Tuesday, August 2, 2011

2011 Summer Board Meeting

By Maggie Haseman, Outreach Intern

It’s mid-summer and we all know what that means: the summer Board meeting! I know you were probably thinking ice cream, but don’t worry there was a little of that too. The Board of Directors traveled to the Society for Range Management headquarters office in Wheat Ridge, Colorado to work through critical SRM operating items. They worked on the budget, discussed updates on projects and committee work and held a special Action Update Call. They also focused on membership member renewals, the website and SRM outreach material and upcoming Annual Meetings. The Board is heading home after two solid days of discussion.

During the Action Update Call

Now, we know that you know that we know that you know who is on the BOD but do you really know the BOD? Let’s find out. Here are a few snippets to get to know these individuals:

Dr. Stephanie Larson-Praplan, Director 2010-2012, California-Pacific Section

Stephanie was born in Vancouver, WA. She was raised on a sheep farm in Idaho, which is where her interest in rangelands began. Her mentors Jim Clausen and John Buckhouse guided her to join SRM. According to Stephanie, her colleagues are her favorite part of SRM membership. Get this, in her free time, Stephanie runs half-marathons! Her favorite books are those in The Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkein and interestingly her favorite ice cream flavor is licorice.

Keith Klement, Director 2010-2012, Wyoming Section
Keith was born in Muenster, TX. He was a student at Texas Tech on the Plant ID team when he decided to join SRM. In his opinion, the best thing about SRM is the chance to interact with diverse individuals who share an interest in rangelands. I bet you didn’t know that he grew up on a dairy farm. Keith’s favorite book is The Bible and he loves vanilla ice cream.


Jack Alexander, President, International Mountain Section
Jack was born in Nashville, TN. He joined SRM so that he could compete in the Undergraduate Rangeland Management Exam at the Annual Meeting. His favorite thing about SRM is the passion he sees that range professionals have for rangelands. Something you might not have known about Jack is that he has a collection of old motorcycles. His favorite book is 1,491 by Charles Mann and his favorite ice cream flavor is mocha almond fudge.


Dr. Val Jo Anderson, Director 2011-2013, Utah Section
Val was born in Ephraim, UT. He was a student when he joined SRM and continued to be involved in the plant ID team, undergraduate papers and the national conclave. He enjoys being a member of SRM because it serves as an outlet for management literature and he has the chance to network, meet and have discussions with experts who manage rangelands in similar ways. Something interesting about Val that you might not have known is that he has done range research on every continent except Antarctica. His favorite book is Roughing It by Mark Twain and his favorite flavor of ice cream is butter pecan.
Wally Butler, Second Vice President, Idaho Section
Wally was born in Brigham City, UT. He got a bachelors degree in animal science and during the peak of the Vietnam War decided to continue his education and get a masters degree in range management. His major professor joined SRM in its second year (1950!) and encouraged all his students to join. Since joining, the things Wally has enjoyed most about SRM are the networking opportunities and the people he has met. Something you probably didn’t know about Wally is that he raises stock dogs and ships them all over the world. His favorite book is Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose and his favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
Dr. Charles Hart, Director 2009-2011, Texas Section
Charlie was born in Lubbock, TX. He joined SRM as a student and has been a member ever since. His favorite thing about being a member of SRM is the camaraderie he finds in the people and the friends he has made. You might be surprised to learn that Charlie lived in New York for six years. His favorite book is Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and he enjoys mint chocolate chip ice cream.


Misty Hays, Director 2011-2013, Wyoming Section
Misty was born in Mission, South Dakota. When she was in college she attended her first Annual Meeting, which led her to join SRM. She loves the fact that through SRM she has a place to talk to her peers who share a common ground. Something you will find interesting about Misty is the fact that she has been involved in range management since she was five years old. She will read anything by Mary Higgins Clark and her favorite flavor of ice cream is chocolate.


Gary Frasier, First Vice President, Colorado Section
Gary was born in Imperial, NE. When he was working in Phoenix, AZ a past president came in to talk to him, as he was leaving he handed Gary an SRM member application and told him to fill it out by the next day; that’s when Gary joined SRM. His favorite thing about SRM is the people. You will probably be shocked to find out the Gary has never received an education in range management. He loves to read all science fiction books and his favorite flavor of ice cream is butter pecan.


Jess Peterson, Executive Vice President
Jess was born in Powell, WY. He joined SRM in order to have access to the scientific applications and get more information about rangeland management. What he enjoys most about SRM are the annual and section meetings and the enthusiasm they generate. You probably didn’t know that he runs cattle on two counties in Montana. His favorite book is John F. Kennedy on Leadership: The Lessons and Legacy of a President by John Barnes, and he loves chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.


Sandra Wyman, Director 2009-2011, Pacific Northwest Section
Sandy was born in Westby, WI. In college she was studying range management and was in the range club, which was affiliated with SRM, so she joined. Her favorite thing about being an SRM member is the networking opportunities and the exchange of science. You might be surprised to find out the Sandy grew up on a farm where they raised horses and tobacco. Her favorite books are the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and she enjoys eating chocolate flavored ice cream.

Have questions for the SRM Board of Directors? Comment here, email them individually, and get on the Action Update Call each month to ask them directly. They work for you.

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