improving Lives

Charlotte Taylor is the Program Coordinator, Sr. for the Building Healthy Communities Project at University of Arizona Cooperative Extension. She leads the Building Health Communities team of five with this Legacy Foundation funded project created to implement PSEs that will address health issues in Cochise County. Prior to working with the University of Arizona, she worked for six years at Easterseals Blake Foundation as an Associate Director in Southern Arizona. Before that she worked for seventeen years as a teacher and school administrator in Arizona and New Mexico.

Trent Teegerstrom

Understanding The Process With Tribal Sponsored Projects And Research

Trent is the Associate Director of the Tribal Extension Program at the University of Arizona and an Extension Specialist with the Department of Ag and Resource Economics and. He has worked with a variety of agricultural enterprises including dry‐land farming in the mid‐west; irrigated agriculture in the southwest; and livestock production in the northeast, mountain west, and southwest, he has also worked with the green industry in the west and with the fruit, nut and vegetable producers in the northeast and southwest. He joined the University of Arizona’s Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics in 1997 after spending the previous two years as a Farm Business Management Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension working in farm finance and risk management areas. His main area of concentration includes fostering Tribal relations for Cooperative Extension, assisting is production economics, tribal agriculture, risk management, agricultural taxes and labor issues.

Adrienne Udarbe

Nourish

Adrienne Udarbe serves as the Executive Director of Pinnacle Prevention where she leads innovative efforts to improve food systems and active living environments. With more than a decade of experience in public sector settings, Adrienne is a passionate advocate inspired by good causes, good people, and good food. Prior to her work with Pinnacle Prevention, Adrienne served in public health at both the state and local levels leading multiple public health nutrition and physical activity programs and initiatives with WIC, SNAP-Education, and CDC programs. As a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) by practice – Adrienne cultivates healthy relationships with food and enjoyment in eating from our youngest generation to our oldest. In her free time, Adrienne enjoys cooking with her family and playing with her dogs.

Michele Walsh

Models To Guide Evaluation

Participatory Evaluation

Planning for Impact

Michele Walsh is a program evaluator and social services researcher with considerable experience in the design and implementation of community-based studies of social and health-related issues. She is Associate Professor and Extension Specialist in Evaluation in the University of Arizona’s Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences where she leads the Community Research, Evaluation and Development (CRED) team. She received her Ph.D. in Program Evaluation and Research Methodology and developmental psychology at the University of Arizona, and previously served as Director of the Health Services Research Center at the Tucson VA Medical Center. Dr. Walsh has been a visiting Professor at the University of Mannheim, Germany, where she taught courses in program evaluation and applied social measurement, and was a Marshall Scholar at Oxford University, England.

Evelyn Whitmer

Actually Improving Lives

Evelyn Whitmer is Interim Regional Director and Family and Consumer Sciences Area Agent. She develops and delivers research-based, objective, informal education programs to Arizona families to help in the areas of parenting and care-giving, oral health, leadership, resource management and healthy living. She works with community leadership, partners and citizens to develop sustainable changes in the community with policy, systems and environmental changes. She has developed or assisted in developing peer reviewed curriculum for various trainings for The University of Arizona. As the Interim Regional Director of Cochise and Santa Cruz Counties she offers guidance to faculty and staff in those offices as well as working with the public. She has served as part of a team Interim Associate Director of Family and Consumer Sciences for the state of Arizona where she provided guidance and support to her fellow state agents while promoting their programs.

Water Resources Research Center

You Want To Know What?

The Water Resources Research Center (WRRC) session leaders are Claire Zucker, Associate Director; Susanna Eden, Assistant Director; and Ashley Hullinger, Research Analyst. Claire is also Program Director for the UA Water, Environmental, Energy Solutions (WEES) Initiative and holds degrees in Geology from the University of Tennessee and the University of California-Santa Barbara. She came to the WRRC from Pima Association of Governments where her work focused on the intersection of water and environmental resource management and urban planning. Susanna has worked in water resources research and outreach for 30 years. Her University of Arizona PhD is in Water Resources Administration, and her research centers on policy and decision making in water management, stakeholder engagement, and the use of scientific information. Ashley manages the Water RAPIDS program, which works with rural communities to build capacity for water resources and watershed planning that balances human and environmental water needs. Her degrees are in History, Geography, and Urban Planning from the University of Kansas and UA.