News & Notes November 2001

By now, most of you know that PACD has recently expanded its staff substantially to include a number of conservation professionals hired to provide engineering assistance for conservation districts and other conservation-related entities at the local level. The Engineering Assistance program – funded by a Growing Greener Technical Assistance Grant – kicked off in September.

PACD is proud to announce that the program is now fully staffed at each of the four regional locations: Somerset, Clarion, Lebanon and Bloomsburg.

In the upcoming issues of News and Notes we will be introducing you to each of the eight individuals, brought on to help meet the growing need for Engineering Assistance in Pennsylvania. First up is the Engineering Assistance team stationed at the NRCS Technical Center in Somerset, PA.

*Eric Robertson, E.I.T, Conservation Engineering Specialist:
Eric previously worked as a project manager for the Land Development department of Kellers Engineering in Holidaysburg, PA, for the past four years. In this position he worked proactively with environmental regulatory agencies and municipalities to ensure that environmental laws and standards were adhered to, while maintaining the project goals.

He sites stormwater design and water resource design as his particular area of expertise. “I have always been interested in water resources have developed my career so that my education and experience can be used for that purpose. I hope that my efforts will the local environment in a better condition than when I started,” he said.

A longtime resident of the Somerset area, Eric hopes that his involvement with PACD and state conservation efforts will help to remedy conditions in some of the degraded watersheds in Southwest Pennsylvania.

*Philip Gardner, Conservation Technician:
Phil Gardner has spent the majority of his career working in the mining industry, as an employee of various consultants and coal companies. Throughout his 30-year career, Phil has worked in the engineering field as a surveyor, draftsman and technician.

Presently, Phil is interested in learning as much as he can about modern conservation and new ideas in the field. He is a resident of Somerset, PA, has been married for 30 years and has two daughters, as well as one grandson.

In his spare time, Phil tries to spend as much time outdoors as possible, either gardening or hunting.

Both Eric and Phil have settled into their new positions with PACD. Their Engineering Assistance Workload Advisory Team has already held its first meeting.

Look for spotlights on staff from the other three Engineering Assistance Teams in the upcoming issues of News and Notes.

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