Skip to main content Skip to navigation

About Us

Programs and Staff

Office Hours and Program Contacts

Community & Economic Development

Kristine Perry – Interim County Director, WSU Clark County Extension (Community & Economic Development), – kristine.perry@wsu.edu
The County Director administers the office, managing fiscal and personnel resources serving to maximize the benefit of WSU Extension programs to the citizens of Clark County. Kristine also oversees and manages the SNAP-Ed program. She has been with WSU Extension since 2009.

M.S. Business, Leadership and Management, Western Governors University
B.S. in Community Health Education, Western Washington University

 

Office Administration

AnnetteVary-Getty1Annette Vary-Getty – Fiscal Specialist II, annette.vary-getty@wsu.edu
Annette supports WSU Clark County Extension working with the County Director and Faculty by ensuring fiscal responsibilities, assisting the public and training workforce preparation employees.  Before coming to WSU Clark County Extension, Annette worked in various positions where she gained experience in many areas, from permitting to warehousing.

Originally from Rhode Island, she has lived in Texas, Maryland, and Virginia before putting down roots in Vancouver.  Annette is married; they have cats and love antiquing.

B.A. in Business Management, Pacific University

4-H Youth Development

Missy McElprang – 4-H/Youth Development Regional Specialist Faculty, missy.cummins@wsu.edu
Missy Cummins grew up participating in 4-H in Idaho where her main focus of projects were home economics/miscellaneous and leadership. She comes to us from Bannock County (in SE Idaho) where she has worked as the 4-H Extension Educator for 5 1/2 years. In Idaho, Missy worked to increase the reach of the 4-H program in Bannock County through teen leadership, school enrichment, day camps, juvenile offender life skill development, and livestock programs for urban youth. She has four children, Sam, Jake, Aliza, and Addie.

M.Ed., Child and Family Studies, Idaho State University, Pocatello Idaho.
B.A., General Studies, Idaho State University, Pocatello Idaho.

 

Chantal Krystiniak – 4-H Youth Development Coordinator, chantal.krystiniak@wsu.edu
Chantal will be providing leadership for the Clark Extension work in the 4-H Youth Development Program of Clark County and efforts serving youth outside of the 4-H club system, specifically high-risk youth in detention and underserved populations. Chantal enjoys spending time in nature with Sherman, her miniature poodle.

M.S., Educational Leadership and Policy, Leadership for Sustainability Education Portland State University
B.S., Child and Family Development, Western Michigan University

 

Phoebe Jud – 4-H Program Coordinator, phoebe.jud@wsu.edu Pheobe will be assisting with the 4-H Club model throughout the county by providing technical assistance to 4-H Club Leaders as well as 4-H youth members and their families. Phoebe is a 4-H Alumni herself, showing horses, goats, rabbits, and ducks in Skamania County for 6 years. When it is cold outside, Phoebe enjoys reading science fiction books or knitting inside with her dachshund Boris. But when the weather gets warm, you can find her working in the garden!

Food Safety and Nutrition

Food and Nutrition Specialist FacultyZena Edwards – Food & Nutrition Faculty, zena_edwards@wsu.edu
Zena Edwards does educational programming in the areas of Food Safety and Nutrition in Clark and Cowlitz Counties. In the area of Food Safety Zena 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 training in handling, preparing and serving foods safely to food service employees.

 

 

 

Courtney Payne – Program Coordinator, Courtney.e.payne@wsu.edu

Courtney Payne assists Zena Edwards in coordinating WSU Extension Clark County nutrition programs. Mrs. Payne conducts day-to-day outreach and logistical support for Extension activities, primarily for the WSU Extension Clark County Diabetes Prevention Program. In her free time, she enjoys gardening and taking her Cavalier King Charles pup on walks around the park. 

M.S., Human Nutrition, Oregon Health & Science University

B.S., Human Environmental Sciences, Human Nutrition & Hospitality Innovation; Concentration in Dietetics, University of Arkansas

 

Family Nutrition Education Programs

EFNEP Adult Nutrition Education Program

Sara Peitzmeier – Interim EFNEP Coordinator Senior,  sara.peitzmeier@wsu.edu
Sara is an EFNEP Educator with WSU Clark County Extension. She teaches classes in both English and Spanish. Sara is from Los Angeles but has fallen for the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. When she is not at work, Sara likes to be outside exploring the Columbia River Gorge with her husband and 2 children, walking her husky, or crafting a DIY project she found on Pinterest.

BS in Nutrition, Arizona State University. 2021

 

Maria Camacho – EFNEP Nutrition Education Assistant, maria.camacho@wsu.edu
Maria is an EFNEP Educator with WSU County Extension.  She teaches classes for youth and adults in English, as well as Spanish classes for adults.  She has experience in food safety and working with diverse communities.  Maria was raised in Vancouver and loves exploring Washington state.  After work, Maria enjoys going on hikes, cooking, road trips and spending time with her family.

AA in General studies, Clark College. 2019

 

Scotty Parrish – EFNEP Nutrition Educator,  scott.c.parrish@wsu.edu
Scotty is an EFNEP Educator with WSU Clark County Extension. He teaches nutrition education classes to students in Vancouver and Evergreen shool districts as well as adults in Clark County. After work, Scotty enjoys spending time in his garden.

Western Culinary Institute, Portland OR

 

 

SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Program

K_PerryKristine Perry – Interim County Director, WSU Clark County Extension (Community & Economic Development), – kristine.perry@wsu.edu
The County Director administers the office, managing fiscal and personnel resources serving to maximize the benefit of WSU Extension programs to the citizens of Clark County. Kristine also oversees and manages the SNAP-Ed program. She has been with WSU Extension since 2009.

M.S. Business, Leadership and Management, Western Governors University
B.S. in Community Health Education, Western Washington University

 

Angela Shields – SNAP-Ed Senior Nutrition Coordinator, angela.shields@wsu.edu
Angela is a SNAP-ED nutrition educator. Her focus is teaching nutrition and wellness to the middle school population in the Evergreen School District and supporting the various SNAP-ED programs. Angela has extensive work experience throughout the years in health, wellness and community education. She is excited to work with a team that shares a love of teaching people the importance of nutritious food and the life changing benefits of exercise. Outside of work Angela’s second passion is coaching High School distance runners. She loves to run, hike, read, cook and spend time with her family.

B.S. Exercise Science, University of Oregon. 1992

 

Ringo Nickel – SNAP-ed Nutrition Coordinator, ringo.nickel@wsu.edu

Ringo leads the Snap-Ed Garden Enhanced Nutrition program to teach limited income children about nutrition through experiential gardening and cooking activities.  Ringo 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

 

 

Grazina Braciuliene – SNAP-Ed Nutrition Coordinator, grazina.braciuliene@wsu.edu
Grazina works closely with Vancouver and Evergreen Public Schools’ Family /Community Resource Centers to provide resources for fresh and healthy food. Being bi-lingual, she can reach out to Spanish and Russian speaking population who has some language barriers. She is also partnering with Vancouver and Camas Farmers Markets to help SNAP participants to navigate through Farmers Market. Grazina loves being outdoors, traveling, camping, learning about different cultures, and, of course, studying new languages.
B.S. Biology, Vilnius University, 1989
B.A. Spanish, Portland State University, 2017
M.A. Spanish, Portland State University, 2020

 

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Southwest WA Commercial Agriculture Program

Justin O’Dea – Regional Agricultural Specialist Faculty, justin.odea@wsu.edu
Justin administers the Southwest WA regional Agriculture Extension program for WSU in Clark, Cowlitz, and Skamania counties. Justin focuses on specialty crop production and strategies for farms to be profitable, sustainable, and resilient in regions with high urbanization pressure, but with strong potential for growth in local, high-value, and direct markets.

Justin trained in agronomy, soil science, and ecology, and primarily worked on projects in soil health, cropping systems/rotation, cover crops, reduced tillage, value-added grain production, and integrated weed and pest management.  Before joining WSU, Justin worked for five years at Cornell Cooperative Extension in the Hudson Valley region of New York.  His varied background includes working on multiple farms producing vegetables, fruits, and field crops in New York, Vermont, India, and Montana.  Justin, his wife, and two children enjoy spending time outdoors, traveling, and visiting their extended families.

M.S. Land Resources and Environmental Sciences. Montana State University, 2011
B.A. Cultural Ecology and Sustainable Development. Evergreen State College, 2003

Kyle Bouchard – Research Technician and Program Assistant
Kyle assists with a project on rose stem girdler, an emerging pest of cranberries within the Southwest WA Commercial Agriculture Extension program.

Home/Community Horticulture, Natural Resource Stewardship & Land-based Economic Development

WSU Master Gardener Program 

Erika Johnson – WSU Master Gardener Coordinator, erika.d.johnson@wsu.edu
A military brat, Erika spent her childhood in Texas, Mississippi, California, and the Philippines. She taught English in Korea, coordinated the summer youth volunteer program at the Oregon Zoo, and
most recently coordinated an AmeriCorps program out of Educational Service District 112, in Vancouver. Erika lives with her husband, Mark and their two dogs, Tucker and Lester. Erika enjoys gardening, cycling, and spending time with family.

B.S. in Biology, California State University, Stanislaus – Turlock, CA. 1993

 

 

Bekah Marten – School Garden Coordinator, rebekah.marten@wsu.edu
Bekah Marten partners with schools in Clark County to help support and resource teachers, staff and parents in the use of school gardens with students. As a child, an elderly neighbor first introduced her to gardening, and she now loves having the opportunity to introduce kids to the fascinating world of plants. Bekah enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, reading and volunteering as a Clark County Master Gardener.

B.A. in English, emphasis in Secondary Education, Central Washington University, 2000.

 

 

Small Acreage Program 

Terry Koper –  Small Acreage Program Coordinator – terry.koper@wsu.edu
Terry develops and coordinates educational programs for Clark County residents to increase their awareness, knowledge, and skills necessary to implement sustainable land management practices, with a priority on water quality.

Terry is enthusiastic about sustainable local agricultural systems and improving soil health. Terry has worked as a Resource Conservation Development (RC&D) Coordinator and Soil Scientist for Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS-USDA). Terry also served as a Climate and Agricultural Analyst, the Coordinator of Northwest Rural Farms and Climate Change Initiative, and Adjunct Faculty at Mount Hood Community College. During leisure time, Terry is typically off skiing down a mountain, floating on a river, or hiking in a forest.

M.S. in Biology and in Soil Science. Utah State University – Logan, UT
B.S. in Environmental Biology, Chemistry Minor.  Fort Lewis College – Durango, CO

Regional Forestry Program (based in Lewis County)

Patrick ShultsRegional Extension Forester – patrick.shults@wsu.edu
Patrick is the WSU Extension Forester for the SW corner of Washington.  He started this position in the winter of 2018 and is working diligently to create educational opportunities for small forest landowners in this region.  Prior to taking this job, Patrick lived in Michigan, where he was born and raised, and had spent the last several years working for non-profit organizations that utilized volunteers, education, and outreach to create healthier forests in both urban and natural settings.  Patrick went to Michigan State University to earn his B.S. in Forestry and then went on to earn an M.S. in Forestry (also from MSU), where he conducted research focused on agroforestry and restoring soil with sustainable nutrient cycling.  He hopes to use this range of experience and passion for teaching to develop programming that enables small forest landowners to achieve diverse management objectives.