News & Notes December 2001

PACD Engineering Assistance: Staff Spotlight

In the November issue of News and Notes PACD announced that its Engineering Assistance Program is now fully staffed. We also provided an introduction to our Engineering Assistance Team stationed in Somerset, PA. PACD will be spotlighting staff from each of the remaining Engineering Assistance Teams until each staff member has been officially introduced.

This month we are spotlighting the Bloomsburg Engineering Assistance Team.

*John Coleman, Conservation Engineering Specialist: John comes to PACD after working with a civil engineering firm in the Lehigh Valley, where he was involved with residential, commercial and industrial site development projects. John has a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering and is presently pursuing a master’s degree in engineering at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU).

He wanted to become involved with conservation efforts in order to apply his environmental engineering skills toward restoring the local environment. John said he believes his skills will be well served, helping individuals and organizations to utilize government conservation programs. John is married and enjoys outdoor activities such as camping, fishing, biking and boating.

*Owen Hess, Conservation Technician: Owen is a former employee of the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) – the predecessor to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. During his tenure with the SCS, Owen worked on flood control projects, including a project on the Little Schuylkill River.

He also worked on mine reclamation projects, while with the SCS. As a former farmer and having spent most of his life on a farm, Owen has a great deal of respect for natural resources. He hopes to learn as much as possible while working with PACD and effectively apply his learning experiences while in the field. Owen lives in Northern Columbia County, has been married for 25 years, and has two children: a son and a daughter. His daughter is a graduate of Bloomsburg University and his son is currently pursuing a degree in fisheries and wildlife science from PSU.

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