Two new appointments for advisory board
Two new members joined the Leopold Center advisory board
in June -- one new to Iowa and another who is familiar
with both Iowa and the work of the Leopold Center.
The University of Northern Iowa has chosen the new chair
of its geography department, Patrick Pease, to fill one
of its two seats on the advisory board. Pease succeeds
Tom Fogarty, a UNI geography professor who spent a
decade on the board. UNI's other representative is
biology professor Laura Jackson, who has served on the
board since 2003.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey appointed
Maury Wills to represent the Iowa Department of
Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) on the board.
Wills is bureau chief of the IDALS Agricultural
Diversification and Market Development Bureau.
The advisory board also
elected officers for the coming year. Neil Hamilton,
original 1987 board member and director of the Drake
University Law Center, will be chair. Jackson from the
University of Northern Iowa is vice-chair and Russell
Brandes, representing the State Soil Conservation
Committee, is member-at-large.
Patrick Pease: UNI appointee new to Iowa
Pease comes to Iowa from North Carolina, where he had spent 1998 to 2006 as associate professor in the East Carolina University geography department. While there, he conducted a number of research projects including a study of wind erosion in farm fields and soil erosion in the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd.
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...agriculture is one
of the most fundamental examples of the
interaction between people and their
landscapes. |
"I have a long professional
interest in the interaction between people and their
landscapes and agriculture is one of the most
fundamental examples of that interaction," Pease said.
"Most of my involvement in agriculture is from my
research, which includes soil erosion, sediment
transport and nutrient losses in the soil."
Pease said the Leopold Center is poised to be a leader
in agriculture and agribusiness, especially as the state
shapes a future that benefits all Iowans.
He earned undergraduate and master's degrees in geology
from Indiana State University, and a Ph.D. in geography
from Texas A&M. In addition to teaching, he has worked
as a research assistant on two National Science
Foundation projects, including a study of streambank
erosion from the Upper Mississippi flood in 1993.
In 2003, he received the Distinguished Teaching
Achievement Award from the National Council of
Geographic Education. He also edited the North Carolina
Geographer from 2000 to 2005.
He lives in Cedar Falls with his wife and two children.
Maury Wills: No stranger to sustainable agriculture
Wills is no stranger to sustainable agriculture in Iowa. Over the past 10 years, he has helped develop the IDALS organic program and now administers organic certification throughout the state. He is past president and current board member of the National Association of State Organic Programs.
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I think highly of the
Leopold Center as the most credible voice for
sustainable agriculture. |
He also is familiar with the
Leopold Center, attending numerous board meetings on behalf
of his former supervisor (and IDALS representative on the
board) Mary Jane Olney.
"I think highly of the Leopold Center as the most credible
voice for sustainable agriculture," Wills said. "The Center
can help agriculture stay focused on sustainability resource
management and protection of life-sustaining ecosystems."
Wills, his wife and their six children own and operate a
certified organic apple orchard near Adel in rural Dallas
County. They own about 60 acres, planting the first trees in
1992. They now have more than 600 trees of 15 varieties and
plant more every year. They have expanded their orchard
business to include on-farm processing of organic apple
products and agritourism activities such as U-pick pumpkins,
hay rack rides, group events and tours.
A beekeeper, Wills also oversees the state's apiary
registration and inspection programs for IDALS and the new
Farm to School program. He is a board member of the Iowa
Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association.
He has an undergraduate degree in social work from Iowa
State University and a master's in counseling from Drake
University.
Back to Fall 2007 Leopold Letter
Published by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Ames, Iowa 50011, (515) 294-3711
URL: www.leopold.iastate.edu