MEET THE STAFF

Peggy Ohler – Cuba Soil and Water Conservation District
New Mexico Forestry Camp Staff Member since 1990

Peggy Ohler was born and raised on a ranch about 7 miles from the Rancho del Chaparral Girl Scout Camp. She was home schooled through the 6th grade, after which she attended boarding school at McCurdy School in Espanola. Peggy studied animal science at NMSU for 2 years and then moved to Ohio where she got an A.D. in secretarial science. One year of working in downtown Cleveland was enough to send her back to New Mexico and to the ranch, where she has lived for the past 30 years. Peggy has been the District Clerk for the Cuba Soil and Water Conservation District for 21 years.

Peggy has been married to her husband, Carl, for 25 years. They have a son, Jason, who currently helps out at the ranch and trains horses.

Jean Szymanski - USDA Forest Service
New Mexico Forestry Camp Staff Member since 1990

Jean has worked for the Forest Service since 1980. She received her B.S. in geography from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. She started as a Cartographer with the Forest Service, Regional Office, in Milwaukee, WI. She transferred to the Regional Office in Albuquerque in 1989 as a Cartographic Section Head. A year later, she transferred to the Public Affairs staff as a Visitor Information Assistant and is currently working part-time as the Regional Environmental Education Coordinator.

Jean has been working on the New Mexico Forestry Camp committee for many years and believes that Forestry Camp presents a wonderful opportunity for youth to learn about natural resources.

Jean lives in Albuquerque, with her husband, son, and black Lab.

Donna Thatcher – Farmington Museum – Traditional Plant Uses
New Mexico Forestry Camp Staff Member since 1990

Donna Thatcher is an Education Specialist for the Farmington Museum, and directs the Riverside Nature Center in Farmington. She has been learning the traditional uses of plants for many years, and was able to demonstrate some of these uses last summer in Washington, D.C. in the Smithsonian American Folklife Festival. She is also a lifelong birder, and will be leading some of the bird walks at camp. Donna received degrees in anthropology and biology, from the University of Arizona.

Todd Haines – New Mexico State Forestry
New Mexico Forestry Camp Staff Member since 1998

Todd has a B.S. in forestry from Northern Arizona University, 1991. He worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Timber from 1990 to 1998. Todd then worked as the Bernalillo district timber management officer with New Mexico State Forestry from 1998–2003. Todd served as the State timber management officer for New Mexico State Forestry from 2003–2005. He is currently the district forester for New Mexico State Forestry, Bernalillo District. Todd served as the New Mexico Chapter Chair for the Society of American Foresters in 2003. Todd has been a SAF Certified Forester since 1998.

Todd is also an Eagle Scout, trained scouter and is currently Cubmaster for a cub scout pack in Rio Rancho. "I have been attending summer camps in some capacity since age 7, why stop now?"

Jeanne M.P. Lubbering- Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute
New Mexico Forestry Camp Staff Member since 2002

Jeanne received her B.S. in wildlife and fisheries biology from Texas A&M University in 1986 and her M.S. in range science in 1988. She has worked in the private sector contracting in the areas of environmental assessments, critical habitat surveys, wetland delineations, NEPA compliance, and other natural resource related projects until 1999. She then worked on-the ground conservation with private landowners and community-based watershed monitoring and restoration and natural resource education outreach until 2004. Her current position is Adjunct Professor, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, Natural Resource Department; and Part-Time Instructor, TVI, Life Science/Biology. Jeanne as been an instructor at the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society-Southwest Region Youth Practicum since 1994.

Marsha S. Hagerdon – USDA Forest Service
New Mexico Forestry Camp Staff Member since 2003

Marsha attended the University of Texas at Arlington, receiving a B.S. in Biology and a M.S. in parasitology. Later she received a secondary teaching certification in science and taught school for ten years, primarily in Texas. Her first experience with the Forest Service was in 1988 as a wilderness volunteer in Montana. In 1990 she again volunteered with the Forest Service through the Student Conservation Association in New Mexico. Marsha moved to New Mexico and began working for the agency in 1991 as a seasonal, then as a permanent employee on the Santa Fe National Forest. She has also worked on the Carson National Forest at the Ghost Ranch Living Museum. Marsha currently works for the Cibola National Forest providing public outreach and education, and assisting with recreation projects.

Sheila Poole – USDA Forest Service
New Mexico Forestry Camp Staff Member since 2003

Sheila is the Administrative Support Assistant for the Public Affairs Office of the USDA Forest Service. She started with the Forest Service as a summer student working as a biological aide, examining tree branches for insect infestation. She has worked fire dispatch and at the Albuquerque Air Tanker Base in the summer. In 2005, for the 100th anniversary of the Forest Service, Sheila was the Regional Coordinator of the Forest Service centennial celebration. As part of the celebration, she went to Washington D.C. to assist the Smithsonian Institution with their annual folklife festival that featured the Forest Service.

Sheila has a B.A. in English literature and history from the University of New Mexico. She studied a year abroad at King’s College-University of Aberdeen, in Aberdeen, Scotland

Stephani Sandoval - NM State University Cooperative Extension Service
New Mexico Forestry Camp Staff Member since 2004

Stephani received her B.S. (2001) and M.S. (2003) in forest resource at the University of Idaho where her research dealt with bark beetles, woodborers and their predators’ establishments on created snags in harvested stands. During this time she worked with the Forest Service in Couer d’ Alene, Idaho, as a firefighter and then with Plum Creek Timber Company as seasonal forester. She also studied abroad spending 6 months in Australia.

Stephani is the Forest Health Specialist located in Santa Fe. She works statewide educating homeowners and land managers on tree pests.

Lawrence Crane – New Mexico State Forestry
New Mexico Forestry Camp Staff Member since 2003

Lawrence graduated from NAU in Flagstaff in May of 1984. From 1980 to 1985 he worked for the U.S. Forest Service in Afton Wyoming doing forest stand exams and sale prep, along with contract supervision of oil research permits and wild land fire fighting. In 1986 he started work on the Escalante Ranger District of the Dixie National Forest doing sale prep and continuing with some wildland fire fighting. From August of 1986 until 2003, he was employed by Duke City Lumber in Espanola New Mexico. He administered a variety of private, Forest Service, BIA, BLM and Los Alamos National Lab harvest contracts. In 2003 he became a Timber Management Officer for New Mexico State Forestry. He works with Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the American Tree Farm System, and Backyard Tree Farm organization to promote healthy forest ecosystems. He conducts forest practices based on long-term views and overall ecosystem health. “Our forests are generally overcrowded and lack diversity from years of absence of frequent low intensity ground fires.”

Shannon Atencio – New Mexico State Forestry
New Mexico Forestry Camp Staff Member since 2004

Shannon is a forester with New Mexico State Forestry, Las Vegas District.  Shannon started out with New Mexico State Forestry as a seasonal wildland firefighter while she was in college (she is still involved with wildland firefighting and is continuing to advance her qualifications). She attended Southwest Texas State University for 2 ½ years then transferred to New Mexico Highlands University where she graduated with a B.S. in natural resource management. 

This will be her 4th summer as a counselor at NM Forestry Camp. She enjoys the experience and appreciates the opportunity to share forestry with aspiring foresters and natural resource managers!