- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Gerry Hernandez, agricultural technician and UC Master Gardener coordinator for Colusa County, retired July 1.
In 1999, Hernandez was hired by Colusa County to work in the UC Cooperative Extension office in Colusa County as a field research associate. In the subsequent 25 years supporting a wide range of programs, she played a key role in the success of UCCE in Colusa County.
“Gerry has been a great asset to our office,” said Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Colusa County director. “She supported UC programs in the field, in classrooms, and in print and social media.”
In recognition of Hernandez's contributions to the community, state Sen. Bill Dodd sent a commendatory resolution. Niederholzer presented the resolution to her on June 28 at her retirement party.
During her career, Hernandez worked with 12 UCCE farm advisors and numerous program staff. She walked countless miles in rice, tomatoes, almonds, walnuts, alfalfa, wheat, onions, peppers, sugar beets, blueberries, cover crops, olives and cucurbits fields, trapping and recording thousands of insects. She also worked long, hot days during almond harvest at the Leslie J. Nickels Soil Laboratory in Arbuckle.
While supporting UCCE advisors, she served as CE meeting registrar and attended over 150 regional educational meetings put on by UC, greeting more than 12,000 people attending those meetings. She also helped the nutrition program, making over 1,000 “bread-in-a-bag” hands-on learning activities with school-aged youth.
She served as Colusa County State Fair Exhibit Coordinator for 10 years, producing the yearly plan and coordinating the booth at the California State Fair.
In 2009, she also became the coordinator for the UC Master Gardener program in Colusa County and helped run and grow the program until her retirement. The UC Master Gardener program in Colusa County has earned over 300,000 digital imprints/visits by developing and producing podcasts, educational videos, newsletters and content for social media.
In 2022, she worked with Colusa County Office of Education to start the Donna Critchfield Demonstration Garden at the Education Village in Williams. She raised over $7,500 in donations and led the planting of summer and winter vegetables, which are donated to local food banks. She also oversaw the creation of three water-wise landscapes.
As a member of the Garden Club of Colusa County, Friends of the Library, and Friends of Colusa County Animal Shelter, she plans to remain active in the community.
Hernandez holds a bachelor's degree in agriculture from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Scott joined ANR in 2014 in the immediate office of the Associate Vice President for Business Operations. She assisted with many important projects across UC ANR, serving the administrative needs of colleagues in the UC ANR Oakland location and also as communications lead in many important system implementations, such as UCPath and AggieEnterprise.
“I am grateful to her as she did not hesitate to take on new responsibilities and important projects when called upon to work with me to improve the business operations of UC ANR,” said Tu Tran, associate vice president of business operations.
Scott brought ANR more than nine years of experience in managing operational, financial and programmatic functions. She began her UC career in 2004 in the UC Berkeley School of Law Dean's Office, then moved to the UCOP Business Resource Center as an analyst in 2009. The former international flight attendant earned a bachelor's degree in French at CSU Northridge.
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Joni Rippee, director of Statewide Programs and Research and Extension Center Operations, retired on July 1 from her 39-year career with UC ANR.
She joined UC ANR in 1985 at the UC Berkeley campus as a Secretary 2 in the Extension Forestry Office for UCCE Specialist Rick Standiford. “In those days, all CE Specialists were provided permanent funds for a 50% Secretary,” Rippee explained.
In 1989, she transitioned to a job in UC Berkeley's Department of Forestry and Range Management, doing accounting for the Extension Forestry program and UC ANR's newly created Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program. “I promised I would stay two years if they would teach me accounting and the rest is history!” Rippee said.
She worked at UC Berkeley for 20 years – moving up to become the management services officer for the Center for Forestry, working directly for the Associate Dean. The center managed the financial administration for the UC Berkeley forest properties, four ANR statewide programs and all Cooperative Extension forestry activities.
In 2005, Rippee was “borrowed” from the College of Natural Resources to centrally coordinate all ANR Statewide Programs, ANR Workgroup Funds and other programmatic activity under the Associate and Assistant Vice Presidents for Programs, while that manager was on a special assignment.
In 2007, she permanently joined UC ANR at UC Office of the President in Oakland and assumed responsibility for the ANR REC system accounting. When she became the director of Program Planning and Evaluation, she was co-located in Oakland and Davis and worked out of both ANR offices until 2020. When the Statewide Programs and REC Operations financial support unit was created, Rippee transitioned away from Program Planning and Evaluation to focus on financial support.
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
Harrigan began her UC career in 1999 providing administrative support for Academic Initiatives and later for the California Digital Library. In 2007, she joined UC ANR's Program Planning and Evaluation as an administrative assistant.
“I am grateful for Pat's contributions and long-standing commitment to our team,” said Katherine Webb-Martinez, director of Program Planning and Evaluation. “I also appreciate that she did not hesitate to help other UC ANR Oakland units meet their administrative needs, such as Resource Planning and Management, the Controller, and the Chief of Staff. In particular, she enjoyed supporting search committees during UC ANR's recent hiring blitz. She has been the friendly, helpful initial contact to many applicants and our new hires.”
Prior to joining UC, Harrigan provided administrative support for the U.S. Forest Service in Region 5 for 11 years.
She earned her master's degree in adult education at San Francisco State University.
In retirement, Harrigan plans to continue to engage with UC Master Gardeners and other UC ANR programs because she values the UC ANR community and remains interested in our programming and other efforts. She hopes to celebrate her retirement in the fall when she can visit with colleagues in person.
- Author: Pamela S Kan-Rice
UC ANR's staff appreciation and recognition awards were presented to three teams and 22 individuals on June 20 during a statewide, online event hosted by Bethanie Brown, interim director of Human Resources.
A recording of the event is posted on YouTube at https://youtu.be/qClH71HzRtQ
Team awards
UC ANR Aggie Enterprise Team - Daena Duran Camacho, Maru Fernandez Terrasa, Raghuvir Goradia, Katherine Hanke, Janelle Hernandez, Lani Landayan, Scott Leaf, Xiaolian (Sherry) Li, Adolfo Limon, Han Pham, Kim Quach, Joni Rippee, Rosemary Renteria, Tracy Roman, Anne Marie Scott, Sonia Scott, Yuhang Shi, Sarah Shroyer, Kai Yu Sun, Connie Tadesse, Limin Tjandrajati, Alan Wong and Samantha (Dang) Wong. The team has made and continues to make significant contributions to the Aggie Enterprise project to improve ANR's business processes.
Sierra Foothill Team - Nikolai Schweitzer, Abraham Mendoza, Michael Williams and Scott Beasley. The team made significant contributions to blue oak regeneration and livestock water distribution projects at Sierra Foothill Research and Extension Center.
Southwest Regional Food Business Center Team - Heather Nibblett, Heidi Von Geldern, Rachael Callahan and Fiona Ogunkoya. The Southwest Regional Food Business Center provides technical assistance for small and midsized producers to access new markets and access to federal, state and local resources. It focuses on underserved farmers, ranchers and food businesses in California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah. The team is building the center from the ground up with more than 40 partners.
Best of the Best award 
A new award was introduced this year: the Best of the Best award. Valerie Eviner, UC Davis professor in the Department of Plant Sciences, presented the award to John Bailey, Hopland Research and Extension Center director.
“John has played a dual role of being the director and superintendent at Hopland Research and Extension Center,” Eviner said.
In addition to keeping up with day-to-day tasks, Bailey has been a visionary leader in research and extension, she said.
After wildfire burned about two-thirds of Hopland REC above the main buildings in 2018, Bailey had to repair the center's infrastructure, but he also saw research opportunities.
“Days after the fire, he was already talking to researchers and recruiting diverse groups to understand the post-fire recovery as well as how grazing influences the impacts of wildfire,” Eviner said. “He initiated a 10-year prescribed burning plan while also introducing cattle grazing for the first time in HREC's almost 75-year history. The scale and replication of these grazing and fire treatments and the interactions across those is unique and invaluable and it's exactly what we need for wildland resource management under change in climate conditions.”
She added, “He has a gift for not only visioning the research and outreach most needed to address California's challenges but he's not at all afraid of the administrative hurdles to make these programs happen.”
Individual awards
Fiona Wei, Human Resources
Jaki Hsieh Wojan, Information Technology
Heather Nibblett, Statewide Programs & REC Operations
Princess Nola, UC Cooperative Extension San Bernardino County
Mike Hsu, Strategic Communications
Rachael Callahan, Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program
Esmeralda Nunez, UCCE Riverside County
Lindsey Harwood, UCCE Central Sierra
Annalise Traub, UCCE Capitol Corridor
Grace Dean, UCCE Central Sierra
Sarah Shroyer, Statewide Programs & REC Operations
Janyne Little, UCCE Lassen County
Sridharshi (Sri) Hewawitharana, Nutrition Policy Institute
Sheron Violini, Government and Community Relations
Stacy Arhontes, UCCE Central Sierra
Kendra Rose, Contracts and Grants
Macey Crist, UCCE Capitol Corridor
Daniela Curiel, UCCE Santa Clara County
Marisela Ceron, UCCE San Mateo County
Zeva Cho, California Statewide 4-H
Robin Martin, UCCE Central Sierra
