Announcements
Nominate outstanding staff for STAR awards by April 12
Nominations are being accepted for UC ANR Staff Appreciation and Recognition awards until midnight on April 12.
Nominations should be submitted via e-mail to Human Resources at humanresources@ucanr.edu.
Nominators are responsible for documenting the approval of each nominee's supervisor as part of the application submission. A PDF copy of email approval from the supervisor(s) will be accepted.
After reviewing the applications, a review committee will recommend the individuals and teams to be awarded. The vice president has final authority to approve STAR awards.
Unit directors and award winners will be notified of the final decisions in May.
STAR Award recipients will be celebrated during an ANR recognition event on June 15 at 2-3:30 p.m.
For more information about eligibility and criteria, visit https://ucanr.edu/sites/ANRSPU/Supervisor_Resources/Staff_Appreciation_and_Recognition_STAR_Awards.
Post a pic of your pet on April 11
National Pet Day is April 11. Who demands you keep going to work to put pet food on the table?
Show us the animals that inspire you each day. Post a pic of your pet on the ANR Employees Group Facebook page or email photos labeled with pet names to pam.kanrice@ucanr.edu with "Pet Pic" in the subject line.
We'll put them in the April edition of ANR Employee News.
In memoriam: Diane Wallace
Beverly Diane Wallace, UC Cooperative Extension 4-H youth development advisor emeritus and former long-time director of UCCE in San Diego County, died on March 13. She was 84.
Wallace, who was born near Malibu, served UCCE for 38 years.
“Her love for extension, her tireless efforts to secure support for the office and support for all staff made a huge difference in the culture and productivity of our office,” said Ramiro Lobo, UCCE small farms advisor for San Diego County.
Wallace is remembered as a great mentor by former colleagues Sue Manglallan, 4-H youth development advisor emeritus, and Valerie Mellano, former UCCE environmental issues advisor.
“She instilled the principals of Cooperative Extension bringing research and education to solve community issues,” said Manglallan. “Her leadership as CD was used to support the creation of many innovative programs such as 4-H afterschool care and San Diego Grown. Diane worked hard to secure resources for program development and delivery.”
Mellano added, “Diane was a great mentor, and an integral part of the ag community for such a long time, not to mention a great single mom and a really great grandma. She was really effective about creating a collaborative staff in our office.”
Her daughter Andrea “Andi” Doddridge recalled that Wallace volunteered for many school field trips and took her to numerous 4-H camps, meetings and conferences, saying “She was a tremendous role model for mothers everywhere.”
At the time of Wallace's retirement in 2002, then Regional Director Susan Laughlin said, “Diane guided her 13 advisors toward issues programming well before focusing on issues rather than commodities became a standard goal within Cooperative Extension.” Laughlin noted the UCCE San Diego staff was arguably the best example of teamwork in UC Cooperative Extension.
“She was very supportive of her staff and we appreciated that,” said Cheryl Wilen, UC Integrated Pest Management advisor emeritus. “Helping San Diego residents, especially growers and youth, thrive were the most important things in her life next to her family.”
As a 4-H member, Wallace raised a certified Angus steer named Gus when she was in high school. Gus was named Grand Champion Steer at the California State Fair in Sacramento and his sale at the fair's auction funded her dreams of attending college. The daughter of a cattle ranch manager and a homemaker became the first of her family to attend college.
After earning a bachelor's degree in home economics at UC Davis, she joined UC in 1960 as a 4-H and home advisor in San Bernardino County. Wallace left UCCE in 1964 after marrying and having a child and moved to San Diego, where she took a job with San Diego Gas & Electric to demonstrate new electric appliances for the home to consumers. In 1968, she returned to UC Cooperative Extension to develop and expand 4-H and home advisor programs in San Diego County.
In 1982, UC ANR named Wallace one of its first female UCCE county directors. She developed relationships with county government officials and agency directors, which enabled the UCCE advisors to assist a wide range of county departments and community-based organizations. That collaboration cultivated broad-based county support and appreciation for UCCE programs.
Over her career, Wallace received many awards, including the Woman of Achievement Award from the President's Council of the City of San Diego, the Distinguished Service Award from the National 4-H Agents' Association, the Distinguished Service Award from Assembly Council and the first Friend of Agriculture award from the San Diego Farm Bureau.
“I feel so lucky to have known and worked with Diane,” said Manglallan.
Wallace is survived by daughter Andrea Doddridge; grandchildren Zach, Jacob and Madelyn Doddridge; and sisters Shelba (Lloyd) Crenna and Joan (Kermit) Walker. A private family interment service will be held in Galt this summer. Donations may made in her memory to the Cal Aggie Alumni Association at UC Davis, 530 Alumni Lane, Davis, CA 95616.
In memoriam: George Rendell
George D. Rendell, UC Cooperative Extension 4-H youth advisor emeritus and long-time director of UCCE in Los Angeles County, died on Feb. 19 in Long Beach. He was 90.
“George was an incredible person who showed care and concern for all Cooperative Extension employees,” said Keith Nathaniel, 4-H youth advisor and director of UCCE in Los Angeles County. “He loved the work he did with Cooperative Extension and was especially proud of his work as a 4-H YD advisor before he became an administrator. His 40-plus years of service is a testament to his love and dedication to the mission of Cooperative Extension.”
Rendell was born in Rialto in San Bernardino County. At age 10, he joined 4-H. He noted his sister Wilma joined a different club because there were separate clubs for boys and girls. After completing a year of community college and planning to study law, he participated in a 4-H International Farm Youth Exchange Program that took him to Wales and England for 6 months. During the trip, he decided to major in agriculture, according to his oral history interview in 2008.
He earned his B.S. in animal husbandry from UC Davis in 1955, then joined the Army for two years. In 1957, Rendell joined UC Cooperative Extension as a 4-H farm advisor in San Bernardino County. In the early 1960s, he was awarded a 4-H fellowship, which he used to earn his master's degree in public administration from American University in Washington, D.C. In 1966, he was appointed UCCE director for San Bernardino County overseeing 11 advisors as UCCE began efforts to serve more diverse populations of Californians.
After Prop. 13 passed in 1978, limiting property tax, county budgets were reduced. Rendell expected the county to cut UCCE's budget by 44%. “We were fortunate in that two of the five supervisors were former 4-H club members,” he recalled in his oral history, and 4-H and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program were popular with urban supervisors. “So we actually, in San Bernardino County, got an increase.”
In 1978, he was promoted to regional director. In 1985, he became a 4-H advisor and later added county director responsibilities in Los Angeles County, where he served until retiring in 1997.
“He and Katie Speers [then 4-H advisor in Los Angeles County] started the first 4-H-run afterschool program in the country,” said Sue Manglallan, UCCE 4-H advisor emeritus. “California led the way for 4-H to administer and support curriculum in programs in many states.”
Gifts in memory of Rendell may be made to the University of California 4-H program. To read more about his career, see his oral history at https://digitalassets.lib.berkeley.edu/roho/ucb/text/rendell_george.pdf. For more about his life, visit https://obituaries.neptunesociety.com/obituaries/san-pedro-ca/george-rendell-11167922.
Names in the News
Gonzalves named UCCE director for Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties
David Gonzalves joined UC ANR on Feb. 1 as the new director for UCCE in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties.
As director, Gonzalves is responsible for the coordination and overall operation of UCCE programs in the three counties. He will provide administrative oversight of educational and applied research programs, maintain effective communication within UC and county government, maintain positive working relationships with partnering public and private agencies and expand collaborations.
Gonzalves brings experience working for county government and UC. Most recently, Gonzalves was a campus building official at UC Merced. He is well-versed in county government and the importance of following local requirements as a construction official.Beginning his career at the County of Merced as a fire inspector, Gonzalves worked his way up to supervising building inspector and eventually assistant development services director. Then, for the City of Merced, he filled the role of chief building official and ultimately director of development services, leading the city's Building, Planning and Engineering teams. For three years, he served as Tuolumne County's Community Resources Agency director.
The hiring of Gonzalves relieves former county directors Maria de la Fuente, Devii Rao and Mark Bolda of administrative duties so they may focus on their academic responsibilities.
Gonzalves is based at the UCCE Monterey County office in Salinas and can be reached at dgonzalves@ucanr.edu.
Woodward to assist Meyer, Obrist
Vanya Woodward joined UC ANR on Feb. 1 as an executive assistant to Deanne Meyer, interim associate vice president for programs and strategic initiatives, and Daniel Obrist, vice provost for academic personnel.
Anyone who wants to get in touch with Meyer or Obrist should copy vwoodward@ucanr.edu on emails, which may be seen more quickly by Woodward, who can help resolve issues or flag it for their attention. To set up meetings with Meyer or Obrist, contact Woodward.
Before joining UC ANR, Woodward worked in the private sector for Tactical Marketing, Philips and SearcherMagnet. She earned a bachelor's degree in English with a focus on creative writing from American River College.
Woodward is located on the second floor of the ANR building at 2nd Street in Davis in cubicle 208b. She can be reached at vwoodward@ucanr.edu and (530) 271-9296.
Baddorf joins SAREP
Alicia Baddorf joined the UC Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program on Feb. 1 as the new sustainable supply chain coordinator. She succeeds Gwenael Engelskirchen, who is now SAREP's sustainable food and farming coordinator.
Baddorf brings over 10 years of sustainable agriculture and regional food systems experience to UC SAREP. Her research broadly aims to support farmers and ranchers in adopting more sustainable agricultural practices and assist communities in building equitable and healthy regional food systems.
She has experience with farms and food hubs, including educational program development, farming and the management of sales, community-supported agriculture programs, and marketing. With the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, she advised small-scale farmers finding right-fit technologies to expand their marketing opportunities.
She holds dual bachelor's degrees in sociology and French studies from the University of Delaware and is currently pursuing a master's degree in community development from UC Davis.
Baddorf is based at the UC ANR 2nd Street building and can be reached at akbaddorf@ucanr.edu.
Oker named soils and irrigation advisor for Kern County
Tobias Oker joined UCCE on Jan. 3 as a soils and irrigation advisor for Kern County.
Prior to joining UC ANR, Oker was an irrigation research engineer at the University of Georgia, Tifton campus for close to four years. At UGA, he collaborated with the state Natural Resources Conservation Service to update the Georgia Irrigation Guide. He also worked on a research project to develop crop water-use curves for apples, peaches, pecans and a grapefruit variety called muscadine.
Oker earned a Ph.D. from Kansas State University, where his doctoral research focused on Mobile Drip Irrigation, a novel technology with a demonstrated potential to improve irrigation efficiency in center pivot systems, the main irrigation method used in the Midwest.
Before attending K-State, he worked in Uganda at the National Agricultural Research Organization as a water management research and extension scientist for three years, and before that as a research assistant for two years.
He earned a M.S. in water science and engineering from IHE Delft, Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands and a B.S. in agricultural engineering from Makerere University in Uganda.
Oker is based at the UCCE office in Bakersfield and can be reached at teoker@ucanr.edu and (661) 868-6218 and on Twitter @TobiasOker.
Andrews named specialty crops advisor
Ellie Andrews joined UCCE on Jan. 3 as a specialty crops advisor for Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties.
Andrews enjoys the interdisciplinary nature of applied agricultural sciences and is excited to assist specialty crop growers with nutrient management, irrigation and integrated pest management. She can provide support for growers who want to implement practices that build soil health, such as organic matter amendment application, cover cropping, and strategies for reducing soil disturbance. She also can assist with variety selection, diversification, crop planning, and climate adaptation strategies.
Originally from Ohio, Andrews earned her bachelor's degree in field ecology with a focus on plant biology. During and after college, she worked on several small-scale certified organic farms where she gained experience with specialty crops such as mixed vegetables, greens, cut flowers, herbs, microgreens and culinary mushrooms.
While working directly with growers for Ohio State Extension, Andrews earned a master's degree in plant health management from Ohio State University, where the applied interdisciplinary degree taught her about integrated pest management, plant pathology and soil fertility.
She earned a Ph.D. in horticulture and agronomy at UC Davis. Her doctoral research focused on using organic matter amendments to improve nutrient cycling, soil-plant water dynamics, and soil microbial communities.
Andrews is based at the UCCE office in Santa Rosa and can be reached at eandrews@ucanr.edu.
Benítez joins BFI, UC ANR as project scientist
Francisco Benítez Altuna joined UC ANR and Berkeley Food Institute on Jan. 3 as a project scientist.
Benítez will work with a stakeholder advisory group and collaborate on research with BFI-associated faculty on agroecological research and extension programs.
During his academic career, Benítez has developed a strong multidisciplinary background in food value chains. He is interested in understanding the challenges farmers face and the complex interactions between socioeconomic and context characteristics that shape the transition towards sustainable food value chains.
Benítez earned a Ph.D. at Wageningen University & Research in the Netherlands and master's degrees in agribusiness and rural development from the Georg-August University of Göttingen in Germany and the University of Talca in Chile.He earned an engineering degree in agro-industry from the National Polytechnic School in his hometown of Quito, Ecuador.
Benítez is based at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier and can be reached at fjbenitez@ucanr.edu.
Snell wins Young Range Professional Award
Laura Snell, UCCE director and livestock and natural resources advisor for Modoc County, received the Young Range Professional Award on Feb. 15 at the Society for Range Management conference in Boise.
“When Laura first came to California, she had not worked west of the Rocky Mountains, yet she swiftly gained and in-depth knowledge of the rangeland systems in Modoc County,” wrote David Lile, UCCE director and livestock and natural resources advisor for Lassen County in his nomination letter.
“The programmatic issues that have confronted Laura in Modoc County are not easy, they are not simple to solve, and are not for the timid,” Lile wrote. “Questions relating to wild horses, post-wildfire grazing on public land, groundwater management/policy, drought mitigation, and predators are defined by widely divergent views which are often emotionally charged. Despite this Laura has not wavered in her work to bring a science-based perspective to these topics and has not been dissuaded by those who might criticize applied science to promote their own agenda. Most importantly the science-based information that she provides is locally relevant and based on local/regional information that she has often been involved in collecting.”
Lile added, “Although she is the youngest (substantially) among the County Directors of the 11 northern region counties, at our request, she was appointed to serve as our regional representative to the statewide County Director Executive Committee.”
He noted that Snell also promoted a culture of professional collaboration by organizing the lntermountain Workgroup meeting and co-chairing a joint meeting of Cooperative Extension advisors and agents from California and Nevada.
FFA honors UC Farm Smart
The State FFA Executive Committee for the California Association of Future Farmers of America recently voted UC Farm Smart as a recipient of its Distinguished Service Award. The award is reserved for those who provide assistance of an outstanding nature to FFA, thus distinguishing the recipient from others who provide routine assistance to the FFA.
Farm Smart, an outreach program focused on agricultural literacy at UC ANR's Desert Research and Extension Center, has educated more than 168,000 people in the Imperial Valley and surrounding areas since its inception in 2001. Through the community-supported program, K-12 students and retirees who visit the desert in the winter are invited to tour Desert REC and learn about agriculture.
Stacey Amparano, Farm Smart program manager, will be presented the award at the 95th annual State FFA Leadership Conference on March 18 in Ontario.