NCDEA Board of Directors

2022 NCDEA Board Officers

Rhonda Kelsch

President

Rhonda is the District Administrator for the Emmons County Soil Conservation District in North Dakota.

Melissa Higbee

Vice President

Melissa is the Executive Director of the Shiawassee Conservation District and serves as the Secretary of the Conservation District Employees of Michigan.

Velynda Parker

Secretary

Velynda is the Secretary to the Board of Directors for Steuben County Soil & Water Conservation District in New York and serves as Division IV Representative to the New York State Conservation District Employees’ Association, Inc.

Gretchen Rank

Treasurer

Gretchen has served as the Southwest Region Director since 2017. She was elected Treasurer in 2020.

Jeff Parker

Member at Large

Jeff has served as the Northeast Region Director since 2016 and has served as the member at large since 2020.

Tim Riley

Past President

Tim is the District Coordinator of the Kent Conservation District in Delaware.

Tim Riley

Executive Director

Tim is the District Coordinator of the Kent Conservation District in Delaware.

Rich Duesterhaus

Advisor

2022 NCDEA Directors

Chessa Frahm

North Central Region Director

Chessa is the District Manager for the Lac qui Parle SWCD in Madison, MN and serves as the President for the Minnesota Association of Conservation District Employees.

Jeff Parker

Northeast Region Director

Jeff is the District Manager for Steuben County Soil & Water Conservation District in New York and serves as President of the Northeast Association of Conservation District Employees.

Sarah Tunge

Northern Plains Region Director

Sarah is the District Manager for the Mercer County Soil Conservation District and serves as a director of the North Dakota Conservation District Employees Association.

Mandy Parkes

Pacific Region Director

Mandy is the District Manager for the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District in Redlands, CA. Mandy also serves as the District Manager Representative – South for the California Association of RCDs Board.

Coleta Bratten

South Central Region Director

Coleta is the District Manager of the Dewey County Conservation District and serves as President of the Oklahoma Association of Conservation District Employees.

Kayleigh Evans

Southeast Region Director

Kayleigh is the Administrative Secretary/Education Coordinator for the Harrison County Soil and Water Conservation District in Cynthia, Kentucky. She also serves as President of the Southeast Conservation District Employees Association.

Gretchen Rank

Southwest Region Director

Gretchen is the Executive Director for the Mancos Conservation District and the Montezuma School to Farm Project in Colorado.

2020 NCDEA Board

2019 NCDEA Board

Member-at-Large and South Central Regional Director Coletta Bratten missing

2018 NCDEA Board

2019 NCDEA Board

2018 NCDEA Board

2019 NCDEA Board

2018 NCDEA Board

History of Board Officers

Year	President	Vice President	Treasurer	Secretary	Past President
2022	Rhonda Kelsch, ND	Melissa Higbee, MI	Gretchen Rank, CO	Velynda Parker, NY	Tim Riley
2021	Rhonda Kelsch, ND	Melissa Higbee, MI	Gretchen Rank, CO	Velynda Parker, NY	Tim Riley
2020	Rhonda Kelsch, ND	Melissa Higbee, MI	Gretchen Rank, CO	Velynda Parker, NY	Tim Riley
2019	Rhonda Kelsch, ND	Melissa Higbee, MI	Jeanette Hale, AR	Velynda Parker, NY	Tim Riley
2018	Tim Riley, DE	Rhonda Kelsch, ND	Jeanette Hale, AR	Melissa Higbee, MI	Irene Moore
2017	Tim Riley, DE	Rhonda Kelsch, ND	Jeanette Hale, AR	Melissa Higbee, MI	Irene Moore
2016	Tim Riley, DE	Jeanette Hale, AR	Melissa Higbee, MI	Rhonda Kelsch, ND	Irene Moore
2015	Tim Riley, DE	Jeanette Hale, AR	Tia Rice, OH	Rhonda Vetsch, ND	Irene Moore
2014	Irene Moore, OH	Pam Hawkins, NC	Tim Riley, DE	Rhonda Vetsch, ND	Connie Richmeier
2013	Irene Moore, OH	Pam Hawkins, NC	Tim Riley, DE	Bryan Evans, NC	Connie Richmeier
2012	Irene Moore, OH	Pam Hawkins, NC	Tim Riley, DE	Bryan Evans, NC	Connie Richmeier
2011	Connie Richmeier, KS	Irene Moore, OH	Linda Smith, KY	Bryan Evans, NC	Cindy Moon
2010	Connie Richmeier, KS	Irene Moore, OH	Linda Smith, KY	Pam Hawkins, NC	Cindy Moon
2009	Connie Richmeier, KS	Tim Riley, DE	Linda Smith, KY	Pam Hawkins, NC	Cindy Moon
2008	Cindy Moon, IL	Connie Richmeier, KS	Tim Riley, DE	Pam Hawkins, NC	Robert Dobbs
2007	Cindy Moon, IL	Connie Richmeier, KS	Glenda Lewis, SC	Tim Riley, DE	Robert Dobbs
2006	Robert Dobbs, NJ	Cindy Moon, IL	Connie Richmeier, KS	Glenda Lewis, SC	Rich Baden
2005	Robert Dobbs, NJ	Cindy Moon, IL	Connie Richmeier, KS	Glenda Lewis, SC	Rich Baden
2004	Robert Dobbs, NJ	Cindy Moon, IL	Connie Richmeier, KS	Glenda Lewis, SC	Rich Baden
2003	Rich Baden, WA	Robert Dobbs, NJ	Cindy Moon, IL	Connie Richmeier, KS	Martha Buff
2002	Rich Baden, WA	Robert Dobbs, NJ	Cindy Moon, IL	Carlene Rosencranz, SD	Martha Buff
2001	Martha Buff, NC	Rich Baden, WA	Robert Dobbs, NJ	Cindy Moon, IL	Shirley Ball
2000	Martha Buff, NC	Rich Baden, WA	Robert Dobbs, NJ	Cindy Moon, IL	Shirley Ball
1999	Martha Buff, NC	Rich Baden, WA	Christy Kimble, OK	Cindy Moon, IL	Shirley Ball
1998	Shirley Ball, AR	Martha Buff, NC	Rich Baden, WA	Beth Seibert, OH	Kay Wasinger
1997	Shirley Ball, AR	Martha Buff, NC	Jeff Wilson, CA	Frances Martinez, NM	Kay Wasinger
1996	Shirley Ball, AR	Martha Buff, NC	Jeff Wilson, CA	Frances Martinez, NM	Kay Wasinger
1995	Kay Wasinger, KS	Leroy Gross, PA	Martha Buff, NC	Shirley Ball, AR	Don Aron
1994	Kay Wasinger, KS	Leroy Gross, PA	Martha Buff, NC	Shirley Ball, AR	Don Aron
1993	Kay Wasinger, KS	Leroy Gross, PA	Martha Buff, NC	Shirley Ball, AR	Don Aron
1992	Don Aron, WI	Kay Wasinger, KS	Jim Armstrong, WA	Shirley Ball, AR	NA