Programs and Staff
Douglas M. Stienbarger – County Director, WSU Clark County Extension (Agriculture and Natural Resources Faculty), Doug.Stienbarger@co.clark.wa.us
Doug administers the office, managing fiscal and personnel resources serving to maximize the benefit of WSU Extension programs to the citizens of Clark County. Doug is also interested in farmland preservation, promoting local sustainable food systems, and other agricultural and natural resource policy issues. Doug oversees the Small Acreage Program and the Watershed Steward program, serves as a member of Clark County Food System Council. Doug also serves on the Board of Directors for the Journal of Extension.
Doug worked in Haiti, East and West Africa, first as a US Peace Corps volunteer and then for the University of Wisconsin on agroforestry, land and resource tenure (ownership), and other natural resource issues. He lived and worked in several states before coming to work in Clark County.
M.S. in Land Resources, Institute for Environmental Studies. University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1986. B.A. in Political Science. University of Texas–Austin. 1977.
4-H and Youth Development
Karen Poulin, PhD. – 4-H/Youth Development Faculty, Karen.Poulin@clark.wa.gov
Karen is responsible for the overall leadership of the 4-H youth and adult development program which includes conducting, evaluating, and setting the educational tone and direction of the program in Clark County. This program reaches youth in kindergarten through 12th grade in all areas of the county. The 4-H club program includes approximately 450 volunteer 4-H leaders, 1550 youth, and 168 clubs. In addition the 4-H program with the WSU Master Gardener program reaches 2200 kindergarten through 5th graders in school enrichment programs.
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology, University of Oregon. 1993.
M.Ed., University of Massachusetts-Amherst. 1986.
B.S. in Botany, University of Vermont. 1982
Jodee Nickel – Food $ense and 4-H Youth Development Programs Coordinator, jodee.nickel@clark.wa.gov
Jodee leads the Food $ense Garden Enhanced Nutrition program to teach limited income children about nutrition through experiential gardening and cooking activities. She also coordinates the 4-H Restorative Community Service Garden program providing youth offenders safe and meaningful alternative community service where they work alongside adults mentors while developing life skills. Their produce is donated to a local food bank. Jodee works with students, teachers, Master Gardeners, Clark County Public Works, Clark County Juvenile Court, and others to provide these activities and opportunities to cultivate healthy young people.
B.A. in Sustainability/Community Development, The Evergreen State College. 2006.
Tammie Howard – 4-H Volunteer Coordinator, tammie.howard@clark.wa.gov
Maureen screens, interviews, and trains new 4-H leaders. She also answers leaders’ questions, helps place youth in 4-H clubs, promotes 4-H in the community and coordinates media information. If you are thinking of becoming involved in 4-H, contact Tammie for more information.
Food Safety and Nutrition
Sandra G. Brown – Food & Nutrition Faculty, browns@wsu.edu
Sandy Brown does educational programming in the areas of Food Safety and Nutrition in Clark and Cowlitz Counties. In the area of Food Safety Sandy helps consumers in handling food safely at home, as well as purchasing, storing, preparing and preserving food safely. She works with the Southwest Washington Health District and Cowlitz County Health Department in providing food service employees training in handling, preparing and serving foods safely. In addition she writes a column for The Columbian on current food safety issues.
Sandy works with the Food Advisor Volunteer Program in Clark County. The Food Advisors answer food safety and preservation questions seasonally, test pressure gauges, and help with handwashing demonstrations.
In the area of Nutrition, Sandy oversees the Food $ense program in Clark and Cowlitz Counties. This program employees three full time assistants that work with families with limited resources, teaching them how to shop, prepare, store and generally feed their families nutritionally on limited resources. Classes are held in schools, community centers, WIC clinics, and food banks.
M.A, in Adult & Continuing Education, Washington State University. 1980.
B.S. in Home Economics Education, Washington State University. 1974.
Family Nutrition Education Program
Janet Mulderink – Extension Education Assistant, janet.mulderink@clark.wa.gov
Cyndi L. Ellis, DTR – Extension Coordinator for the Food $ense Nutrition Education Program, elliscl@wsu.edu
Cyndi is responsible for developing and teaching nutrition education programs for limited-resource families and children. She works with students in elementary and middle schools, as well as elementary-age daycare. Her programs include hand washing lessons, taught in a fun, interactive way, nutrition series for third and fourth grade, after-school cooking classes for middle school students, and summer cooking camps.
Cyndi also teaches Diabetes Awareness and Education for adults, a series of five nutrition lessons that helps adults be more aware of their own diabetes care.
Nikki Smith – Food $ense Nutrition Educator, nikki.smith@clark.wa.gov
Nikki supports the Family Nutrition Education Program through program delivery to middle school students, mothers of young children that are being served by WIC, and other adult populations in the community. She graduated from Linfield College with a Bachelors in Health Sciences in 2004 and worked for the American Cancer Society as an Event Manager for the first two years after her graduation. During this time she also learned about their employee wellness programs and her passion for health education grew. Last year she worked for the Cowlitz County Health Department coordinating the Basic Food Nutrition Education Program. Since she was raised in Clark County, the opportunity to work with WSU Clark County Extension was one she could not pass up.
Elaine Schick – Food $ense Nutrition Educator, elaine.schick@clark.wa.gov
Elaine supports the Extended Family Nutrition Education Program through program delivery to elementary school students, pregnant and parenting teens, and other youth populations in the community via after school nutrition education programs at several community centers. Elaine is responsible for the literature-based first and second grade nutrition education programs and also delivers the third grade curriculum series. Elaine partners with the Vancouver Housing Authority's Rise & Stars Community Center, Affordable Housing Environments, Fruit Valley Family Resource Center and others to reach low-income youth in the community out side of school, teaching nutrition through fun interactive cooking clubs. Over the summer, Elaine works with youth in partnership with community agencies such as Parks & Rec, VHA R&S, ACE, and WSU-V. She earned a Bachelors in Home Economics from Western Washington University with an emphasis in Maternal and Child Nutrition, then used her degree to raise a family before returning to work full-time in the nutrition education field.
Natural Resources
Watershed Steward
Jenifer Naas – Watershed Steward Coordinator, jenifer.naas@clark.wa.gov
Jen coordinates the Watershed Steward program, a joint effort of WSU Clark County Extension and the Clark County Clean Water Program. She recruits and trains Watershed Steward volunteers and coordinates activities allowing them to volunteer their time back into their communities.
Jen was born and raised in Western Washington. She worked as a city planner for Kent, Washington and environmental permitting for the King County Department Transportation before returning to school for her graduate degrees. Jen is an avid gardener and enjoys hiking and kayaking.
M.P.A – Public Administration, University of Washington. 2007.
M.U.P. – Urban Planning specializing in land use and restoration ecology, University of Washington. 2007
B.S. Environmental Policy and Planning, University of California, Davis. 1998
Small Acreage Program
Erin Harwood – Small Acreage Program Coordinator, erin.harwood@clark.wa.gov
Erin coordinates the Small Acreage Program, a joint effort by WSU Clark County Extension, the Clark County Clean Water Program, and the Clark Conservation District. She organizes workshops, farm tours, and classes to provide small acreage landowners in Clark County information on how to more efficiently manage their land and animals, save money, and keep water clean.
Raised on a small farm in Clark County with beef cattle and horses, she spent seven years in a local 4-H horse club and participated each year in the Clark County Fair. Her 4-H and equine activities earned her a scholarship from the Clark County Executive Horse Council. Erin says this is her “dream job, to work with small acreage landowners in the county where I grew up and was involved in 4-H.”
MS in Environmental Management, Portland State University. 2004
BS in Environmental Science, Western Washington University. 2001
Lynn Cornelius – Gee Creek Watershed Coordinator, Lynn_cornelius@fws.gov
Lynn oversees a watershed restoration and outreach program to improve
water quality and habitat conditions within the Gee Creek watershed
working with both public agency and voluntary private landowners.
Sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ridgefield National
Wildlife Refuge, Lynn has an office at the Ridgefield National Wildlife
Refuge and coordinates efforts with the community-based Gee Creek
Enhancement Committee.
Gee Creek Starts north of the fairgrounds and east of Pioneer and Duluth, flows through the City of Ridgefield, and then empties into the Columbia River through the Carty Unit of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.
Lynn has worked on natural resource issues as a natural area land manager in southwest Washington and as a conservation field biologist in Washington and Oregon. He grew up in Clark County and lives in the East Fork Lewis River Watershed.
B.A. in Biology, Western Washington University. 1973.
Horticulture
Commercial Horticulture
Charles A. Brun, Ph.D. – Horticulture Faculty, brunc@wsu.edu
Charles provides technical production assistance and education to the horticultural industry. He works with area landowners seeking production and marketing advice, especially as it pertains to the nurseries, Christmas trees, and greenhouse production. Charles has a background in production, marketing, and pest management for tree fruits, small fruits, and medicinal herbs. Charles also oversees the WSU Master Gardener Volunteer Program.
PhD in Horticulture, Washington State University. 1983.
M.S. in Horticulture, University of Minnesota. 1979
B.S. in Forestry, University of Minnesota. 1975.
WSU Master Gardener
Carolyn Gordon – WSU Master Gardener Coordinator, carolyn.gordon@clark.wa.gov
Carolyn organizes annual WSU Master Gardener volunteer training and coordinates volunteer activities. Through the WSU Master Gardener Program, volunteers provide research based information on home horticulture to the public to promote correct and reduced use of gardening chemicals, low impact landscaping, the use of native plants, xeriscaping, and other environmentally friendly gardening practices. Carolyn also coordinates and facilitates answer clinics, speakers bureaus, and public gardening workshops. Contact Carolyn for more information on the WSU Master Gardener program.
Since arriving in Vancouver in 1994, Carolyn has been active in PTA, Little League, Newcomer’s Club, Columbia River HS Parents groups and other non-profit organizations, often in a leadership capacity. She also trained as a Clark County Master Gardener in 2002. She and her husband operate a small Christmas Tree Farm near La Center. She has one son entering his Junior year at WSU with a major in Criminal Justice. Before coming to Clark County, Carolyn supervised an Adult Literacy Volunteer Program for the San Bernardino County Library in Grand Terrace, CA before moving to Vancouver.
MS in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California-Irvine.
BS in Biochemistry, University of California-Riverside
Office Support
Cathy Higley – Office Manager, Clark County WSU Extension, cathy.higley@clark.wa.gov
Cathy is responsible for office management and provides administrative support for the department. She processes county finance information and tracks county budget for the department. Cathy oversees two other county staff. She has worked for Clark County since 1990 and has worked at the Clark County Extension Office since 1997.
Cathy has enjoyed working for Clark County government and has lived in Clark County most of her life. She has one son, and two grandchildren who also live in the area.
AA in Office Management, Clark College, 1989.
Kathryn Hunt – Program Support Assistant, Kathryn.Hunt@clark.wa.gov
Kathryn has worked at the Clark County Extension office since 1996. She supports all the Clark County Extension programs through desktop publishing, data entry, purchasing. She also handles telephone requests and assists customers who come in to the office. She also trains participants from the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) who partner with WSU Clark County Extension.
Kathryn is originally from Independence, Missouri, but grew-up in Southern California. Her office nick name is Mary Poppins and she keeps dog treats in her desk for canine visitors.
Marcia Wannamaker – 4-H Program Assistant and WSU/Clark County Extension office support, marcia.wannamaker@clark.wa.gov
Marcia works with 4-H members and volunteers processing paperwork, updating 4-H events calendar and answering and directing questions about the 4-H programs and activities. Marcia answers phones and aids customers that contact the Extension office.
Marcia has lived numerous states including New York, Connecticut, Virginia, Texas before moving to Clark County in 1981. Marcia served as a 4-H Leader and as a member of the Clark County Leaders Association Executive Board prior to coming to work for the WSU Clark County Extension in 2000.
Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Sciences Texas A&M University. 1975.
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