2026 Conference Speaker Bios
Elvy Barton
Water and Forest Sustainability Senior Manager
Salt River Project
Elvy Barton is the Water and Forest Sustainability Senior Manager at Salt River Project (SRP). Elvy leads SRP’s forest health initiatives and partnerships. Before joining SRP, Elvy worked as a Senior Policy Advisor at the Arizona House of Representatives covering natural resource, water, and environmental policy issues.
In addition to working at SRP, Elvy is an adjunct faculty professor in the Public Administration Department at Northern Arizona University and an Academic Associate in the School of Sustainability at Arizona State University. She holds a master’s degree in Public Administration and an executive master’s degree in Sustainability Leadership from Arizona State University. In her spare time, Elvy develops environmental policy platforms for political campaigns and sustainability planning strategies for non-profits.
Greg Bowman
Founder
Bio Armor Environmental
Greg Bowman is the Founder of Bio Armor Environmental, which helps farmers and ranchers earn new revenue from the land they already steward — verifying and monetizing improvements in soil health, water retention, biodiversity, and carbon through stacked Natural Capital Credit programs, all while keeping working lands working. His career spans clean energy and sustainable development across five continents — as Founder of BE Energy Group Inc., a clean oil and gas company operating in eight countries, Founder of the BE Earth Foundation, and Founder and President of a solar company with projects in seven nations, where he launched the Opportunities Beyond Borders program, installing solar on schools in developing countries alongside computers and technology education.
Greg was the first Canadian admitted to the PPAF, a United Nations organization facilitating public-private partnerships for sustainability, and was appointed Chairperson of Canada to the Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Organization within the UN's Economic and Social Division. He also worked with the Alliance of Small Island States to establish a framework for developing, insuring, and financing sustainable projects.
Across his UN and private-sector career, Greg has arranged the development, financing, insurance partnerships, and implementation of over $1.8 billion in sustainable energy projects.
Emma Cashman
Co-Founder & Executive Director
The Land at Home Project
Emma Cashman is Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Land at Home Project, an Arizona-based nonprofit dedicated to helping veterans achieve success and wellbeing through opportunities in sustainable agriculture.
Emma has a background in nursing, and public health. She worked as a civilian within both the United States Air Force and United States Navy healthcare systems, including serving as Director of Public Health at Aviano Air Base in Italy and as a Nurse Consultant at Naval Medical Center San Diego.
She earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Alberta and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, with a minor in Zoonotic Disease, from the University of Arizona. Her work focuses on collaborative solutions at the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health.
In 2021, Emma co-founded The Land at Home Project with Barry Taylor and Chadwick Campbell. Together, they develop and implement programs that connect veterans, active-duty service members, and military families with education, mentorship, and hands-on opportunities in sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
Patricia “Patty” Contreras
State Representative, Legislative District 12
Arizona State Senate
State Representative Patricia “Patty” Contreras represents Legislative District 12 in the Arizona House of Representatives. She was elected in 2022 and serves on committees focused on health and human services, transportation, and infrastructure.
Before joining the Legislature, Rep. Contreras worked for the City of Phoenix for more than 31 years, serving as a program manager in human services and parks and recreation. Her background in public service has shaped her work on issues affecting Arizona families, communities, infrastructure, and quality of life.
Philip Cooley
Branch Chief of Biological Resources
Bureau of Land Management Arizona
Philip has served as the Branch Chief of Biological Resources at the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Arizona State Office since January 2021.
Philip began his professional career working as a Rangeland Management Specialist (RMS) in 1993 at the Avon Park Air Force Range in Avon Park, Florida. In 1997, Philip began working for the BLM as a RMS out of the Battle Mountain Field Office in Battle Mountain, Nevada.
Throughout his 27-year career with the BLM, Philip has held a variety of positions in the agency at field, state, district and national levels, primarily working in the Rangeland Management Program. Prior to joining the Arizona State Office in 2017, Philip worked at the BLM’s National Training Center where he oversaw the training programs for grazing administration, range and wild horse and burros.
Philip holds a Bachelor of Science in wildlife management and a Master of Science in rangeland management, both from Texas Tech University.
Glen Dickens
President, Arizona Wildlife Federation
Vice President & Projects Manager, Arizona Antelope Foundation
Glen Dickens is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and retired as the CFO/Planning/Quality Manager in 1997 from the Arizona Game and Fish Department after beginning employment as a District Wildlife Manager.
He is President of the 103-year-old Arizona Wildlife Federation and is the Arizona Antelope Foundations Vice President and Projects Manager. As Vice President/Projects Manager for the Arizona Antelope Foundation Glen lead a 9-year $1.74M grant effort (2010-19) funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation under their “Sky Islands Initiative” for beneficial restoration pronghorn work throughout southeastern Arizona. As current President of the Arizona Wildlife Federation he ensures that their policy and political advocacy matches sound science with best governance principles.
In 2025 he received the David E. Brown Lifetime Achievement Award from the Arizona Chapter of the Wildlife Society. He holds a BS in Wildlife Ecology an MS in Public/Business Administration.
Jennifer Diffley
Land Policy Advisor, Governor’s Office of Resiliency
Jennifer Diffley is an attorney and serves as Land Policy Advisor in the Office of Resiliency, where she supports the Governor's priorities on land management, conservation, and sustainable growth. For the past decade, Jennifer has advised government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and coalitions in Arizona and the broader Colorado River Basin on land, water, and natural resources policy. Her work has focused on integrating land and water management, advancing collaborative resource management, and developing strategies that balance legal, environmental, and community needs. Prior to joining the Governor's Office, Jennifer practiced natural resources law, and her earlier experience includes roles in state, regional, and local governments, as well as two years of service in the U.S. Peace Corps.
Tim Dunn
State Representative, Legislative District 13
Arizona House of Representatives
State Representative Tim Dunn was first appointed to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2018 to represent the people of Legislative District 13, which covers the areas of Yuma, Buckeye, El Mirage, Glendale, Goodyear, Litchfield Park, Surprise, Wellton, and Wickenburg.
A lifelong resident of Yuma, Rep. Dunn operates a family-run business, Dunn Grain Co Inc, which specializes in selling grains and exporting crops like garbanzo beans, black-eyed peas, Sudan grass, and wheat. He was named 2017 Arizona Farm Bureau "Farmer of the Year."
Having been raised on a farm, Rep. Dunn has always had the desire to grow things and be innovative in business. a University of Arizona graduate with a BS in Agronomy, Dunn took his experiences growing up on a farm and brought them together with his schooling to take on new entrepreneurial enterprises.
A lifelong Republican, Rep. Dunn has proudly served as a Precinct Committeeman. He has also been an active voice on county issues related to agriculture. In 1999, the Yuma County Chamber of Commerce awarded him "Agricultural Person of the Year." Rep. Dunn was also appointed by the governor to the Arizona Department of Agriculture Advisory Board from 2006-2011 and served as Chairman in 2009. In addition to his service on this board, he served on various state and national committees from 1999 to 2015.
He is also a part of the Project Central Class of XI and Recipient of "Outstanding Leadership Award for Public Policy" 2009, as well as the 2009 Hear of Yuma Nominee.
Rep. Dunn still resides in his hometown of Yuma, along with his wife Eileen, and sons Kirk, 25 and Timothy Ty, 22. They are active in their church community, with Rep. Dunn having been a founding board member Champion Christian Church, where he has served as an officer since 2003. Representative Dunn’s older son, Kirk, works on the farm in Yuma, and his younger son Ty has enlisted in the Air Force and is starting boot camp in 2018.
Emily Fife
Acting Deputy Assistant Chief, West Region
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Emily Fife serves as Acting Deputy Assistant Chief for the West Region of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. In this role, she provides leadership and support to state conservationists and partners across the West, helping states advance locally led conservation strategies that support agriculture and natural resources.
Fife began her conservation career in 2004 with Soil and Water Conservation Districts and NRCS in Kentucky. Since then, she has held leadership roles across the country, including serving as Utah State Conservationist. Her work has focused on building strong partnerships, advancing landscape-level conservation, supporting water security, and helping producers address complex resource challenges through voluntary, locally driven solutions.
Throughout her career, Fife has worked in Kentucky, New York, Oregon, Wyoming, Arizona, Utah, and NRCS national headquarters. She brings a deep respect for local voices, diverse perspectives, and collaborative approaches that create lasting conservation outcomes for farmers, ranchers, communities, and natural resources.
Gail Griffin
State Representative, Legislative District 14
Arizona House of Representatives
State Representative Gail Griffin represents Legislative District 14 in the Arizona House of Representatives. District 14 includes portions of 4 counties; Cochise, Graham, Greenlee, and Pima.
Gail Griffin is currently serving as a member of the House of Representatives and serves as the Chairman of the Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee, Vice Chairman of the Federal Relations Committee, and as a member of the Military and Veterans Affairs, Health and Human Services, and the Governor's Water Augmentation, Innovation and Conservation Council committees.
She has also served on the Water Banking Authority, the Water Protection Fund, and many other committees of interest.
Gail Griffin served in the Arizona State Senate and has been involved in issues at the local, state, and federal level for many years. She believes in a smaller, smarter government, less taxes, personal responsibility, protection of property rights, and in the free enterprise system. Representative Griffin will continue to fight to get education dollars into the classroom for students and teachers, for Veteran's issues, for transparency in government, and will continue to challenge federal overreach, and support States Rights and our Constitution.
Gail has received many awards for her service which includes “Senator of the Year” from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), “Legislator of the Year” from Arizona Rural Health Association and from the Arizona Mining Association.
Gail's activities and memberships include: Arizona Farm Bureau, Arizona Cattle Growers Association, Natural Resource Conservation Districts (NRCD), Arizona/New Mexico Coalition of Counties, Realtor's Association (Local, State, and National), Arizona Historical Society, and Sierra Vista Elks Lodge (2065). She has also been volunteering annually for the past 15 years with Girl's State.
Gail is a Real Estate Broker (40 + years) at Sierra Vista Realty and lives in Cochise County.
John Klar
Livestock Farmer, Attorney, and Author
John Klar is a Vermont livestock farmer, attorney, and author whose work focuses on strengthening local agriculture, supporting farmers, and building more resilient food systems. A seventh-generation Vermonter, he raises grass-fed lamb and beef and has written extensively on agricultural policy, food security, and the challenges facing American farmers.
Affiliated with the MAHA Farmers Hub, Klar advocates for farmer-focused approaches to strengthening domestic food production and advancing agricultural self-reliance. He is the author of Small Farm Republic and The Coming Food Crisis, and his articles and commentary on farming and food systems have appeared in a variety of publications.
Sine Kerr
State Executive Director
USDA, Farm Service Agency
Sine Kerr was appointed by the Trump Administration to serve as the state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) in Arizona in May 2025.
Prior to her appointment, Kerr served in the Arizona State Senate representing Legislative District 25. She was chairwoman of the Natural Resources, Energy, and Water Committee from 2019 to 2025. During her last term, she was selected by her caucus members to serve as the Majority Whip. During her time in the senate, she championed many bills related to water, animal production, property rights, and environmental to keep farming and ranching viable in Arizona.
In 1980, Kerr and her husband started a dairy farm and row crop operation that their son later joined. After 43 years in the dairy business, they sold the dairy herd and now operate a cow-calf operation, selling beef directly to the public. The Kerr family grows alfalfa, silage corn, bermuda, oats, rye, and sorghum.
Kerr previously served on the Cattlemen’s Beef Promotion and Research Board, the Maricopa County Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Chair, and Arizona Farm Bureau State Women’s Leadership Chair. She is a former member of the Buckeye Valley Chamber of Commerce and served on the Maricopa County Air Quality Hearing Board and Chair of the Healthy Arizona Initiative Food and Agriculture Policy Advisory Committee.
She was born at Ft. Benning, Georgia, where her father was stationed with the U.S. Army. When her father retired, her family moved to Buckeye, Arizona, where Kerr remained and credits for developing her love for agriculture. Her life passion has been advocating for agriculture.
Kerr and her husband have been married for 45 years. They have one son and three daughters along with 12 grandchildren, all who live nearby.
Erica Rohr
Mission Sustainment Director, REPI Program
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment
Erica Rohr serves as Mission Sustainment Director for the Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) Program within the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations and Environment. In this role, she supports REPl's work to protect military readiness by helping reduce land-use conflicts near military installations, address environmental constraints that can affect training and operations, and strengthen installation resilience through partnerships with federal, state, local, and private organizations.
Rohr brings more than 25 years of experience in land use planning, environmental compliance, and encroachment management. Before serving in her current role, she managed REPI efforts for both the U.S.Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. She holds a bachelor's degree in Marine Affairs from the University of Rhode Island and a master's degree in Environmental Engineering from Johns Hopkins
Tom Schultz - Keynote Speaker
Chief
U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service
Tom Schultz is Chief of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, leading a workforce of approximately 33,000 employees that sustainably manages 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands, supports the world’s largest wildland fire and forestry research organizations, and works with tribes, states and other partners to manage America’s forests for the benefit of all people, today and into the future. Under his leadership, the Forest Service actively manages national forests and grasslands for the benefit of communities, promotes economic opportunities, increases outdoor recreation access, and works diligently at suppressing wildfires with all available resources, emphasizing the safety and importance of protecting resource values.
As the 21st Chief of the Forest Service, Schultz leverages his extensive expertise in the science of forestry, his on–the–ground experience with the Idaho Department of Lands and Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and his experience as a former U.S. Air Force Officer. His time in industry also gives him a deep understanding of markets and the role that raw material availability, quality, and price have in supporting a successful forest products industry.
Schultz believes in building relationships and trust by soliciting feedback from visitors to our public lands, tribes, states, and industry, as well as hunters, ranchers, recreators, and more. He is committed to the core mission of the Forest Service and leveraging his relationships to expand agency partnerships and build consensus. He feels strongly that actively managing our national forests and grasslands to improve their health, productivity and accessibility are key to enhancing economic opportunities in the counties and states where they are located.
Prior to serving as Chief, Schultz served as vice president of resources and government affairs at the Idaho Forest Group, where he led timber procurement operations and managed relationships with government officials at all levels. Schultz also served as director of the Idaho Department of Lands, overseeing the management of several million surface acres of endowment lands and minerals. He held leadership roles in Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, managing the Trust Lands and Water Resources Divisions.
Schultz holds a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Virginia, a master’s degree in political science from the University of Wyoming, and a master’s degree in forestry from the University of Montana.
Schultz is a consummate outdoorsman and an avid fly fisherman, with a deep appreciation for the many benefits and resources public lands provide. He and his wife have three grown children.
Stefanie Smallhouse
Executive Director
Natural Resource Users Law and Policy Center, University of Arizona
Stefanie worked as a wildlife biologist for the Bureau of Land Management in Southern Utah before marrying her husband Andrew Smallhouse and moving to the San Pedro River Valley in Southeastern Arizona. Their ranch was established by Andy’s family in 1884 and they are currently raising the sixth generation. Stefanie helps to manage their cow/calf operation, farm, and saguaro nursery.
She has provided environmental consulting services and been both the Executive Director for the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts and the Arizona Water Protection Fund for the State of Arizona Dept. of Water Resources. Stefanie served as Chairwoman of the Redington Natural Resource Conservation District Board of Supervisors for several years.
Her most recent years of service and advocacy work were as the elected president of the Arizona Farm Bureau Federation for seven years, the largest general agriculture trade organization in the State of Arizona. During this time, she also served as the western region representative on the Executive Committee for the American Farm Bureau Federation Board of Directors.
Stefanie is now the Executive Director of the Natural Resource Users Law and Policy Center at the University of Arizona.
Dan Sturla
Landowner Relations and Habitat Enhancement Program Manager
Arizona Game and Fish Department
Dan Sturla is the Landowner Relations and Habitat Enhancement (LRHE) Program Manager for the Arizona Game and Fish Department, which has more than 13 statewide employees that partner with Arizona’s ranchers for the conservation of the landscape and wildlife.
Dan has worked for the Department since 2010, starting out as a research biologist in the Yuma Region of the state. He has served in several capacities within the agency throughout his career, including research biologist, HPC coordinator, and Habitat Enhancement Coordinator. He became the Program Manager in December 2021.
Over his career, Dan has focused his efforts to improve processes and amply project effectiveness. He has worked closely with partner land managers including the NRCS to secure millions dollars for cooperative wildlife-rancher Programs through eight Regional Conservation Partnership Programs across the state.
Dan received a B.S in Wildlife Management (2010), M.A.S. in Geographic Information Systems (2011), B.A. Communication (2002), and a C.P.M (2018), all from Arizona State University. His passion for wildlife and conservation began at a very early age, influenced by his father who previously held a long career with the Department. Dan is passionate about deer and elk hunting and looks forward to every fall. Dan and Julie, his wife of 9 years, reside in Scottsdale with their three dogs.
Priya Sundareshan
Senate Minority Leader, Legislative District 18
Arizona State Senate
Priya Sundareshan was elected to the Arizona Senate in 2023 to represent Legislative District 18. She is Ranking Member on the Senate Elections and Natural Resources/Energy/Water Committees and also sits on the Government Committee.
Born and raised in LD18, Priya loves Tucson and the opportunities she had for an excellent public education and exploring the outdoors. She has taught natural resources law at the University of Arizona and previously advocated for sustainable resource management with the Environmental Defense Fund. As a voting rights advocate, Priya has led voter protection efforts and engagement on redistricting within the Arizona Democratic Party. Having studied engineering at MIT and law and natural resource economics at the U of A, she knows we need more science-based decision-making in politics, especially when it comes to preserving our beautiful state for future generations. As a mother of two small children, Priya wants her children and all children to inherit a sustainable world and sustainable Arizona.
Keisha Tatem
State Conservationist, Arizona
USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service
Keisha Tatem serves as the Arizona State Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, headquartered in Phoenix. In this role, she leads NRCS Arizona's technical and administrative teams in helping farmers, ranchers, conservation districts, and partners address natural resource concerns through USDA conservation programs.
Tatem began her NRCS career in 1995 as a soil conservationist student trainee and spent more than 10 years working directly with farmers and ranchers as a soil conservationist and district conservationist in Virginia and Florida. She has since held leadership roles in Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and NRCS national headquarters, with experience in field operations, conservation policy, program delivery, and agency operations.
Throughout her career, Tatem has contributed to national efforts focused on improving NRCS programs, workforce planning, and service delivery. Her leadership has been recognized through several honors, including the Phoenix Business Journal's 40 Under 40 Leaders of the Valley, the Unsung Hero Award for Environmental Sustainability from the Governor's Commission for African American Affairs, and AACD'S Good Hand Award in 2023.
Tatem holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture with a concentration in plant and soil science from Virginia State University.
Barry Taylor
Co-Founder & CEO
The Land at Home Project
Barry Taylor is Co-Founder and CEO of The Land at Home Project, an Arizona-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting veterans’ transitions into civilian life through sustainable agriculture.
Barry grew up on a small ranch in rural southeastern Arizona. Participating in 4-H and FFA, he came to value hard work, land stewardship, and the need to be proficient in navigating business and regulatory matters.
He studied Business at the University of Arizona, and holds a Masters Degree in Nursing and Healthcare Administration as well as Registered Nurse and Public Health Nurse licenses. Hospital administration led to civilian consulting with Navy Medicine, where he worked with co-founder Emma Cashman.
In 2021, Barry, Emma, and Phoenix-based attorney and veteran Chadwick Campbell co-founded The Land at Home Project. They developed and administer programs for veterans, Active Duty service members, and their families who are interested in sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
Taylor describes the organization as a promise: “an assurance to our veterans that as long as there is an agricultural community, as long as there is a Land At Home, that our veterans will always have a place to come back to here in the great state of Arizona.”
Heather Whitlaw
Arizona Field Office Supervisor, Ecological Services
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Heather has over 30 years of experience as a wildlife and natural resource professional, during which time she has worked to manage, conserve and recover a variety of species and the ecosystems upon which they depend. She has worked for state and federal agencies, private enterprise, and academic institutions. Her first opportunity to work with private landowners began with her 12-year position with TX Parks and Wildlife Department in the Texas Panhandle. Her TPWD tenure eventually allowed Heather an opportunity to transition to USFWS where her first position was created to develop pro-active pre-listing conservation agreements on private lands in an effort to preclude listing of the lesser prairie-chicken. Heather has been employed with the USFWS for the past 16 years and has worked in three different programs (Ecological Services, Science Applications, and NWRS) in two different regions (Southwest and Mountain Prairie). Heather joined the Arizona FWS Ecological Services Field Office in March 2022 and currently serves as the AZ Field Office Supervisor, stationed in Phoenix.
Amanda Zakharov
Partner & Director of Investments
Dirt Capital Partners
Amanda joined Dirt Capital Partners in 2022 and is responsible for sourcing, evaluating, and closing new investments. She has a background in commercial real estate acquisitions and a passion for impact investing in sustainable agriculture. In roles at Strategic Office Partners (a platform of TPG Real Estate), Angelo Gordon, and W. P. Carey, Amanda acquired ~$2B in predominately single tenant real estate, including office, industrial, and retail properties. Additionally, she worked on social impact investments in the food and agricultural sphere as an angel investor, consultant, and entrepreneur, with groups such as Slow Money NYC, Blue Marble Ice Cream, and Local Farms Fund.
Amanda received a B.S. in Finance and Accounting and a M.A. in Food Studies from New York University. She is also a CFA® charterholder and serves as the co-chair of the board of Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders (SAFSF). Previously, she served as a board member of the CFA Society of Phoenix and the Orange County Land Trust.