Staff
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Nichole Embertson, Emily Hirsch, Frank Corey, George Boggs, Chuck Timblin, Corina Cheever, |
George Boggs, Executive Director
George was hired in the spring of 1997 to fill the challenging role of District Coordinator. With two degrees, experience as a farmer, trustee of an irrigation district and attorney credentials, George is well qualified to meet this challenge. Assuming the Coordinator's position is a way to provide the farming community with leadership on the problems they face. George's diverse background and enthusiasm helps in the progress of preserving Whatcom County's natural resources. gboggs@whatcomcd.org 360-354-2035 x115
Chuck Timblin, Resource Technician - CREP & Livestock
Chuck has been with the District since 1988 as a resource specialist. Over the years he has worked closely with local farmers and landowners by providing technical and cost-share assistance for nutrient management plans and other resource management concerns. Chuck also contributes to two District newsletters, WHATCOM CONSERVATION NEWS and IN BALANCE, the annual plant sale, and other conservation education activities. Chuck’s education included extensive course work in both liberal arts and education and he earned a B.S. in horticulture from WSU. ctimblin@whatcomcd.org 360-354-2035 x118
Wayne Chaudiere, Natural Resource Specialist - CREP
Wayne has been with the District since 1996. His responsibilities at the District include Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) project management, geographic information system (GIS) mapping and technical assistance for manure composting, farm planning and compliance with the County's Critical Areas Ordinance. Education and experience include a B.S. in Forestry, international resource management as a Peace Corps volunteer, stream restoration, agroforestry, forestry, forest surveying and road design and water quality and quantity monitoring. chaudiere@whatcomcd.org 360-354-2035 x116
Dawn Bekenyi, Administrative Assistant
Dawn has been with the District since November 1991. She is the office quarterback- some of her responsibilities include bookkeeping , clerical support, and reception. Dawn is another long time Whatcom County resident- having attended Ferndale High and Whatcom Community College. She is a big fan of baseball and rodeos. dlb@whatcomcd.org 360-354-2035 x101
Chris Clark, Resource Specialist - Livestock
Chris joins the district team to help with nutrient management planning. Raised in the Skagit Valley, Chris worked for a family owned dairy in Burlington during high school. While earning a Biological Systems Engineering degree at WSU, Chris worked on a wheat farm, experimented growing forage crops on the Palouse and grew Holstein heifers. He enjoys working with farmers and solving problems with practical solutions. cclark@whatcomcd.org 360-354-2035 x124
Nichole M. Embertson, Ph.D., Resource Coordinator - Sustainable Livestock Production Program
Nichole recently joined the District to help with nutrient management plan implementation and to create a new Sustainable Livestock Production Program focusing on providing practical knowledge and solutions to environmental issues faced by livestock producers. With her masters from UC Davis and doctorate from Colorado State University in livestock environmental management with an air quality specialty, Nichole hopes to provide the needed leadership to make this new program successful. She has spent 2001-present working with livestock producers on a variety of topics including nutrient and waste management issues, air and water quality improvement projects, emissions quantifications studies, and identification of effective best management practices (BMP) to reduce environmental impacts. Her knowledge of dairy and livestock operations as well as air, water, and nutrient chemistry background will hopefully aid producers in further mitigating their environmental impacts and strengthen the agricultural industry within the community. nembertson@whatcomcd.org 360-354-2035 x126
Frank Corey, Resource Coordinator - Riparian Restoration
Frank Corey joined the District staff January 5, 2004 to coordinate riparian restoration projects in cooperation with Whatcom County Public Works. Frank will be coordinating the activities of two Whatcom County Sheriff’s Department crews working to re-establish native plants on drainage and flood control projects.
Frank spent the last four years working for the Washington Conservation Corps, implementing riparian restoration projects for the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association. Before that he spent many years growing and planting trees in nurseries and as a landscaper.
A Thurston County native, Frank has lived in Whatcom County for 20 years. As a child he split his summers between his grandparent’s 100 year old dairy farm in Oregon and his family property on the upper Nooksack River. After finishing Olympia High School, Frank earned an Associate of Science degree in Landscape Horticulture from South Puget Sound Community College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from Western Washington University. fcorey@whatcomcd.org 360-354-2035 x131
Bill Bonsen, Natural Resource Specialist
In 2006, Bill retired from NRCS after 47 of service, most of which was spent in Whatcom County. He has since returned to our office to help the WCD with design projects. Bill has not let health issues or retirement get in the way of his continued service to local ag producers. 360-354-2035 x112
Emily Hirsch, Natural Resource Specialist
Emily joined the District early in 2010 as the Plant Sale Intern and liked it so much she asked if she could stick around. Emily has assisted the District in several programs including monitoring CREP project sites, updating internal and state database records and conducting a survey of Whatcom County Ag for the WSDA.
Emily, a Midwest native, has a BS in both Biology and Geology from Western Kentucky University and moved to Bellingham in 2000. Prior to joining the District, Emily worked as a wetland ecologist for a private consulting firm. There she assisted clients with meeting land use objectives where critical areas and species are present. She has conducted numerous field investigations to delineate and characterize wetlands and streams in a variety of environments and worked with local, state and federal agencies.
She has also served as a Remediation System Operator and Environmental Technician for a Groundwater Extraction, Treatment and Recharge System and two Fuel Extraction Systems on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. She became a full-time employee this January, and continues to provide support for a variety of projects and offer her experience as a wetland specialist to the district. ehirsch@whatcomcd.org 360-354-2035 x114
Corina Cheever, Livestock Planning Technician
Corina joined the District in September 2011 as a Livestock Planning technician. She graduated from Western Washington University where she spent four years earning a BS in Geology with an Environmental Concentration and exploring Whatcom County on foot, bike, and skis. Prior to working for the District, Corina worked for Washington State Parks. ccheever@whatcomcd.org 360-354-2035 x117
Andrew Phay, GIS Technician/Cartographer/IT Admin.
Andrew came to the District straight from Western Washington University where he majored in environmental planning and minored in GIS. His cartographic and GIS skills have been used on most of the projects that have been done at the District. Andrew is the in-house network troubleshooter, database manager and the Webmaster for this website. Working along side NSEA Personnel, Andrew has also worked on stream projects with local schools. It allows the students to get a different look at the area around their schools and homes while helping them plan their projects. aphay@whatcomcd.org 360-354-2035 x129
