APIO National Council

Officer	Contact Information	Career History
President	Name: Jay Mar Title: State Conservationist Office: Tolland, Connecticut Phone: (860) 871-4011 Fax: (860) 871-4054 Elected: Aug. 2011	Mar transferred to Connecticut from Wyoming where he served as Assistant State Conservationist for Programs as well as Small Watershed Program Manager. Born in Minot, North Dakota, Mar grew up around farms in the White Earth Valley and Red River Valley. He began his conservation career planting trees for the Ward County Soil Conservation District. He graduated from North Dakota State University where he earned Bachelor of Science degrees in Range—Botany and Wildlife–Zoology. Mar brings to Connecticut 30 years of diverse conservation experience with NRCS: Soil Conservation Intern in Burleigh County, North Dakota, and the USDA Plant Materials Center Soil Conservationist in Mclean County, North Dakota District Conservationist in Sheridan County, North Dakota USDA Conservation Technology Exchange, Hedeselskabet, Denmark RC&D Coordinator for Lake Agassiz Resource Conservation and Development Area, North Dakota, providing assistance to both urban and rural communities in the counties of Cass, Ransom, Richland, Sergeant and Steele Detail as Assistant State Conservationist for Programs, Wyoming Assistant State Conservationist for Programs and Small Watershed Program Manager, Wyoming Detail as Acting State Conservationist, Delaware Mar is married to his high school sweetheart, Linda, who teaches students with special needs. They have three grown sons — Aaron, a teacher in Saipan; Nathan, a Nuclear Engineer in Chicago; and Ryan, who attends the University of Wyoming and is an NRCS Soil Conservation Intern. The Mars enjoy fishing, camping, and family time.
Executive Vice-President	Name: Angela Biggs Title: Office: Phone: (217) 345-3901 x 5 Fax: Elected: Aug. 2011	Currently serves as the Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations in east-central Illinois. She began her professional career with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation as an Environmental Specialist working on a water quality project involving 276,000 acres in four counties. Angela joined NRCS under the Career Intern Program. She has worked in multiple offices in Iowa as a soil conservationist and district conservationist before moving to Vermont as a district conservationist. Angela also served in a collateral duty position as the Iowa Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Emphasis Program Manager for 5 years before serving as the National AAPI Program Manager for 3 years. Angela has also served APIO for many years in various positions – secretary, executive vice president, conference planning committee chair, mentoring committee co-chair and national council advisor. Angela holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from the University of Guam.
Vice-President	Name: Gina Schworm Title: Office: Phone: (740) 452-8618 Fax:	Works for NRCS in southeast Ohio as a Grassland Conservationist, where she has been serving out of the Zanesville Area 3 Office since 2006. She served as Ohio’s American Indian/Alaska Native EPM before accepting the Asian American/Pacific Islander EPM duties for Ohio in 2009. She is involved with the Ohio Civil Rights Advisory Committee.
Secretary	Name: Oliver Miranda Title: Office: Phone: (301) 934-9588 x 3 Fax: Elected: Aug. 2011	Started with NRCS as a soil conservationist in Fultonville (Montgomery County) NY. Most farms in this area are engaged in dairy farming. I moved to my next duty station in Troy (Rensselaer County) NY also as soil conservationist. This was a more diverse area with urban resources, and a PL 566 Land Treatment Program. I transferred to Walton NY (Delaware County) and was promoted to District Conservationist. Two thirds of Delaware County drains into the Delaware River and is in the New York City Watershed Project area. One third of the county drains into the Susquehanna River are part of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. In 2000, I transferred to Northampton (Hampshire and Hamden County) Massachusetts as a District Conservationist. This is the Connecticut River Valley with Dairy, Beef, Vegetables and specialty farms. In 2003, I transferred to Upper Marlboro (Prince Georges, and Anne Arundel County) Maryland as a District Conservationist. In 2011 I was transferred to La Plata (Charles, and St Mary’s County) Maryland as District Conservationist. I have served as an AAPI SEPM in MA and MD, and HEPM in MD. I served three years as an AAPI representative in the National Civil Rights Committee 2003 to 2006. I have served as a Regional Representative for APIO for the East. I am active in Civil Rights Advisory Committee in Maryland as a Vice Chairperson.
Treasurer	Name: Nick S. Vira Title: Team Leader Office: Phone: (360) 748-0083 x 101	Washington - Montana - District Conservationist, Billings Oregon Soil Conservationist - Eugene Service Center Arizona Soil Conservation Trainee - Chandler Field Office Soil Conservationist - Chandler Field Office Soil Conservationist - Avondale Service Center/Phoenix Field Office Minnesota Student Intern - Jordan Field Office Details Hurricane Katrina Recovery Effort, New Orleans, LA

Pacific Islands Area - West

2007-2010, Pacific Islands CRAC Chairperson.
2008-Present, Management and Program Assistant.
2004-2008, Program Specialist.
1998-2004, Agricultural Program Specialist.

Private Sector

· 1991-1998, Hospitality Industry, Operations Load-Planner, Self-employed Owner of EZ-Sales & Service.

USAF

1990-1991, Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
1978-1991, ACTIVE DUTY, CA, SC, TX, Republic of Panama.

APIO Regional Representatives

APIO Regions and Representatives List Region Map

Representative	Contact Information	Career History
East / NHQ	Name: Yuri Plowden Phone: 570-784-4401 x 135 Title: Soil Scientist Office: Mill Hall, PA Elected: Aug. 2011	NRCS Resource Soil Scientist, Bloomsburg Tech Office, Bloomsburg, PA; since 2010 NRCS Soil Scientist, MLRA 147; 2002-2010 APIO East Representative; 2010 to present APIO Conference Committee Chairperson; 2011 APIO Awards Committee co-chair; 2010 Asian American Special Emphasis Program Manager for PA since 2006 Education: Bachelor’s degree, Geology, Amherst College, Amherst, MA Masters in Agronomy/Soil Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Midwest	Name: Winnie Chen Phone: (763) 566-2941 Title: Office: Elected: Aug. 2011	Winnie is a Wetland’s Biologist in the state of Minnesota. She began her career as a Soil Conservationist Intern in the state of Arizona then later became a Wildlife Biologist in the Tucson Area Office. Her previous experiences include working with the AZ Game and Fish Department and the USFWS, Ecological Department in conservation. In addition to her busy wetlands work, Winnie has been involved with the APIO working with upcoming conference planning and preparations. She has worked with past and future planning members in assisting with the by-laws, auctions, posters and the awards department. She is a dedicated lifetime member and she looks forwards to continuing to serve the members of the APIO.
Northern Plains	Name: Shawn McVey Title: Soil Scientist Office: National Soil Survey Center Phones: Office 402/437-4148 Cell 402/881-5009 (new number) Fax 402/437-5336 Elected/Appointed: 2011	Received a Master of Science in Soil Classification from the Plant Science Department at the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy from Iowa State University. Currently, and since 2010, Shawn works at the National Soil Survey Center on the Soil Survey Standards staff where he provides training coordination and maintenance of soil survey technical standards. Previous professional experience includes conducting subaerial and subaqueous soil surveys, authoring two soil survey manuscripts, providing Farm Bill technical soil services in Idaho, Montana, Connecticut and Rhode Island, perfecting conservation easements for the Farm and Ranch Lands Protection Program and teaching Soil Formation and Classification at UConn as an adjunct faculty member in the Plant Science Department. Shawn has served as the AAPI SEPM in CT and was elected to the APIO National Council in 2009 as the East Region Representative. He has returned to the National Council as the Northern Plains Representative and serves as the current AAPI SEPM in Nebraska. Shawn is a Lifetime member of the Asian Pacific Islander Organization, member of the Soil Science Society of America and certified by ARCPACS, the national soil science certification authority, as a Certified Professional Soil Classifier. Career History Nebraska October 2011– APIO Northern Plains Representative October 2011 – AAPI SEPM April 2010 – Soil Scientist, NSSC, Lincoln, NE Connecticut 2009 to 2010 – APIO East Region Representative 2006 to 2010 – AAPI SEPM 2006 to 2010 - UConn Adjunct Faculty 2002 to 2010 - NRCS Technical Guide Committee 1997 to 2010 – Assistant State Soil Scientist Idaho 1991-1997 - Soil Survey Project Leader, Preston, ID 1987-1991 - Soil Scientist, Soda Springs, ID Details 2008 - NRCS FRPP detail to Durham, New Hampshire 1992 - SCS Soil Survey detail to Malta, Montana 1989 - SCS Soil Survey detail to Fort Hall Indian Reservation, Fort Hall, Idaho 1988 - SCS Soil Survey detail to Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, Idaho Private Sector 1986 - Centrol Crop Scout, Buffalo Center, Iowa Prior to that, I grew up on a small farm in Iowa.
Pacific Islands Area — East	Name:: Reese Libby Phone: (808) 885-6602 x 107 Title: Office: Elected: Aug. 2011	Born: Los Angeles, California Schools: California State University Northridge, Geography/cartography Married: (20 years) have one child (19) Hobbies: Sailing, surfing, diving, motorcycles, home improvement, garden, landscaping, hiking, and traveling (mostly to Japan). NRCS position: Geographer/GIS specialist, Waimea field office (7 years) Career: I have lived over 40 years in Hawaii. 10 years working for NRCS as supporting 3 field offices in GIS/GPS on big island. 10 years working for a major hotel chain in Waikiki 25 years working as a Real Estate Broker in Hawaii 2 years as a coffee manager for a 20 acre coffee farm in Kona 7 years working for a home improvement center Family: Wife is from Japan. Daughter is going to UH Manoa and is under the Botany/Biology program. I live in Kona and work in Waimea. Community outreach: Consultant for the Emerging Leadership Program for the last five years Advisory committee for Forest Team at Hawaii Community college in Hilo Committee member for the Hawaii Conservation Conference for the last 4 years. Member of the Big Island GIS user group. Judge for the science fair at Kano o ka aina charter school in Waimea. Earth Team volunteer: West Hawaii veterans’ cemetery Kona dryland restoration project. Earth Day and GIS Day volunteer speaker
Pacific Islands Area — West	Name: Joseph Tuquero Phone: (671) 735-2111 x 102 Title: Office::
South	Name: Yi Kum Phone: (615) 277-2535 Title: Office: Appointed:
West	Name: Phuong Ly Phone: (530) 534-0112 x 118 Title: Soil Conservationist Office: Oroville, CA Elected: Aug. 2011	California Phuong is a soil conservationist in Oroville, Calif. She started with NRCS as a career intern in July 2008, and became permanent in 2010. She graduated from California Polytechnic University of Pomona with a Horticulture degree. Phuong is a lifetime member of APIO and is a very active of the organization.

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Last Modified: 02/01/2012