Angie Reid, President and Planning Committee Chair
I grew up in Bloomington, MN and moved to Lubbock, TX for college where I got a B.S. in Range Management and Wildlife and Fisheries Management with minors in Animal Science, Biology, and Natural History and Humanities. I did a semester of study abroad in Kenya studying wildlife management and have since maintained a great interest in international natural resources management.  I continued my education at Oklahoma State University with an M.S. in Rangeland Ecology and Management focusing on fire ecology; I did my research in Montana.  I currently work as the Fire Ecology Specialist at Tall Timbers Research Station and Land Conservancy in Tallahassee, FL.  In my spare time I enjoy traveling, fishing, hunting, kayaking, cultural events, and meeting new people.  This is my first year in this position but my fourth year as a YPC officer and I hope to continue providing young professionals of the SRM with relevant and useful information for their professional development.  As always, I encourage questions, comments, or concerns about anything.  My email address is areid@ttrs.org or feel free to call me to discuss any input you may have, (850) 893-4153 ext. 342.  I look forward to meeting and working with you all and thanks for your participation. 

Jamin Johanson, Vice President and Outreach Committee Chair
As a young professional in range management, I know firsthand the challenges of starting a career, raising a family, gaining experience, and building a professional network. I studied at Utah State University where I received a Bachelor’s degree in Range Science with a minor in Spanish. While at USU I met my wife, served as president of the student chapter of the SRM, and was blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Upon graduation I began working part-time as an Ecological Site Specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, while also working on a Master’s degree developing state-and-transition models for ecological sites in northern Utah. As I wrapped up my thesis work in 2010, we were blessed with another baby girl before being transferred to southern Utah where I continue to develop ecological sites for the NRCS. In my experience, networking through the SRM is the best way to explore opportunities within the range profession. As Vice President of the Young Professionals Conclave, I seek to facilitate the networking success of other young professionals through the YPC sections. If you are interested in providing leadership for young professionals at the section level, or if you have any questions or suggestions please e-mail me at jamin.johanson@ut.usda.gov. I look forward to working with you all!

Poncho Ortega, Jr., Treasurer and Fundraising Committee Chair
I was born and raised in González, Tamaulipas, México; grew up on the family ranch learning how to work cattle and horses, and the rest of the activities that cattle operations entail.  I began my college education at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, in Linares, Nuevo León, México and completed my B.S. in Range and Wildlife Management at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. I continued on to receive my M.Sc. in Range and Wildlife Management from Sul Ross State University in Alpine, TX working with Gambel’s quail habitat. I am currently a Ph.D. candidate at Texas A&M University for which I have studied desert mule deer reintroductions in the Chihuahuan Desert of Northern Coahuila, México. I work as the Wildlife and Research Manager for the East Wildlife Foundation (EWF) in south Texas. I am in charge of supervising and managing the EWF Research Program conducted on the Foundation properties which total a little over 216,000 acres. What I enjoy the most about my job and my profession is that I have the opportunity of working with all different types of critters, from cattle, horses, and deer to raptors, quail, and ocelots; as well as collaborate with many different institutions and agencies. As one of my professors always says “the great thing about working with habitat is that you can put anything on top of it”, the flexibility of our profession is definitely something to take advantage of. Feel free to contact me for suggestions or information on YPC or our Fundraising Committee at aortega@eastfoundation.net or (361) 207-1555.

Molly Ryan, Recorder and Newsletter Committee Chair
Hello again, I hope 2012 is off to a great start for you all!  My name is Molly Ryan and this is my second year as YPC Recorder.  I hail from the small town of Dillon, Montana.  My education is a great reflection of just how varied my interests spread.  I received my BA from Montana State University in History (emphasis on Western US environment, and science development) along with a minor in Rangeland Management in 2007.  After MSU, I went straight to graduate school at the University of Montana, where I received a MS in Outdoor Recreation Management from the College of Forestry and Conservation in 2009.  My graduate studies focused on Wilderness Area Management and how the Forest Service manages both natural and cultural resources within the boundaries of Wilderness.

The Fall of 2011 brought some exciting changes for me.  My term position with the US Forest Service Region 1 Historic Preservation Team was to expire in December, leaving me wondering about what I would do next.  Fortunately, in November, I was offered a permanent position as the newest Natural Resource Specialist – Recreation on the Ashley National Forest.    This new Forest Service adventure has brought me to the Flaming Gorge Ranger District in Manila, UT.  My primary responsibility is administering Special Use Permits.  Here on the Gorge that means reviewing and giving permits to Marinas, Outfitter/Guides, scheduling quite a few fishing derbies, and inspecting developed recreation sites.  I also assist with other resource management activities by analyzing the impact of those resources on the recreation program.  I wish you all a wonderful year and welcome any comments or suggestions for the YPC newsletter.  I can best be reached at mollymryan13@gmail.com.

Rio Franzman, Advisory Council Co-Chair
The concept of “Young Professional” is amazing. In my opinion any person who spends years in school in order to try and obtain a job needs to immediately become involved in organizations such as the YPC.  My background is traditional, did my undergrad at Southern Utah University in Wildlife/Range Management while also playing baseball.  My wife and I relocated to Northeast Wyoming where I currently work as an Environmental Scientist for Habitat Management Inc. specializing in Natural Resource and Environmental services.  I am in the midst of pursuing my graduate degree in Natural Resource through Utah State University as well… I look forward to a continued involvement in the YPC and will work to help others gain an understanding and appreciation for organizations such as the Society for Range Management and the YPC.  In my free time I enjoy hunting and working with horses.  If you have any questions feel free to contact me at rfranzman@habitatmanagementinc.com or on my cell at (435) 669-7727.

Bob Wesley, Advisory Council Co-Chair
Hello again everybody I’m delighted to once again be part of the YPC officer team.  As an advisory council co-chair my goal is to strengthen YPC at the section level.  For those of you that know me I am now working for The Nature Conservancy at the Red Canyon Ranch in Lander, WY. For those that don’t know me, I served as a YPC officer from 2007 to 2009. I have a M.S. from New Mexico State University, a B.S. from Montana State University, and I tend to move all over the country chasing that green prairie grass.  My current position is a great mix of ranch management, research, and outreach, so I may just graze here for a while. Please contact me with any suggestions of how the YPC can better serve you. rwesley@tnc.org or (307) 332-3388.