Meet . . .

Ed Schafer Secretary of Agriculture

Ed Schafer was sworn in as the 29th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on January 28, 2008.

Secretary Schafer brings a record as an innovative two-term governor of North Dakota to USDA along with extensive private sector experience as both an entrepreneur and a business executive.

Read more about Ed Shafer http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=bios_schafer.xml

Wendy J. Noll Soil Scientist MLRA 127- Eastern Allegany Plateau & Mountains

In 1998, I had the opportunity to begin as an Earth Team Volunteer for the Major Land Resource Area Office Region 13 (MO-13 Office), at the WV NRCS State Office here in Morgantown and as “they” say, “the rest is history”.

In the ten years between being a volunteer and now, I have had the opportunity to work in a number of different places with many good people. I have worked in soil survey project offices in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and as a staff member of the MO-13 National Resource Inventory (NRI) data collection team. As part of my duties with the NRI team, I learned to use ArcGIS software. After the duties of NRI data collection was transferred to the East Regional Office in Greensboro, NC, my knowledge of GIS helped me to transition back into soil survey.

From July 2005 until this past October, I worked as a Soil Scientist/ GIS Specialist on the MO-13 staff to update the Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database to a digital format. I also participated as a member of a national team developing and testing new technology to be use as part of the new digital age of Soil Survey Update.

My new position as a Soil Scientist (Geoinfomatics), on the MLRA 127 Soil Survey Project Staff will allow me use of some of the newest technology developed for updating Soil Survey data. I will also have to opportunity to spend time in the field, verifying the maps and databases created in the office. I have always felt that a map that can’t be verified in the field is little more that a nice picture, with little meaning.

I was fortunate to have been raised on my family’s farm in Kersey, Pa. My parents taught me and my 4 siblings the value of a “good day’s work”. For this I am grateful. My husband, Joe, and I live in Grafton, WV. One of my hobbies that borders on an addiction is cooking. I also like gardening. I have recently become a member of the Mountaineer Kennel Club and am working to train my 2 ½ year old Lab, Zoey, for Agilities and Rally Obedience competitions. If all goes well, Zoey and I hope to compete in local and regional AKC contest either this fall or next spring.

Angela Greene Civil Engineer, Elkins WV

I relocated to West Virginia NRCS from North Carolina in July 2004 to serve in a liaison position at Canaan Valley Institute, a non-profit group headquartered in Thomas, WV. When the liaison position expired in December 31, 2007, I once again became a full-time NRCS employee at the Elkins Service Center (where Chuck Thornhill and Larry Casseday have made me feel right at home). I am Civil Engineer on the Water Resources staff supervised by Bill O’Donnell, ASTC-Programs.

My primary focus while working as the NRCS Liaison at CVI was natural stream restoration—education, assessment, planning, design and construction implementation—in the Horseshoe Run Watershed in Tucker County. The implementation of natural stream restoration at 6 project sites on Horseshoe Run was a rewarding finish to my liaison assignment.

I began work with the Soil Conservation Service at Wilkesboro, NC as an engineering student trainee in 1977. Since that time, I have had the privilege to serve many farmers and other clients while providing assistance through the engineering phase of the Agency’s soil and water conservation programs. I have worked for SCS/NRCS in the following positions and locations:

Student Trainee-Engineer

• Wilkesboro, NC, Area Office: 1977
• Salisbury, NC, AO: 1978
• Raleigh, NC, SO, Design Unit: 1978-1979

Civil Engineer

• Goldsboro, NC, AO: 1979-1980
• Burlington, NC, AO: 1980-1982
• Yadkinville, NC, Technical Services Office: 1991-1995
• Yadkinville, NC, TSO, Natural Stream Specialist: 1998-2004
• Detail-Quincy, IL: January & February 1994

Area Engineer

• Wilkesboro, NC, AO: 1987-1991

Supervisory Civil Engineer

• Salisbury, NC: 1995-1998

(Note: Duke Power Company-Engineering, Construction and Operations Division, Mount Airy, NC: 1984-1987)

Over the years, I have worked in rural and urban areas on stream restoration projects, streambank stabilization measures, stream habitat improvement measures, wetland restoration, water retarding and water control structures, farm ponds, flood control structures, sedimentation and erosion control systems, farm drainage systems, farm irrigation systems, and animal waste management systems through a variety of programs such as CTA, PL-566, RC&D, EQIP, EWP, WHIP and WRP. I served as an instructor in the NEDC “Construction Inspection Course,” Ft. Worth, TX from 1993-2000 and in the Interagency course, “A Framework for Stream Corridor Restoration,” Monterey, CA from 1999-2000. Through a regional office agreement, I also provided assistance to Florida, Alabama and Kentucky from 1997-1998 on natural stream restoration training.

I am currently completing final reports and as-built plans for the Horseshoe Run Project and providing assistance to Loren Rice (Beckley AO) and Susan Davis (Buckeye FO) on the Knapps Creek Project.

I have a 21 year-old son, Sebron Jessup who took a semester off from college to spend some time in Davis, WV and to make snow at Timberline Ski Resort. Canaan Valley is a wonderful place to live since I love to spend time outdoors—hiking, cross country skiing, and site-seeing in beautiful WV.

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