The SWCS Board of Directors consists of one director elected by SWCS members from each of SWCS’s regions in the United States (Northwest, North Central, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast). Additionally, four At-Large Directors and two ex-officio non-voting Emerging Leader members are appointed to serve on the Board of Directors by the Board itself. The SWCS CEO also serves as an ex-officio non-voting member.
Regional Directors represent the interests of all SWCS members, with specific responsibilities to the members and chapters within their respective regions as required by the Board. At-Large Directors and Emerging Leader members ensure the Board represents a broad range of public policy and natural resource knowledge while maintaining connections with federal, state, and provincial agencies; other societies; and environmental, agricultural, conservation, and other groups.
We are pleased to welcome our new Emerging Leader members, who bring fresh perspectives and enthusiasm to our Board. Their involvement enhances our commitment to innovation and leadership in the field.
Ellen Gilinsky
Ellen Gilinsky, PhD is president of Ellen Gilinsky, LLC, which she started in January 2017 to work with government, industry, and the private sector on finding environmental solutions to water challenges. Currently her clients include the National Great Rivers Research and Education Center and the Environmental Defense Fund. In addition,...
Amanda Gumbert
Amanda Gumbert serves as an Extension Water Quality Specialist with the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food & Environment. Amanda collaborates with university personnel and federal/state/local agency partners to deliver water quality information and technical assistance to Kentuckians through the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service. A major program focus is...
Leonard Jordan
Leonard Jordan has spent more than four decades building a portfolio focused on conserving our natural resources. Having worked across the nation, Jordan has worked with several interest groups, government agencies and non-profit organizations to ensure that our environment is protected. His passion is to work with the American public,...
Keith Berns
Keith Berns combines over 20 years of no-till farming with 10 years of teaching agriculture and computers. In addition to no-tilling 2,500 acres of irrigated and dryland corn, soybeans, rye, triticale, peas, sunflowers, and buckwheat in south central Nebraska, he also co-owns and operates Green Cover Seed, one of the...
Krista Kirkham
Krista Kirkham is an Aquatic Ecologist for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Illinois. Krista has been with TNC for 17 years and serves as the lead water quality technician for the Mackinaw River Program. She works closely with agricultural and university partners to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of constructed...
Christopher Hartley
Christopher Hartley is the Senior Environmental Markets Analyst with the United States Department of Agriculture’s Office of Environmental Markets. He is responsible for the development of policy, tools, and metrics to facilitate private investment in conservation and the participation of farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners in emerging environmental markets. He...
Steve Kadas
Steve is the owner/operator of Soil Health LLC. He is currently working with the New Mexico Association of Conservation Districts as their soil health specialist and program manager. Steve retired in 2021 after a 34-year career with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) as the New Mexico State Resource...
Jerry Hatfield
Jerry Hatfield received his PhD from Iowa State University in 1975 in the area of agricultural climatology and is the retired director of the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Iowa. His research focuses on the interactions among the components of the...
Loutrina Staley
Dr. Loutrina Staley-Cordell is a Plant and Soil Scientist, educator, and agricultural program leader with over a decade of experience in conservation, food safety, and community-based education. She currently runs HaveiHope Inc., a 501(C) 3 nonprofit literacy and enrichment program with her husband that integrates farm life, equine care, and...
Charlie Cole
Charlie Cole is a Conservation Planner with the Illinois Department of Agriculture/NRCS Capacity Building Initiative. He recently completed the SWCS Emerging Leaders program with a new outreach program he created called "Kegs 4 Conservation." By combining his previous professional experience and formal education as an international award-winning Brewmaster with his...
LeAnn Rutledge
LeAnn Rutledge has served in the nonprofit world for over fourteen years in the capacities of executive leadership, volunteer management, outreach and engagement, grant writing, grant research, grant management, grant administration, board engagement, and others. Over the last seven years, she has provided support to 15 soil and water conservation...