Board of Directors and Officers

During the middle of August, the call went out to WSU Animal Sciences Alumni to serve on the Friends of Animal Sciences Board of Directors for the group that was being put together by several people.  The board represents a diversity of backgrounds, interests, and geography.  Nineteen individuals responded to the call and your Board of Directors are as follows:

Andrea Barten: (class of 2005 BS) I am from Snohomish, WA. I am currently a 3rd year veterinary student. Let me know if I can be of any assistance! I received a lot of support from the AS Department and would really like to see it thrive.

Barbara Zawlocki:(class of 2002; Poulsbo, WA) I reside in Poulsbo, WA, which is a ferry ride away from Seattle. I grew up in this area and was very active in 4-H. I am married (Matt) and have three children, two girls, Kristina 15 and Madeleine 10, and an energetic little boy, Trey, who is four-years-old. I am currently pursuing my MS in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Biology through Old Dominion University (graduate in 2007). It is my hope to expand the local high school’s FFA program, which currently focuses on aquaculture.

Brian Treasure: (class of 1973 BS Animal Nutrition) I have been a High School Ag teacher for 10 years, but also now own a feed and garden store in Vancouver. I Also have a small farm in timber and hogs. I am a Member of the Board of Directors for the Clark/Cowlitz County Farm Bureau, and also work as a Safety Consultant for an insurance company in Oregon, Washington and Idaho. I have two sons who have graduated from WSU, one in Business and one in Agriculture.

Darla Marks: (class of 2001 MS) I worked as a 4-H program associate with the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension System in Teton County (Jackson Hole) for 4 1/2 years and then moved on to Extension Agent, 4-H and Youth Development, Charlotte County with Virginia Cooperative Extension. I still have strong ties to NE Oregon where my parents still own a cattle ranch - but I love the East Coast.

Dianne Appel: I am a 1974 Graduate of WSU with a BS in Animal Science. I am living near Colfax on a wheat & barley farm with my husband, Steve and our son Peter. I have Suffolk & Icelandic sheep at this time. I am involved with FFA, being the Colfax FFA Alumni President. I also judge at the State FFA Convention. I am the Secretary\Treasurer of the Whitman County Farm Bureau.

Heidi Thomsen: (class of 1992 BS). I was born and raised in Olympia, Washington on a hog farm. I still live on the farm where my brother raises cattle and hogs, however my career has taken a different path from my education, as I am a Senior Budget Analyst with the state of Washington. I am actively involved in the Thurston County Fair where I serve on the Thurston County Fair Board of Directors. In addition, I also serve as vice president on the Thurston County Fair Foundation Board, which I assisted in establishing in 2004. I think establishing a Friends of Animal Sciences Alumni group is a great idea and I would be happy to help out with this.

Jennifer Homan: (class of 2001 BS) I got a second BS from WSU in Neuroscience before returning to the Seattle area to gain employment in the Biotech Industry as an Animal Technician. While I was at WSU I helped reinstate the Pre-Med Club; first as Treasurer and then as Vice-President. I would be honored in helping get this alumni organization up and running.

Jennifer Wilson: (class of 2000 BS) I am originally from Olympia, WA and currently manage a dairy in Jerome, Idaho. I think the alumni group would be a great way to improve connections to production agriculture and get more qualified students out in the field!

Joseph Niemann: (class of 1986; Yakima) My wife, Marti and I have been married for 16 years, we have 3 girls, Danielle, 7, Monica 9 and Suzanne 14. Each of the girls is active in 4H as I am, currently a 4H leader. We are a multi-disciplined group from raising cats, rabbits, horses and beef. I am a member of Yakima county 4H horse council, serve with fellow leaders at the West Valley Fair. We currently home school our 3 children. When asked to describe myself, one may say I try to be fair and find common ground if there are differences, explains situations when individuals do not understand. I have a good sense of humor and laugh when things are fun.

Katrine Parmley-Gates: (class of 1993 BS/MS) I’m a native of Colville, Washington. I grew up on a beef ranch and participating in 4-H and was a teen leader. I graduated from Colville High School in 1979; in 1985, I graduated from University of Washington with a Bachelor degree in Psychology. I worked for a large NE feed company for several years as a nutritionist with additional responsibility for quality control of incoming ingredients and manufactured feeds. The past two plus years I’ve worked for an international forage testing laboratory located in Maryland, as the Data and Project Manager. My husband, Gary, and I live in south central PA with assorted farm animals, including a loft of Show King Pigeons which we show.

Marvin Hoekema: (class of 1996 BS) I own a consulting business (Dairy Decisions Consulting, LLC) that is based in Visalia, CA with a nationwide presence. I was active in Dairy Club and CUDS and currently using the knowledge gained at WSU in my consulting practice after some grad work at the Univ. of Florida. My interests are business development, coaching, and financial improvement. I stay busy traveling and always enjoy meeting and working with new people and personalities.

Melinda Fernyhough: (class of 2000 BS and 2006 Ph.D.; Clarkston) I obtained my DVM from WSU in 2004, and I am a practicing veterinarian in Lewiston, Idaho. I loved everything about the Department, when I was there working on my terminal scientific degree. I feel that this will be a great group, and it will strengthen the ties between WSU and Alumni. Go Cougs!.

Michael Clark: (class of 2005 BS) I am currently a second year vet student here at WSU. I was born and raised in Olympia, Washington, but have lived in the Palouse area since 1995. I currently live in Colton. My current plan is to practice equine medicine somewhere in the Pacific Northwest once I graduate. I look forward to supporting the Friends of Animal Sciences.

Mike Hackett: (class of 1976 MS) I am a Life Member of the WSU Alumni Association, an alternate WSU Alumni Association Board member, and have served WSU since 1980 as an Extension Agriculture Faculty member in NW WA, headquartered in Everett, Snohomish County, WA.

Paul Patterson: (class of 1979 BS and 1982 MS) I am a Pullman native, a 1975 PHS grad, and got a BS in Animal Science in 1979 with a focus in cattle and horses. I worked at the WSU Feed Mill part time delivering feed to all the units (horse, dairy, beef and poultry) and got a MS in horse nutrition at WSU in 1982. I then went to the University of Wisconsin and got a Ph.D. in Poultry Science and Nutritional Science in 1986. My first job was a three way split (res, ext, teaching) at the University of Hawaii as a Poultry Specialist. My focus was environmental management and nutrition working with the poultry industry on all islands. I coordinated seminars and taught courses in poultry management, nutritional science, and horse management. I moved to Penn State University in 1992 as the State Poultry Specialist with a 70/30 % extension/research split still focusing on environmental nutrition and poultry management. I moved up the ranks and was promoted to Professor in 2005.

Rebecca Meats: (class of 2001; BS) I am a 2001 AS Grad with an emphasis in Dairy Management. I was involved in CUDS and Dairy Club as a student. I currently live in Ridgefield, WA, where I am a small farm/ conservation planner with the Clark Conservation District.

Rich Lewis: (classes of 1986 BS and 1995 MS; Pullman) I was born and raised in Washington, and graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1960. I retired from the US Navy, and then enrolled at WSU in January 1984. I completed my studies with emphasis on beef production and graduated 1986. While an undergraduate I worked at the Cattle Feeding Lab under Orvil Sears, and occasionally at the Beef Center under Dan Coonrad. I enrolled in Grad School in September of 1987 and received a masters with emphasis on animal genetics in May 1995, and another in statistics in December 1995. Charlie Gaskins was my major advisor in Animal Science. My wife and I decided to make Pullman our home so I took temporary faculty teaching positions with the Program in Statistics and WSU Spokane. I joined the WSU Pullman classified staff and an Office Assistant with the history department in September 1996. I rose through the ranks quickly and accepted my current position as Administrative Manager of the Sociology Department in August of 1999. I am active in the community primarily with the Chamber of Commerce and the Lion’s Club.

Richard Meyer: (class of 1968 BS; Federal Way, WA) President, Washington Farms, Inc. I am on the Governor's Council for Agriculture and the Environment, a member of the Pierce County Farm Commission and I am also principle investigator on a grant from the National Cattlemen's Association, which is focused on studying BSE inactivation. I am also member of Class XVII of the Washington State Agriculture and Forestry Education Foundation. My daughter is a third year veterinary student at WSU and my cousins are the Harders and the Schlomers in the Ritzville area. I have previously served as president of the advisory committee to the State Director of Agriculture and President of the WSU College of Agriculture & Home Economics Dean's advisory committee (9 years) and President of the WSU CAHE Alumni Association and currently serve on the WSU Foundation.

Ex-officio Board Members

Dr. Mike Dodson: Department of Animal Sciences. Dr. Dodson will serve as "helper" to get the group started, web site established, by-laws written, initial funds donated, and first year "kinks" ironed-out. Once the Friends of Animal Sciences group is operating smoothly, his position will be dissolved.

Emily Purbaugh: (senior in Animal Sciences; class of 2007; Pullman)  I work at the WSU dairy. I enjoy volunteering in local animal-related community programs. I am minoring in physical anthropology. I plan on going to WSU veterinary school. I welcome the opportunity to support the Department of Animal Sciences by helping build an organization created for that purpose.

The voting in of officers for the Board of Directors was completed on October 2^nd.  Your officers of the Board are as follows:

2006 Officers

President: 

Heidi Thomsen 

Vice-President:

Marvin Hoekema 

Secretary:

Barbara Zawlocki 

Treasurer:

Jennifer Homan