August 31, 2021 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
September 1, 2021 9:00 A.M. – 1:30 P.M.
8/2/2021 Mr. Tom Martin President and CEO American Forest Foundation 2000 M Street, NW Suite 550 Washington D.C. 20036 Dear Mr. Martin: As President of Prairie View A&M University, it is my pleasure to express support of the Sustainable Forest African American Land Retention (SFLR) Texas site. The SFLR program provides vital leadership to landowners with preventive education and forest management planning assistance. The program is significantly impacting African American forest landowners in Texas. Landowners have received farm management plans, assistance with signing up for USDA financial assistance, and counseling to help them deal with Heirs property issues. There has been continuous improvement with the program. I believe that Dr. Clarence Bunch has done a great job providing leadership with the SFLR Program. He has integrated the SFLR program into his Agriculture and Natural Resources operation as he develops the Small Farm Institute. I highly support the Sustainable Forest African American Land Retention (SFLR) program and believe the implementation of this program is pivotal to our Center for Race and Justice and benefits Texas African American Forest Landowners. Sincerely,
Ruth Simmons, Ph.D. President cc: Gerard D’Souza, Ph.D., Dean of the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences and Director, Land Grant Programs Carolyn L. Williams, Ph.D., Cooperative Extension Program (CEP) Executive Administrator James L. Palmer, Ph.D., Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Clarence Bunch, Ph.D., AgNR Program Leader
Office of the President P.O. Box 519; Mail Stop 1001 Prairie View, TX 77446-0519 Phone (936) 261-2111
Fax (936) 261-2115
PROGRAM SPEAKERS J. Drew Lanham, PHD., is an Alumni Distinguished Professor, Provost’s Professor and Master Teacher of Wildlife Ecology at Clemson University. He is a cultural and conservation ornithologist whose work addresses the confluence of race, place, and nature. He is the Poet Laureate of his home county and the author of “Sparrow Envy – Poems” (Holocene 2016, Hub City 2018), “Sparrow Envy - A Field Guide to Birds and Lesser Beasts” (Hub City 2021), and “The Home Place - Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature” (Milkweed 2016/ Tantor Audio 2018). Dr. Lanham is known widely as a conservation and environmental advocate and has served on national boards including the National Audubon Society, the Aldo Leopold Foundation, Birdnote and the American Birding Association. He was past board chair of the Audubon South Carolina Advisory Board and State Affiliate Representative for the South Carolina Wildlife Federation, where he conceived, designed, and implemented “Palmetto Pro Birders,” one of the first state-driven, non-governmental conservation-run citizen science/ bird conservation efforts in the United States. For his service, Drew has been awarded the Dan W. Lufkin Conservation Award (National Audubon Society), the Rosa Parks and Grace Lee Boggs Outstanding Service Award (North American Association for Environmental Education), and the E.O. Wilson Award for Outstanding Science in Biodiversity Conservation (Center for Biological Diversity). His forthcoming book, “Range Maps – Birds, Blackness and Loving Nature Between the Two”, is the work that he hopes will breathe being into his desire to make birds “who’s” as much as “what’s”, and his writing to become the definitive guide for blending culture and conservation. Drew resides in Seneca, SC, a soaring broad-winged hawk’s downhill glide from the foot of the Southern Appalachian escarpment the Cherokee once called the “Blue Wall.” Claude W. Ross is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Agricultural Economics. He began his career with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (formerly the Soil Conservation Service) at the Quanah Field Office in Hardeman County in June of 1988. Over the years, Claude has taken on multiple responsibilities for Texas, including 15 years managing the agency’s conservation easement programs. In his permanent position, he is the Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations in San Angelo, Texas, where he oversees the conservation planning and program delivery for 43 Field Offices. Currently, he is serving Texas NRCS as the Acting Assistant State Conservationist for Programs. In 2018, he served as Acting State Conservationist in Louisiana. Claude is a graduate of the Strategic Leadership Development Program from George Washington University.
Alton Perry is the Director for Roanoke Electric Cooperative’s Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project. Perry is retired from the NC Forest Service where he served from 1982 until 2012. Currently, he aids forest landowners, mainly African American landowners, to use their woodlands as a means of increasing family wealth and legacy in order to meet Roanoke Electric Cooperative’s mission of “enhancing the quality of life in the diverse communities” they serve. In addition, Perry serves on the board of the North Carolina Tree Farm Program, the Conservation Trust of North Carolina, a representative for SFLR Network on the Forest Climate Working Group, and a member of the SFLR Network Leadership Team. Evette Browning moved to Little Rock, Arkansas from Los Angeles, California. She began her career in agriculture at the Arkansas Forestry Commission in 2002. Since then, she has served in many roles, including Executive Assistant to the Director, Outreach Coordinator, Minority and Women-Owned Business Officer, Business Travel Custodian, Title IV of Civil Rights Act of 1964 Coordinator, Grievance Officer, Business Continuity Planner, Webmaster, Alternate Website Manager, Grant Review Team Leader, and more. Passionate about helping others, the role of Outreach Coordinator fits her and is dear to her heart which led to her induction into the Communication’s Group Women in Industry in 2020. She is on the Board of Directors for Arkansas Land & Farm Development Corporation and the Arkansas Land & Community Development Corporation. She also serves as First Vice President on the Arkansas Women in Agriculture Board, is on the Sustainable Forestry & Land Retention’s Policy and Communications Committees and is active on the Arkansas State Employees Grievance Appeals Panel. In her spare time, Evette loves to shop, participate in volunteer work, spend time with family, and travel. Evette is married to Robert with one grown son, Isiah. Dr. Eric Taylor received a B.S. in Forestry and a M.S. in Forest Biometrics from Stephen F. Austin State University and a Ph.D. in Forestry at Texas A&M University. Dr. Taylor serves jointly as a Silviculturist for Texas A&M Forest Service and Extension Specialist for Forestry for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. His interests lie in pine and hardwood silvicultural systems. He is a Fellow of the Society of American Foresters and has received numerous awards for his outreach and education efforts. Dr. Taylor is a forest landowner and lifetime member of the Texas Forestry Association.
Ms. Lorri Sloate has been employed with Farm Service Agency (FSA) for 19 years. She began her career as a Program Technician in the Lincoln County FSA Office, in June 2000. She served farmers and ranchers in the county for more than 15 years. While working in that office, Ms. Sloate was the recipient of the 2013 Carpenter Family Customer Service Award, an honor given annually to a USDA employee. In 2016, she became the first female County Executive Director (CED) of the Arkansas County FSA Office. Arkansas County has over 343,000 acres of cropland, with much crop diversity. In 2018, Ms. Sloate spearheaded the inaugural “Arkansas County Women in Agriculture Conference” which is now an annual event. At this conference, the “Woman of the Year in Agriculture Award” is presented, and recipients represent all parts of the agricultural industry including cattle, vegetables, row crops, equine, and agriculture education and outreach. She continues to work diligently on this conference, and it is increasing in size yearly. FSA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Conservation District, and the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service work together to host this event. Most recently, she has spearheaded the FSA Southeast Arkansas Virtual Outreach Conferences. Her goal is to have 5 Virtual Conferences on FSA Programs and Services within the next year. Ms. Sloate is dedicated to the Farmers and Ranchers of Arkansas County, Arkansas. Lillian “Ebonie” Alexander is the Executive Director of the Black Family Land Trust, Inc. (BFLT). The BFLT is a niche land trust and one of the nation’s only regional land trust dedicated to the preservation and protection of African-American and other historically underserved landowners land assets. Alexander designed and implemented the African American Land Ethic© and Wealth Retention and Asset Protection (WRAP) programs. Alexander currently serves on the boards of the American Farmland Trust, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association. She was awarded the 2020 Gerald P. McCarthy Award for Leadership in Environmental Conflict Resolution from The Institute for Engagement & Negotiation at the University of Virginia. A native of Maryland, Alexander lives in rural Virginia on land that has been in the family for generations. She is a proud Virginian, avid reader, lover of history, and grandmother of two. Alexander can trace her family’s history in Virginia to the mid-1750’s. Kierra Goosby is the new Program Manager for the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program with the American Forest Foundation. Her background is in Plant Science and Biotechnology with practical experience in agriculture through farmland management. She is a certified project manager passionate about helping organizations experience the intersection of thoughtful leadership and practical implementation.
Justin Mallett lives near Cove, Arkansas on his tiny Pastured Poultry/Dairy Goat and Beef operation with his wife of 12 years, and three children. He was raised up on a small cattle farm near Arkadelphia, AR where his family owns 80 acres that have been in the family for around five generations; 63 acres of which are bottomland hardwoods. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry and an Associate of Science in Land Surveying Technology from the University of Arkansas-Monticello in 2010. He has been a Registered Forester under the Arkansas Board of Registration for Foresters since 2013 and recently became a Certified Arborist from the International Society of Arboriculture. After graduating from college, he worked for 2 years as a Survey Intern in Central Arkansas. He has been employed by the State of Arkansas (originally called Arkansas Forestry Commission, now Arkansas Department of Agriculture-Forestry Division) since June of 2012, where he is the County Forester over Howard, Polk, and Sevier Counties. He has been an American Tree Farm Inspector since 2013 and is the current Secretary-Treasurer of the Arkansas Tree Farm Committee and CoChair of the Arkansas Tree Farm Communications Committee. Justin regularly speaks at Arkansas Keeping it in the Family (SFLR) outreach meetings (in-person and zoom) and works closely with the Keeping it in the Family team to assist landowners not only in his three counties but also in the state. When he’s not working for the state, he is mowing yards for his side business, spending time with his family, and is one of the song leaders and sound operator for his local church congregation.
Sam Cook has made his mark on multiple aspects of forestry during his esteemed career, stemming more than 40 years. He is currently the executive director of Forest Assets and vice president of the Natural Resources Foundation for the College of Natural Resources at North Carolina State University, where he coordinates the management of the forest assets owned or managed by the NC State Natural Resources Foundation, Inc. He also serves as a board member for World Forestry Center, (Portland, Oregon), Forest History Society (Durham, NC), and a Resource Committee Advisor for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) (Washington, DC) - representing the Black Family Land Trust (NC/VA). Mr. Cook is also a Consulting Forester, Registered Forester and USDA Technical Service Provider in three southern states. Gerard D’Souza, Ph.D., is the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences (CAHS) Dean and Director of Land-Grant Programs. D’Souza assumed this role on July 1, 2018 after serving as Director of the Division of Resource Economics and Management at West Virginia University. He completed his Ph.D. at Mississippi State University and was a Fulbright Scholar in Paraguay, a visiting scholar in Costa Rica and at the Wallace Institute, Greenbelt, MD. D’Souza had sabbatical appointments at universities in Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. His research emphasizes sustainable development with an emphasis on the role of niche agricultural products within the context of natural, financial, and human capital development. Dr. D’Souza acknowledges that taking the college to the next level will require strategy, dedication, investment, and a cutting-edge learning environment for students.
Dr. Dewayne Goldmon is the United States Department of Agriculture Senior Advisor Racial Equity. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Arkansas and his Ph.D. from Iowa State University, all in agronomy. After four years as a field researcher with American Cyanamid (acquired by BASF), he joined Monsanto Company (acquired by Bayer Crop Sciences) in 1995. He held various positions in technology development, where he conducted research on all southern row crops and managed research and development trials in soybeans, rice, and cotton. Later in his career, he worked on Monsanto’s government affairs team and in human resources, retiring as the Outreach Lead for Bayer Crop Sciences in 2019. Throughout his education and career, he has worked on diversity initiatives and maintained working relationships with several land-grant universities and community-based organizations. On March 1, 2021 he was announced as the Senior Advisor for Racial Equity, where he serves as a key advisor to the Secretary, providing counsel on a broad range of matters related to racial equity and justice as mandated by the Biden-Harris administration. Liaise with relevant White House personnel on designing, planning, and executing key initiatives and priorities, Dr. Goldmon represents the Secretary and USDA on high level inter- and intra-agency working groups and in public facing forums. He provides leadership on implementation of congressional initiatives and cross-departmental racial equity work. He also works closely with the Secretary and the department to address the cumulative impacts of prior discrimination, to transform USDA into a racially equitable department. Ms. Belinda Bell is a United States Department of Agricultural (USDA) Liaison with the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement (OPPE). She holds a B.S. in Agriculture Economics from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. She has 35 years of USDA experience and 28 of those years were with USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). She started her career with NRCS as a Soil Conservationist Technician student-trainee in Illinois. Later, she became the first African American female District Conservationist in Arkansas. She served as a Resource Conservationist/Social Scientist and an Agriculture Economist while on the Little Rock, Arkansas Water Resource staff and the Ecological Science team. She served as an Interdisciplinary Leader in planning and developing Watershed Projects, Environmental Impact Statements. Ms. Bell also formerly served as a USDA/1890 Liaison at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU).
Zach Ducheneaux was appointed Administrator for USDA’s Farm Service Agency on February 22, 2021. In this role, Ducheneaux will provide leadership and direction on agricultural policy, administering credit and loan programs, and managing conservation, commodity, disaster, and farm marketing programs through a national network of offices. Ducheneaux previously served as the Executive Director of the Intertribal Agriculture Council, the largest, longest-standing Native American agriculture organization in the United States. Since the 1990s he’s held several positions at the IAC, working with all Federally Recognized Tribes and their 80,000 Native American producers. He’s also served as Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Council Representative. He has spent his career educating people about the critical role of thoughtful ag finance, improved food systems, value-added agriculture, and foreign exports to respond to the enduring economic and social challenges facing Native Americans and reservations. Ducheneaux continues to volunteer on the board of directors for Project H3LP!, a nonprofit founded by his family to benefit his local community by providing life lessons and therapy through horsemanship. He is one of many partners on the family’s ranch on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation in north central South Dakota. Kay Reed is the Director of Cooperative Forestry for the Southern Region of the USDA Forest Service, based in Atlanta, GA. Reed has worked for the Forest Service for 17 years, including many assignments in the Southern Region and the Alaska Region. The program areas of responsibility under Reed are related to State and Private Forestry Programs including Forest Stewardship, Rural Forestry Assistance, Urban and Community Forestry, Forest Legacy, Community Forest and Open Space, Wood Innovations, Landscape Scale Restoration, and Restoration, Nursery and Genetic Resources. The America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative, White Oak Initiative, and Shortleaf Pine Initiative fall under her staff area. She also oversees the National Seed Laboratory which has international roles. Prior to the Forest Service she worked in state government for both the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry. Reed grew up in suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resource Management from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science. She also has a Master of Public Administration degree from Tennessee State University.
Mike Sullivan is the NRCS Arkansas state conservationist, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, and has worked with the agency for 40 years. Sullivan has led and accelerated conservation activities by helping agricultural producers address priority natural resource concerns. His career began as an NRCS student trainee in Lincoln Nebraska, and he later served in several capacities in Arkansas, Mississippi, Arizona and the agency’s national headquarters in Washington, D.C. Between 1995 and 2002, Sullivan established and led the NRCS National Weather Management Center in Little Rock, assisting NRCOS employees nationwide address complex water resource problems and projects. He also served as assistant state conservationist (water resources), state conservation engineer, and water resources planning leader in Phoenix, Arizona; planning engineer in Jackson, Mississippi; and planning engineer and filed engineer in Little Rock. Sullivan served as the NRCS national science and technology coordinator from 2002 to 2004. From 2004 – 2009, Sullivan served as the Mississippi River Basin coordinator developing the Mississippi River Healthy Watersheds Initiative, an $80 million yearly initiative to improve water quality, enhance wildlife habitat, and maintain agricultural productivity in selected watersheds in the Mississippi River Basin. Sullivan holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Arkansas and a Master of Business Administration from Arizona State University. As a North Little Rock native, he enjoyed spending time on the family farm near Lonoke, Arkansas, while growing up. He is a registered professional engineer and is married with three children and five grandchildren. Dr. Clarence Bunch is currently the Agriculture Natural Resource Program Leader for Prairie View A&M University, where he has expanded the Cooperative Extension Program Agriculture and Natural Resources Unit from 6 counties to 28. He has developed a Smal Farm Institute to service socially disadvantaged producers through several agriculture programs. He is the former Associate Director of Extension at Central State University, where he created Central State University as the 18th 1890 Land Grant Institution. He developed Central State University Cooperative Extension Service. (CSUE). In addition, Dr. Bunch is the former Senior Pastor of the City of Zion, former USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service District Conservationist, RC&D Coordinator, State Outreach Coordinator, State Conservation Innovation Grants Coordinator. He has provided statewide administration, strategic direction, program development, and visionary and contemporary leadership during his tenure. Furthermore, Dr. Bunch has built partnerships and provided leadership with local, federal, state, and county agriculture organizations. He has served in numerous roles with community, civic organizations, such as Executive Board Member of the NAACP, Board Member of the Sandusky Citizen Coalition, member of the Ohio NRCS Civil Rights Committee, National Employee Development, and served as an Assistant High School Football Coach. Dr. Bunch holds an Associate Arts degree in Agricultural Industrial Technology, a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics, a Master’s in Management, and a Ph. D. in Leadership and Change.
State Representative James White is a native Texan born in Houston, TX. He attended Houston ISD public schools before graduating with honors from Prairie View A&M University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. He also completed his doctorate in political science at the University of Houston. In 1986, the United States Congress commissioned Rep. White as an officer of Infantry in the U.S. Army. His service included an assignment with the Berlin Brigade from 1987-90 during the demise of the Soviet Union. After leaving the Army with an Honorable Discharge in 1992, Rep. White began a career as a public-school educator. Rep. White was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2010. Throughout his tenure in the Legislature, Rep. White has been a strong advocate for the residents of District 19 and is committed to ensuring the people of Hardin, Jasper, Newton, Polk, and Tyler counties are well represented in the State Legislature. He has received various recognitions from statewide organizations and advocacy groups: Texas Monthly Magazine “2019 Best Legislator”; Texas Association of Business “Champions for Free Enterprise”; Texas Eagle Forum “Most Conservative Rating”; American Conservative Union “Award for Conservative Excellence”; Conservative Roundtable of Texas “Lone Star Conservative Leader”; National Federation of Independent Business in Texas “100% Rating”; Texas Right to Life “Perfect Pro-Life Voting Record.” The Texas Justice of the Peace and Constable Association recognized Rep. White as their 2015 Legislator of the Year. Currently, Rep. White serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security & Public Safety and sits on the Corrections and Redistricting committees. He has previously served on the County Affairs, Agriculture and Livestock, Human Trafficking, Juvenile Justice and Family Issues, Emerging Issues in Law Enforcement, Transportation Planning, Mental Health, International Trade & Intergovernmental Affairs, Opioid & Substance Abuse, Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence, and Driver’s License Issuance & Renewal committees. Rep. White and his wife, Gem, reside in Tyler County where he is a businessman and author. He is a active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and the Texas Farm Bureau. Rep. David Fielding of Magnolia is serving his sixth term in the Arkansas House. He represents District 5, which includes parts of Columbia, Ouachita, Lafayette, and Nevada counties. For the 93rd General Assembly, Rep. Fielding serves one the Arkansas Legislative Council, the Joint Performance Review Committee, House Insurance and Commerce Committee, and the House Public Transportation Committee. For the 89th General Assembly, he served as chair of the House City, County, and Local Affairs Committee. Rep. Fielding graduated high school in Louisiana. He earned his degree from Southern Arkansas University, and he works in the retail grocery business. In his spare time, he enjoys football, basketball, and golf. He and his wife, Shirley, attend the Methodist Church and have two sons.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is an influential and forceful voice in Washington. She is serving her thirteenth term as a member of the United States House of Representatives, serving the 18th Congressional District of Texas, centered in Houston. She sits on three Congressional Committees — a senior member of the House Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security and appointed by the leadership as a member of the crucial Budget Committee. Congresswoman Jackson has played a key role in the passing of several pieces of legislation. In the 116th Congress she authored, introduced, and saw the passage of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, the Law Enforcement and Integrity Act which was included in the George Floyd Police Reform Act of 2020 and was renamed upon her recommendation, the Emancipation National Historic Trail Study Act and H.R. 40 the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act. Additionally, she has introduced several bills including the Juvenile Accountability Block Grant Reauthorization and Bullying Prevention and Intervention Act, H.R. 71, the Federal Prison Bureau Nonviolent Offender Relief Act of 2015, and H.R. 4660, an Amendment to the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015 affirming the authority of the Attorney General to reduce prison overcrowding by developing and implementing lawful policies relating to requests for executive clemency from deserving petitioners. She has also been given several honors throughout her career. ‘Congressional Quarterly’ named her as one of the 50 most effective Members of Congress and the ‘U.S. News and World Report’ named her as one of the 10 most influential legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is past chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Energy Braintrust, co-chair of the Justice Reform Task Force, and a leadership appointed member of the International Helsinki Commission. She serves as Chief Deputy Whip for the Democratic Caucus, past Chairperson of the Texas Congressional Democratic Delegation for the 113th Congress, and past Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Board. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee earned a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University with honors in the first graduating class including females, followed by a J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School. She is married to Dr. Elwyn Lee and has two children and two grandchildren. Rusty Rumley graduated from Oklahoma State University with a B.S. in Agribusiness and earned his J.D. from the University of Oklahoma. After law school, Rusty earned his LL.M. in Agricultural Law at the University of Arkansas. He is licensed to practice law in the states of Oklahoma and Michigan. Rusty has published law review articles discussing the future application of special use valuation for inherited farmland, “right to farm” statutes, and the enforcement of animal cruelty statutes by private organizations. He has also written on landowner liability, agritourism, food labeling, local food production, business organizations, crop insurance, estate planning, leasing, and other land use topics in his work at the National Agricultural Law Center. Further, Rusty presents around the country to producer, consumer, extension, industry, and legal groups on an array of topics.
Horace D. Hodge is the USDA Program Liaison serving at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) in Prairie View, TX. He has held this position since 1989. He is an employee of the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, 1890 Programs Division in Washington, DC. Mr. Hodge has completed 44+ years of federal service and holds a B.S. and an M. Ed. degree in agriculture from Prairie View A&M University. Horace has worked as a soil conservationist in Linden, San Benito, and Greenville, TX. Prior to becoming the USDA/1890 Program Liaison at PVAMU, Mr. Hodge was employed with Soil Conservation Service as District Conservationist in Navasota, TX. As 1890 Program Liaison, Mr. Hodge provides coordination between USDA and PVAMU on special projects. He also recruits high school students, counsels them on USDA employment opportunities, and develops innovative approaches for USDA to reach small-scale, limited resource minority farmers. He currently manages a 1 million+ dollar scholarship program at Prairie View A&M University. Mr. Hodge is a life member of several organizations, including the PVAMU National Alumni Association, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the National Organization of Professional Black Natural Resources Conversation Service Employees, the Fairview Jr. and Sr. High School Reunion Corporation, and a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Two of Horace’s proudest moments was when he was elected to serve as President of his high school FFA Chapter and President of PVAMU Collegiate FFA Chapter. Horace was recently awarded the FFA Honorary Lone Degree by the Texas FFA Association. In 2008, Horace received the Secretary of Agriculture Honor Award, the highest award in USDA. He loves fishing and giving back to his community. Horace has three daughters, Shameka, Nakeatha, and Benita, all graduates of Prairie View A&M University. He also has two grandchildren, Lakeshia Holland and Robert, Holland, III. Clyde Williams was born and raised in Lambrook, Arkansas, a small, family-oriented farming community. He credits his rural upbringing for his love and interest of agriculture. He began his career with the Natural Resources Conservation Service during the summer of 2012 as a Soil Conservationist-Student Trainee in Clarendon, Arkansas. While at the Monroe County Field Service Center, he was introduced to how the agency works diligently to conserve our natural resources. By the time the internship ended, Clyde undoubtedly knew that he wanted to pursue a career with the agency. In 2013, Clyde accepted the position as Soil Conservationist in Osceola, Arkansas. While in Osceola, he continued to hone his conservation knowledge and experience. During the fall of 2015, he accepted the position as District Conservationist (DC) in Augusta, Arkansas. As a DC, he had the opportunity to become more hands-on with outreach efforts in reaching the historically underserved farmers and landowners in the county. He also had the pleasure of working side-by-side with the local-led workgroup on ways to increase conservation interest and awareness around the county. Clyde currently serves as the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) Manager in the Little Rock, Arkansas state office. In this role, he is responsible for the management of all CSP activities within the state. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Regulatory Science from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He and his wife Angela have two sons, Jace and Elliot. In his spare time, he enjoys spending quality time with his family, writing, and woodworking.
Dr. James M. Palmer is the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and provides leadership and direction for academic priorities, oversees the quality of academic programs, and ensures the recruitment, retention and support for outstanding faculty at Prairie View A&M University. Prior to this role he served as Associate Provost for four years and as Interim Dean and Director of Land-Grant Programs for two. As Associate Provost he was responsible for promoting and nurturing PVAMU’s wide-ranging academic goals with a focus on accreditation, strategic planning, the core curriculum, university and program assessment, academic and climate experience surveys, and the processes of selecting faculty for awards and recognitions. In the dean’s role, he oversaw the administration of the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences which consists of the Department of Agriculture, Nutrition and Human Ecology; Cooperative Agricultural Research Center (CARC), which includes the International Goat Research Center; and the Cooperative Extension Program (CEP), which serves 35 counties across Texas. Palmer is a graduate of the University of Texas-Austin where he double majored. He completed his M.A. and Ph.D. at Purdue University-West Lafayette. Dr. Henry English is the director of the Small Farm Program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). The Small Farm Program targets small, limited resource, and socially disadvantaged producers (SDPs) in eastern and southwest Arkansas. The program offers education, training, and technical assistance with farm financial planning, crop and livestock production, marketing, the use of USDA Programs (conservations, loan, disaster, and safety net), heirs’ property, and a special emphasis on helping small farmers diversify by adding vegetables or fruits. The Small Farm Program also provides risk management training and beginning farmer training for SDPs. The UAPB Small Farm Program is also one of the eight state programs that has a Sustainable Forestry Land Retention Program (SFLR). Dr. English has received several awards including the UAPB University Outreach and Engagement Award, the Outstanding Community Service Award from the Black Farmers & Agriculturalist Association of Arkansas, the George Washington Carver Public Service Hall of Fame Award, the 2014 Association of Extension Administration Award, the 2014 Reginal Award for Excellence in Extension. He has also served on the Advisory Committee for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers for three years (1999 2005), he currently serves on the Natural Resources Conservation Services State Technical Committee, and he is a member of the Jefferson County Conservation District Board of Directors.
Dr. Bruce McGowan is the Interim Dean/Director of the School of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Human Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). Dr. McGowan brings more than thirty years of higher education experience through servanthood and leadership. He has served in the executive leadership capacity of two universities (Langston University and Rogers State University) - both universities are in Oklahoma where Dr. McGowan was responsible for the operations of both universities’ remote campuses. He has also served in leadership positions in Schools of Agriculture at three 1890 land-grant institutions (Alcorn State University, Langston University, and currently UAPB). Dr. McGowan served as a private subcontractor for the Farmer’s Home Administration, providing mortgage interest credit services to rural homeowners to make a little extra money as a graduate student at Mississippi State University, his alma mater. In addition, while at Alcorn State University, he served as Community Resource Development Extension Specialist where he assisted rural communities with economic development initiatives and helped entrepreneurs expand business opportunities. Dr. McGowan’s strong education and military backgrounds, coupled with his humility and humbleness in service to God, community, and country, have afforded him the opportunity to maintain exceptional values and commitment to excellence in his endeavor of empowering people to empower others. Senator Stephanie Flowers of Pine Bluff represents District 25, which includes parts of Pine Bluff and Jefferson County, as well as parts of Arkansas, Desha, Lincoln, Monroe and Phillips Counties. An attorney, she is vice chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, JBC – Claims Committee and the Litigation Reports Oversight Subcommittee. Senator Flowers is a member of several other committees including Senate City, County and Local Affairs, Senate Children and Youth Committee, Joint Energy, the Joint Budget Committee and the Arkansas Legislative Council. A native of Pine Bluff, she served in the House of Representatives from 2005 through 2010, when she was elected to the Senate. She was sworn in as a State Senator in the 2011 Regular Session. Flowers has sponsored legislation to foster community support for public schools, such as Act 1507 of 2013 to expand the ability of schools to hold events. She sponsored Act 1002 of 2011 and Act 1423 of 2013 to make parental involvement plans more user friendly and more effective. One of Flowers’ priorities is to expand and improve re-entry training of inmates to help them better prepare for a productive life outside prison. She has been instrumental in setting up a program in which probationers and parolees work to clear away condemned properties. In 2017, she co-sponsored a package of bills to strengthen ethics and campaign finance laws. She also co-sponsored legislation to create a monument on the state capitol grounds honoring Gold Star Families who have lost a loved one during active military service. In 2019, she co-sponsored legislation creating the major highway program and to set up a grant program for improvements at historically black colleges and universities. Senator Flowers is a graduate of Philander Smith College in Little Rock and the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University in Houston. She is a member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and has one son.
U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman is a Hot Springs native currently serving his fourth term as representative from the Fourth District of Arkansas, having first been elected in 2014. Westerman serves on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and as Ranking Member of the Committee on Natural Resources. Westerman also serves on the Minority Whip Team under the leadership of House Minority Whip Steve Scalise. Prior to serving in Congress, Westerman was elected to two terms in the Arkansas General Assembly, where he was the state’s first Republican House Majority Leader since Reconstruction following the 2013 GOP takeover of the Arkansas House of Representatives. An engineer and forester by trade, Westerman worked for 22 years at Mid-South Engineering in Hot Springs. He was named Engineer of the Year by the Arkansas Society of Professional Engineers in 2013. A 1990 graduate of the University of Arkansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Westerman was a four-year walk-on member of the Razorback football team. He was awarded the Outstanding Young Alumni Award in 2005 and the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2012. Westerman is also a graduate of Yale University, earning a Master of Forestry degree in 2001. Westerman lives in Hot Springs with his wife, Sharon, and their four children. He enjoys hunting and fishing. Shane Harrington is a Program Leader, who serves as Texas A&M Forest Service’s Farm Bill, Forest Stewardship, Forest Health, Water Resources, and Endangered Species Coordinator. Through these roles he is responsible for collaborating with state/federal agencies, NGOs, the forest industry, forest landowners, and private groups to help better position Texas A&M Forest Service in serving Texans and managing the state’s vast natural resources. Through coordination with these groups and others, he manages an array of conservation/stewardship-based financial and technical assistance programs to better enable landowners to manage their forests and woodlands. Shawn M. Boler’s entrepreneurial pursuits include real estate holdings in family-owned and operated BOLER&BOLER, Founder and Principal in Wrenchhand Performance Handwear Long Beach CA between 2013 and 2019, and a Principal in RAE Holdings Centerpoint AR from 2020 to the present. He was employed by the Montgomery Ward retail company for twenty years, achieving multiple corporate buying and marketing positions. His professional focus in the Automotive Aftermarket Industry led him to roles at JC Whitney, US Auto Parts, KRACO Automotive, and Classic Industries, where he works with domestic and international entities.
The SFLR Program aids African American landowners in creating sustainable intergenerational forest ownerships. This assistance is provided through eight, trusted local community-based organizations in eight southeastern states (AL, AR, GA, MS, NC, SC, TX & VA) and five national partners- The JPB Foundation, Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities, the USDA Forest Service, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and American Forest Foundation. The Cooperative Extension Program does not discriminate against anyone regardless of their race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity. Persons who require communication in a language other than English or with a disability who require alternative means of communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should call 936-261-3585 in advance.