WELD List Serve:

Committee Co-Chairs

Elizabeth Sparks | Arizona

Elizabeth is a 4-H Youth Development Assistant Agent, in Pima County, Arizona. Elizabeth’s strengths include developing community partnerships, designing innovative and dynamic adventure-based programs using creative “outside of the box” problem-solving, facilitating large groups of youth, and acquiring resources. Elizabeth’s passion lies in developing experiential and innovative programs that inspire youth towards healthy living and connecting with nature. Her main programs include Tucson Village Farm, 4-H Healthy Living Ambassadors, the 4-H High Ropes Course, and 4-H Field Science. Elizabeth has a Master’s in Education and a BS in Environmental Science.

Barbie Garnett | Colorado

Barbie Garnett is a Colorado native and currently serves as the Mountain Region Accessible Education Specialist with Colorado State University. She has been with CSU Extension for more than 18 years, including seven years as the Park County Extension Director and 11 years as the 4-H Youth Development Agent in Jefferson County. Barbie holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fashion Design and Product Development from Stephens College and a Master of Science in Agricultural Extension Education from Colorado State University. She is passionate about helping people of all ages discover their sparks and explore innovative ways to connect those passions to college and career opportunities, making her involvement with WELD a perfect fit. Barbie has been part of the Western Extension Leadership Development program since 2020, first as a participant in WELD X and now as a committee member. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her husband and daughter.

Committee Members Alphabetically by State

Alda Norris | Alaska

Alda Norris is the Reporting & Compliance Specialist for the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Extension at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She attended fellow land grants Michigan State and Purdue University, studying interpersonal communication with an emphasis on research methods and student development. She is the Alaska representative for the Western Program and Organization Leaders Committee (WPOLC) and past chair of its Western Region Evaluation Network (WREN). Norris has managed civil rights compliance for the institute since 2014. She meets regularly with the UA Accessibility Work Group, and is committed to helping IANRE’s team plan accessible and relevant programming and evaluations.

Keith Nathaniel | California

Dr. Keith C. Nathaniel is the County Director & 4-H Youth Development Advisor for University of California Cooperative Extension in Los Angeles County. He brings over 31 years of service with UC Cooperative Extension, having joined as a program coordinator in 1994 and later serving as the 4-H youth development advisor for LA County.

His academic credentials include an  Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from UCLA, a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Florida A&M University, and a bachelor’s degree from UC Davis. His areas of expertise encompass adolescent development, educational planning, after school programming, social capital, and community networks.

In 2025, Nathaniel was named Interim Director of County Cooperative Extension, while retaining his role leading UC’s county extension programs in LA. He is known for leveraging his personal and professional experience to build community connection, empower youth, and advance outreach efforts across Los Angeles County.

Christina Turner | New Mexico

Christina Turner serves as the Northern District Department Head for Cooperative Extension Service at New Mexico State University. She provides leadership to the 13 northern County Extension Programs as well as the Tribal Extension Program in the state.
Christina Turner started her career with New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Service in 2000. Throughout her career in extension, she has experienced many different program areas including Tribal Extension programming and 4-H Youth at Risk programming. In 2004 Turner moved to Santa Fe County where she served as the 4-H Ag Agent and later the County Program Director. During her time in Santa Fe, Turner developed a robust 4-H program. Her areas of focus included youth livestock programs, shooting sports, leadership, and volunteer development. Turner also established a strong special interest and school enrichment presence in the county, providing education to local schools in the areas of Ag Literacy, Water Education, and Natural Resources.
Throughout her career Turner has served on numerous state and national committees. One of her passions is leadership development. She currently serves as the state representative for the Western Extension Leadership Development Program, a multi-state collaborative effort aimed at developing leadership skills in Extension Professionals throughout the west.
Turner is a native New Mexican. She grew up in Las Vegas, NM and attended New Mexico State University. Turner holds a bachelor’s degree in animal science and a Master’s Degree in Agricultural Extension and Education, both from NMSU.

Teagan Moran | Oregon

Teagan Moran is an Agricultural Program Coordinator with Oregon State University Extension’s Small Farms Program. She works alongside small-scale farmers, ranchers, land stewards, and community partners and decision makers to explore possibilities, address challenges, and foster meaningful connections. In addition to her local outreach, Teagan leads statewide projects and initiatives that bring together diverse stakeholders, including community leaders, agencies, and advocacy groups—to strengthen Oregon’s food systems and support equitable agricultural development. Teagan is also a small-scale farmer who raises livestock (pigs, sheep, goats, chickens) and fruit trees in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a mother and is always exploring ways to bring joy and play into the hard work of life.
Teagan holds a graduate degree in Educational Leadership and Policy, with a focus on community-based education and adult learners. She is deeply influenced by the tradition of community education as a form of activism—centered on the belief that every community holds the knowledge, assets, and capacity to define and meet its own needs.
At the heart of Teagan’s leadership philosophy is the power of relationships. She believes that cultivating trust and supporting collaboration are the most impactful ways to create lasting, positive change. Her approach is rooted in collective and community-based leadership models, which emphasize shared responsibility, mutual respect, and the belief that leadership is most effective when it emerges from the strengths and wisdom of the group—not just the individual.
Teagan values collaboration as a dynamic process of co-creation, where diverse voices, lived experiences, and cultural perspectives shape both vision and action. She embraces leadership as a relational practice where decisions are made with, not for, communities. By centering connection, care, and shared purpose, Teagan works to build spaces where leadership is inclusive, adaptive, and deeply responsive to the needs and aspirations of those involved.

Missy McElprang | Washington

Missy is a tenured associate professor in 4-H Youth Development and became the Director of the Extension Youth and Families Program Unit with Washington State University Extension in 2023. In her primary faculty role, she serves as a 4-H Youth Development Regional Specialist in Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties. Her research focuses on financial literacy, youth engagement, and volunteer development systems.  She has a successful track record of publishing, writing grants, and presenting locally, statewide, and nationally.  Before joining the WSU Extension faculty team in December of 2013, Missy was a 4-H Extension Educator with the University of Idaho. One of her strengths is relationship building and working closely with coalitions in her communities

Joddee Jacobsen | Wyoming

An Idaho native, Joddee L. Jacobsen is the University of Wyoming Community Vitality & Health Educator for Natrona County in Casper, WY and CVH Program Leader. She holds an M.A. Education from the University of Northern Colorado and a B.A. History from Idaho State University.
She has been awarded a John P. Ellbogen grant in Youth Entrepreneurship, and Wyoming Food, Fun & 4-H focusing on healthy cooking, nutrition, and bringing families together around the dinner table with collaborating UW 4-H Educators. Most recently, in collaboration with colleagues, a new program launched, Ready, Set, Explore!,designed to inspire outdoor adventures and strengthen friends family connections. Awards include the Achievement in Service Award, Distinguished Service Award, and the Creative Excellence Award in UW Extension programming. She’s active in her community, Casper Chamber of Commerce, the Wyoming Outdoor Recreation Collaborative, Phi Delta Kappa and Epsilon Sigma Phi. For fun? World travel, good friends, good books, good music, and watching hockey!

Gretty Gasvoda-Kelso | Wyoming

I grew up in northern Montana on my family’s farm and ranch, where I developed a lifelong love of agriculture and community. Today, I serve as a University of Wyoming Extension Educator in Big Horn County, focusing on 4-H Youth Development and serving as an Annie’s Project facilitator, where I help women in agriculture gain knowledge and confidence. What I love most about Extension is the opportunity to be a lifelong learner through research-based programs and to share that learning with youth, volunteers, and communities. My most accomplished cornerstone is handing down family traditions and values—from recipes and activities to stories—that connect generations and strengthen community.
Alongside my Extension work, I stay active on our family’s farm and ranch, where we raise cattle, barley, beans, hay, alfalfa seed, and corn. I am also a Master Gardener and enjoy gardening, canning, quilting, traveling, and, above all, spending quality time with my husband of 30 years, our four adopted children, and five wonderful grandchildren.