Andrew Canham is a rancher and co-owner of MidDakota Vegetation Management. Andrew began his career in invasive weed management in 1984. While attending college at South Dakota State University (SDSU), he was the seasonal Weed Department Supervisor for Hand County, South Dakota. Upon graduation from SDSU, Hand County he was offered a full time position as the county Weed Superintendent. The county program increased from three seasonal employees to two full-time employees and eight seasonal employees, while maintaining an overall cost to the county that was less than the part-time program. Education and awareness, along with cooperative landowner and agency projects were vital in building a successful program for the county. Andrew was one of the founding members of the South Dakota Weed Supervisors Association and served as its President for four years; in that time, he promoted increasing professionalism for the industry and reaching across state lines to share ideas and coordinate activities.

In 2000, Andrew left the county program and began working with South Dakota School and Public Lands, developing weed management areas, writing grants, and conducting control efforts on county, state, and federal lands across the state.

Today, MidDakota Vegetation Management works across a five state area. In the past 10 years, Andrew has attended National Invasive Weeds Awareness Week (now National Invasive Species Awareness Week) several times, representing South Dakota Weed Management areas and organizations. He was part of the group that organized the MRWC and maintains that both public and private entities must work together to meet the challenges ahead; having the most innovative ideas and gaining the public’s understanding and support are crucial at this stage.

Andrew was elected the first President of the MRWC in June 2009 and, in addition to his Coalition leadership duties, he also actively participates in two MRWC workgroups. Andrew is currently serving an appointment by the Governor of South Dakota to the South Dakota Emergency Response Commission as an Agricultural Industry Representative.

Andrew and his wife, Julie, have two sons at home and a daughter attending college: Carter (11), Riley (17), and Alora (20). In addition to being a partner in MidDakota Vegetation Management, he and his family operate a cattle and sheep ranch in central South Dakota.

Karie Decker has been the University of Nebraska Program Specialist for the Nebraska Invasive Species Project (at the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit) since 2009. Originally from Montana, she received her undergraduate degree from the University of Montana. Karie worked as an educator and researcher for a number of years at various locations across the US and in Venezuela before going back to school to get her master's degree in fisheries and wildlife management from the University of Arizona. Her research has historically focused on examining broad-scale evolutionary patterns in avian ecology.

Since starting at the Nebraska Invasive Species Project Karie’s research interests have shifted. She works in both aquatic and terrestrial systems, and is beginning a new project examining the spread (and potential ecological and economic consequences) of Eastern red-cedar in the Midwest. Currently, Karie is examining regional boater movement to predict aquatic invasive species introductions. In addition to research, she helps the state write invasive species management plans; develops and provides education and outreach materials/tools to resource managers; presents invasive species education at various events to the public (from elementary age to state senators); writes grants for research and outreach; develops state legislation concerning invasive species; conducts invasive species research projects and writes up results for peer-review publication; and coordinates Nebraska Invasive Species Council activities.

Karie is thrilled to be in a position where she works with over a dozen different state and federal agencies and organizations to coordinate invasive species activities in Nebraska and within the Midwest, and is excited to be a part of the Missouri River Watershed Coalition team.

Liz Galli-Noble has been the Director of the Center for Invasive Plant Management (CIPM) since March 2008. She attended the University of Montana for her undergraduate studies and received a Master’s degree from the Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies in 1995. She has 25 years of national and international research and natural resource management experience, including: serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali, West Africa; working for the US Forest Service in Montana; conducting forestry research in New England, Venezuela, and western Canada; editing scientific documents for the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project; managing the Upper Yellowstone River Cumulative Effects Investigation; and working as the Assistant Director for Research (Director of Whirling Disease and Wild Fish Habitat Initiatives) at the Montana Water Center.

Liz took on MRWC program coordination and fiscal management duties in May 2008. From 2008 to 2010, CIPM has helped the MRWC establish a solid and active membership, strengthen its organizational structure and accountability, coordinate lines of communication and technical expertise, and implement several multi-state, watershed-level projects.

Liz moved to Montana 35 years ago and graduated from C.M. Russell High School in Great Falls. She moved to Bozeman in 1987 and now resides in Bozeman's historic northeast neighborhood with her husband, Tom.

As Colorado’s State Weed Coordinator, much of Steve’s work focuses on implementing the Colorado Noxious Weed Act by facilitating cooperation between federal, state, and local land managers, and private landowners on weed management projects. Prior to this position he worked in private lands conservation, directing land trusts in northern and southwestern Colorado, and with the Nature Conservancy in Montana. Steve has 17 years’ experience as an outdoor educator in Wyoming, Utah, Montana, and Washington, focusing on native flora and fauna, mountaineering, and fly-fishing, and has taught college courses in American government, public administration, and environmental policy. Steve earned degrees in environmental studies from Utah State University; planning and community development from the University of Colorado; and environmental policy and politics from Colorado State University. He lives in the Denver area and is an avid hiker, skier, cyclist, and birder.

Dave Burch is a founding member of the Missouri River Watershed Coalition and represents the State of Montana on the Coalition’s Executive Committee.

Dave has over 26 years of experience in weed management in Montana including the following: County Weed Coordinator for Liberty, Lewis and Clark, and Jefferson counties; owner of a commercial application business; State Weed Coordinator and Program Manager for the Montana Department of Agriculture (MDA) for seven years; and Grant Coordinator for the MDA – Noxious Weed Trust Fund Program for three years.

Dave graduated from Powell County High School in 1976 and is currently obtaining a degree in Business Management. He has been married to his wife Jule for 33 years and they have two children and four grandchildren. He loves to hunt, fish, and enjoy the outdoors in Montana.

Mitch Coffin’s first experience with noxious weeds was in the mid 1960s, cutting musk thistle on his dad’s farm in Polk County, Nebraska. He never realized on those hot Nebraska days that noxious weeds would become a career.

In 1977, Mitch started a row crop and cattle operation and developed an appreciation for weed control. This was a short-lived career and he spent the next four years as a parts manager at a local farm implement dealership. In the spring of 1985, Mitch was appointed as Polk County Weed Control Superintendent. He was an active member of the Nebraska Weed Control Association where he served on the board of directors. Mitch also served as Vice President for one year and President for six months (he was not impeached). In September 1991, Mitch accepted a position with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture as an Agricultural Inspection Specialist in the noxious weed program. In 1993 he was promoted to Staff Supervisor and in 1998 promoted to Program Manager. Mitch oversees the day-to-day operation of Nebraska’s noxious weed program and supervises three field staff who work directly with each county weed control authority. The field staff has been instrumental in building a good program. These individuals are on the front line everyday working with each county to monitor, evaluate and assist.

Beginning in 2007, Mitch has assisted with the implementation of the Riparian Vegetation Management Task Force and grant program to improve invasive plant management on Nebraska’s river systems. Mitch enjoys working with each County Weed Control Authority and is proud of the progress made across the state. Public awareness is a key component to a successful program.

He has been married for more than 33 years and has two sons, a daughter, two daughters-in-law, and one grandchild.

Mitch is also a co-author of Weeds of the Great Plains which was released in spring 2003.

Slade Franklin has been working with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture since 1999, and has been in his current capacity of State Weed and Pest Coordinator since 2004. He received his Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from the University of Wyoming in 1996 after which he worked as a seasonal employee with the Forest Service in the state of Washington. He began his career with the Department of Agriculture in Powell, Wyoming working as a Pesticide Compliance Inspector. Within that role, he assisted Wyoming in developing their Homeland Security policies in relation to agricultural pesticides.

As the State Weed and Pest Coordinator, he developed statewide training programs for early detection rapid response that focused on “on-the-ground” curriculum. He was also responsible for developing polices for a weed and pest grant program using funds generated from state pesticide registrations. He has also served as the Department of Agriculture’s representative on the Governors Federal Stimulus team, including the administration of all agriculture-related grants associated to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. In addition to coordinating the state’s noxious weed program, he is also the coordinator for the Wyoming Emergency Insect Management Program, which provides grants for the control of grasshoppers and West Nile Virus vector mosquitoes. Within that role, he helped coordinate the development of monitoring protocols for Culex tarsalis mosquitoes and larva, and coordinated the statewide response to the grasshopper outbreaks of 2010. Currently he is serving on the Center for Invasive Plant Management steering committee and as President of the Western Weed Coordinating Committee.

Ron Moehring graduated from South Dakota State University in 1975 with a Bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology. He worked in sales from 1976 until 1980. He started working for the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks in 1980. He moved to Lake Louise Recreation Area and managed the park until 1995. While there, Ron developed the park’s noxious weed program. In 1994, working with the county weed supervisors Andy Canham and Jack Doolittle, Ron released some of the first Canada thistle bio-agents in the state. In 1995 he transferred to the West Bend Recreation Area, where he continued the bio-control work started at Lake Louise.

In 1999, Ron changed jobs and became the South Dakota State Weed and Pest Supervisor. In this position he assists the counties with their noxious and pest programs. He is also the South Dakota bio-control and weed free forage program specialist.

Rachel Seifert-Spilde graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Botany and Biology from North Dakota State University. She worked for the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department and North Dakota Natural Heritage Program as a Biologist from 2000 to 2004 until starting as a Noxious Weed Specialist with the North Dakota Department of Agriculture. Rachel works with all county and city weed boards and noxious weed control programs, including regulatory compliance assistance, biocontrol, and general outreach and education. She also implements and manages all state and federal noxious weed grant funding for the department.