Working as a Nutrition Educator feels like a good match for my education and passion for working with youth and families. My college degrees are in Home Economics and Early Childhood Education.
Twin sons, Evan & Kyle, are juniors attending UW-La Crosse and UW-Madison (which means my direct deposit check goes quickly from my bank account back into the UW system….if you have college age children, you know what I mean!). My daughter’s involvement in Special Olympics reminds me to “try my best” each day.
I justify my indulgence in “warm-out-of-the-oven” cookies by walking our Wheaten Terrier.
Kathleen Arndt
Title: 4-H Youth Development Educator - Walworth County
Start Date: February 18, 2008
I am the new 4-H Youth Development Agent for Walworth County. Every weekday I am now making a short commute from our farm in Rock County where I live with my husband and numerous pets: 2 dogs, 3 cats, 2 birds, 1 ferret, and 3 containers of fish, to Walworth County. My 4 children have all moved out and are thankfully employed. My youngest sonis very far away in Kosovo.
I have lived in Wisconsin all of my life. I attended UW-Madison and have my bachelors degree in Agricultural Education. I was the second female agriculture teacher in the state of Wisconsinway back in the mid 70's. I have spent most of my career working with youth, grant writing and developing programs to meet their needs. I have worked for the State of Wisconsin in the past as the Dean of Students at the Wisconsin Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I enjoy reading, spending time with my pets, and biking.
I have returned to Madison after graduating from the UW - Madison with a BA in Social Welfare, an MA in Social Work from New York University, and an MPA from the University of Liverpool in England's northwest. My prior work experience has a firm foundation in the non-profit sector, and has always been related to children, youth and community development, specifically advocating for under-resourced individuals and families. My experience in Social Work in New York ranged from a high school in the Bronx, to a Foster Care and Adoption agency in Manhattan, to my final post as the Secondary Schools Coordinator for The Fresh Air Fund, also located in Manhattan. Work has also taken me overseas, as I have volunteered and worked for Bridges to Community, an international non-profit with a focus on rural community development mainly in Nicaragua.
I am a native new yorker, but I've been happy to call many places "home". I was born and (partially) raised in Brooklyn, New York, although various circumstances have taken me to the Middle East, England and Central America to live at different points in my life. While I love being immersed in various cultures, I am proud to be of Caribbean descent (Barbados), and fully celebrate this foundation of music, food (oh the food!!) and culture which has nurtured me throughout my lifetime. In addition to traveling, I love black and white photography, reading, dancing, cooking/baking and being outdoors.
I am very excited for the opportunity to work with the UWEX, and look forward to continuing advocacy on behalf of children and their families!
Previous to coming to UW Extension I spent the past 5 years as a natural resources educator for the Wisconsin DNR working with the Wisconsin Green and Healthy Schools Program and more recently with Project WET, a K-12 water education program for teachers and continue to do so on a limited basis. During that time I also taught middle school earth and life science part-time in Stoughton and Edgerton. I live in Stoughton, WI with my husband Randy and our 22 month old Sydney- expecting baby #2 in July. In my spare time I like to spend as much time outdoors as possible hiking, camping, swimming, playing volleyball, etc. I look forward to meeting and working with all of you in the near future.
Heidi Foster
Title: Youth and Family Program Coordinator Start Date: May 1, 2008
I was born, raised and have since returned home to New London. I have a Bachelor’s Degree from Ripon College in Exercise Science (k-12) and Elementary Education with a minor in Health. In college I spent much of my time working with kids of all ages, including several years as a camp counselor, Arts & Crafts Director, and Program Director at a church camp in Green Lake. I also spent a large majority of my time in the spring semester on the Ripon College track team. I still proudly hold the school record in the heptathlon.
After graduating college I was up for something new and exciting. Ripon College offered an Urban Education program, which I could do my student teaching in the Inner-city Chicago Public School System. I quickly immersed myself in urban life and grew fond of the challenges and wonderful experiences a diverse class of 4th graders would bring. Following my student teaching, I taught PreK-3 grade PE and Health teacher for 1 year. A restructuring process of the school eliminated my position and the following year I was in a completely different environment teaching middle school PE and Health in a North Shore Chicago Suburb. After nearly 5 years in the city, I opted to return “home” in 2005. I began working as the Health educator for Winnebago County Public Health Dept. I was responsible for coordinating a community coalition of volunteers, and organized the first ever Youth Advisory Board to create programs and opportunities to give youth a voice in their community.
I am so excited to be one step closer to home working in a field that I am truly passionate about. I followed up my May 1st start date with a new house in New London with my fiancé on May 9th and added a furry family member, a Weimaraner puppy, named Diesel on May 17th. My fiancé and I are planning an October 11, 2008 wedding. I enjoy spending my free time running or working out (I’ve run 6 marathons since 2005), scrap booking, camping and doing HGTV projects around the house.
Deb Jones
Title: Western District Director Start Date: January 1, 2008
Deb Jones began her work with UW-Extension in 1988 as a 4-H youth development agent in the Jackson County Cooperative Extension office, where, from July 1992 until her new appointment, she concurrently served as department head and 4-H agent. Among her other major accomplishments during her tenure at Cooperative Extension are serving as Central District administrative intern for two years and leading the internal liaison team for the statewide Community Partner Advisory Group (CPAG) initiative, which brings together Cooperative Extension staff and community members to strengthen local relationships and educational programming. In addition, Jones helped increase diversity programming through her work with the Hmong Task Force Web site.
Jones also has served an administrator for student residence life on the campuses of UW-Eau Claire, UW-Madison and the College of Saint Teresa in Winona, Minn. Her master's degree in counseling and guidance and her bachelor's degree in health education and coaching certification are from Mankato State University.
Jason Kauffeld
Title: Community, Natural Resource and Economic Developent Educator - Green Lake Start Date: April 1, 2008
I began work with Extension on April 1st, no fooling! I am a CNRED Agent in Green Lake County. The community is focused on tourism and small business development, but I am flexible and willing to take on anything. One group I already have been working with is promoting the construction of bicycle paths county wide to attract cyclists and to improve the health of locals.
I am from Madison and attended the UW, taking six years to achieve a B.S. in International Agriculture and Natural Resources. After that, I attended UW-Stevens Point through the Peace Corps Master's International Program before heading off to Nepal for two and a half years of service and to research and to write my Master's thesis. After Peace Corps, I returned to Wisconsin and worked for the USDA before a job offer took me back overseas, where I spent the last five years before coming onboard with UWEX.
My work background in chronological order: life guard, golf course grounds crew, library clerk, camp counselor, soils field tester, recruiter, community forester, waiter, soil conservationist, deputy country director in Armenia, English teacher in China, and now extension agent. In my own mind, I describe myself as a writer trapped in the body of an environmentalist who is interested in sustainable development.
For fun I love to read, write, garden, hike, camp, swim, canoe, scuba dive, travel, cook, lift weights, play sports, take things apart and fix them, and collect old things.
Things you can't tell just by looking at me (one of these is NOT true, but you will have to figure out which one): I used to be a Girl Scout, I used to study Nuclear Engineering, I was almost killed by a wild elephant in Borneo, I have a twin brother, I used to be able to dunk a basketball, I used to have hair, I am married to an incredibly beautiful woman from Trinidad, I have been to over 50 countries.
Monica Lobenstein
Title: 4-H Youth Development Agent - Jackson County Start Date: March 24, 2008
In my previous employment, most of my titles ended in Coordinator. I coordinated after school programs, outdoor education, volunteers, ATODA prevention, partnerships, among other things. I’m excited to be an Agent now, though I suspect I will still coordinate a few things. In my free time, I enjoy making jewelry, writing, reading, hiking, and gardening. I am married, with pets. One of my favorite things is just being at home, in my small log home on five wooded acres just outside of Black River Falls, WI.
Sara Medick
Title: 4-H Youth Development Agent, Clark County
Start Date: May 27, 2008
I am the new 4-H Youth Development Agent in Clark County. Both of my degrees are from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, my Bachelor of Science was in Agricultural Studies with a Minor in Animal Science and my Master of Science in Agricultural Education.
Last summer I worked in Portage County as the Summer 4-H Intern and from October thru May I worked in Pierce County as the 4-H Program Assistant. I was a 4-H member in Portage County for 10 years and a Stevens Point FFA member for 4 years. In the past…I was a member of the Crystal Ice Figure Skating Club and competed in singles and on a synchronized skating team, I worked at a fertilizer plant (it was…interesting), I walked dogs for a dog kennel, cleaned horse stalls, trained horses and taught riding lessons in the past 10 years; in college I was a member of a few different student organizations including Horseman’s Association, Agricultural Education Society and Alpha Tau Alpha (Honorary Ag Ed Society). I feel that I’ve had a variety of interesting experiences…so now that I am here in Clark County I am very excited to have the opportunity to continue to be involved with 4-H members, leaders and volunteers and can’t wait to see what life brings me next!
Randy Mell
Title: Basin Educator for Natural Resources - Black, Buffalo, Trempealeau and Lacrosse-Bad Axe Basin Start Date: February 11, 2008
I came to the UWEX in February 2008 from the Minnesota DNR-Forestry. I worked for the Minnesota DNR-Forestry as a state land forester at the Caledonia field office for the past 33 years. As a forester within the Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest in south eastern Minnesota my responsibilities included, forest management(timber harvest, planting, TSI), land acquisition, fire management, budgeting, and recreation. I have national credentials for emergency management under the incident command system(ICS). I graduated in 1973 with a Bachelors Degree in Forestry from the University of Minnesota, and have been a private forestry consultant in Wisconsin and Iowa since 1982.
My wife of thirty three year Mary, has a home based business as a licensed massage therapist. My oldest son Greg is an architect with Kohn, Pederson and Fox in New York City. My youngest son Geoff is a second year student at Palmer Chiropractic College in Davenport Iowa.
Interests in life are my family, camping, wilderness backpacking, motor boating, scuba diving.
I was very blessed to have the opportunity to work with nutrition while serving in the United States Navy as a Mess Management Specialist. I was a Nutrition Clinic Clerk and Diet Clerk at the Great Lakes Naval Hospital. I came away from that experience with a new passion. Over the course of my ten year career, I incorporated that passion into my cooking. My hobbies are cooking, reading and quilting. My husband of 22 years and I are new grandparents, and we enjoy being with our families and friends. We have two children and a new son-in-law and a cute beagle. I am thankful for this opportunity to work with University Wisconsin Extension!
Tom Schmitz
Title: Central District Director
Start Date: June 1, 2008
Tom Schmitz began his career at Cooperative Extension in 1989 serving as a youth development agent in Iowa County. He subsequently held positions including Grant County youth development agent, department head and academic department chair.
During his time in Grant County, Schmitz worked to empower youth and adults to take ownership of the 4-H program. His many professional contributions include establishment of 4-H project committees, 4-H leader certification and the Grant County 4-H endowment fund. In addition, Schmitz oversaw five youth surveys to track youth development trends. He was also active in the development and evaluation of community coalitions and the creation of the Grant County Fresh Start program, which provides at-risk youth with the skills necessary to be contributing members of their community. Before coming to UW-Extension, Schmitz worked as a medical-science researcher and research supervisor and high school vocational agriculture instructor.
Schmitz earned both his master's degree in educational policy studies and bachelor's degree in agriculture education at UW-Madison.
Trisha Wagner
Photo coming soon!
Title: Agriculture Agent
- Jackson County Start Date: February 26, 2008
Trisha is a Wisconsin native of Grant and Sheboygan Counties and completed her undergraduate and graduate education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. Her research there focused on agronomy and rural sociologyrelating tomanure and nutrient management issues.She worked with dairy farmers to understand the challenges to managing manure with regards to nutrient creditingand logistical challenges presented byland use changes.
Trisha has worked with rural land owners and ranchers in Nevada and in rural Ecuador with subsistence dairy and sheep farmers in the Andes Mountains, and chocolate farmers in the coastal lowlands. Thethemes ofthe educational programs she provided have been in sustainable agriculture practices and techniques for improved income generation and efficiency in agriculture production.
Trisha hopes her experience working in a number of agricultural settings will be useful in providing support to the diversity of farms found in Jackson County.
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