National AgrAbility Team Members
Project Director: Bill Field
Responsibilities: The PD is directly responsible for oversight of the NAP, including management of Purdue personnel involved, fiscal management, reporting, accountability issues, and liaison activities with funded affiliates and USDA-CSREES Project officer. He will be available to all of the state and regional AgrAbility Projects (SRAPs) for program consultation and act as liaison to the evaluation team at the University of Illinois. He will review all NAP resources prior to release and participate in the National Training Workshop and other training/networking activities. He will chair the National Project Advisory Committee and ensure that strategic planning findings are incorporated into annual project renewal plans.
Qualifications: Professor Field established the BNG Resource Center in 1979 and has provided leadership to it for the past 29 years. He has been involved in all aspects of BNG's programming, including the development of resources, conducting research, designing adaptive aids, and providing on-site services to farm and ranch families dealing with disabling conditions. Between 1990 and 2000, Dr. Field was the PD for the NAP, prior to its relocation to the University of Wisconsin. During that period, the AgrAbility Program grew from 8 SRAPs to 18. Over the past two decades, Dr. Field has managed over $8.8 million in grants, contracts, and gifts relating to rural disability issues. These include grants from Deere and Company, NIDRR, RSA, USDA-CSREES, CDC, Indiana Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, and NEC Foundation of America. He has participated in rural disability-related events in nearly 30 states, four Canadian provinces, and several foreign countries.
Project Manager: Paul Jones
Responsibilities: The NAP Project Manager will be responsible for day-to-day management of operations and Purdue staff and for project coordination with the staffs of Goodwill Industries, the Arthritis Foundation-Indiana Chapter, unfunded collaborators, and each of the SRAPs. He will seek to ensure good working relationships between the NAP, SRAPs, and all NAP collaborators and stakeholders. The Project Manager will be responsible for oversight on the National Workshop Planning committee and the diversity subcommittee of the SRAPs. He will coordinate annual reporting activities of the NAP, participate in the design of new educational resources, conduct webinars, and continue development and management of the online database of AgrAbility-related resources.
Qualifications: Paul Jones has been an AgrAbility staff member since 1998 and manager of the BNG Resource Center since 2000. As manager of the Resource Center, he has been involved in the development of all resources over the past eight years, including several that have received national awards. He recently managed a grant from NEC Foundation of America that allowed for the distribution of assistive technology resources to every county Extension office in the U.S. Mr. Jones will hold a split appointment between the NAP and the Indiana AgrAbility Project.
Project Engineer: Gail Deboy
Responsibilities: The Project Engineer will provide oversight for all technical assistance provided by the NAP via the toll-free helpline, e-mail, or written correspondence. Dr. Deboy will seek to ensure that recommendations meet current engineering standards and best practices to reduce the potential of secondary injuries. He will also coordinate the identification, review, and documentation of assistive technology that will be added to the assistive technology database. He will work to encourage greater involvement of engineering students in the design of appropriate forms of assistive technology for agricultural workplaces. Dr. Deboy will also assist in SRAP training and in review of new NAP resources.
Qualifications: Dr. Deboy has served as an agricultural safety specialist/engineer for the Purdue Agricultural Safety and Health Program for seven years. He has been involved throughout that time in the development of updated versions of The Toolbox, with responsibility to identify potential hazards that could contribute to secondary injuries. Early in his career he worked for General Motors Research Labs in Warren, Michigan, and from 1979-2002 owned and operated a 600-acre cash grain farm.
Assistive Technology Specialist: Steve Swain
Responsibilities: The Assistive Technology Specialist will help promote RESNA certification of SRAP staff members in order to enhance the level of services being provided, assist with the development of new resources on self-employment for AgrAbility customers utilizing VR resources, and act as the NAP liaison to RESNA.
Qualifications: Mr. Swain has eight years of experience providing direct services to farmers impacted by disabilities. He is a member of RESNA, a RESNA-certified Assistive Technology Practioner, and has worked directly with Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services to develop self-employment business plans for farmers exploring alternative sources of income.
Engagement Coordinator: Kylie Hendress
Responsibilities: The Program Engagement Coordinator is responsible for coordinating public awareness activities, helping to plan and conduct training events, and facilitating publications. In addition, she will be coordinating relationships with Indiana AgrAbility partners, providing some direct services to customers, and helping to facilitate our youth-oriented initiatives.
Qualifications: Kylie started with AgrAbility in August 2010. Most recently she worked in the seed business as a Sales Representative for corn and soybeans. She graduated from Butler University in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing. In addition to marketing, Kylie has a strong farming background and participated in numerous 4-H projects. She continues to stay involved with 4-H by helping with her local 4-H club. She also stays involved with her community by serving on the planning committee for her town's annual festival. Kylie is looking forward to working with the AgrAbility staff and clients to help keep people in agriculture, no matter the obstacles.
Information Technology Specialist: Clifford W. Racz
Responsibilities: The Information Technology Specialist will be responsible for developing the new NAP web site and performing other Internet-related tasks. These include developing the new NAP listserv, assisting with training through web-based seminars (webinars), creating and maintaining the web- based assistive technology database, and monitoring traffic on the various web sites to gather feedback on usage and improvements. The ITS will also explore interest in forming an AgrAbility/assistive technology "community of practice" to develop an eXtension web portal dedicated to rural assistive technology.
Qualifications: Clifford Racz is currently completing a Ph.D. in Agricultural Systems Management with a focus on the efficacy of web-based dissemination of assistive technology. His M.S. research was conducted on the preferences of SRAP staff and AgrAbility customers on receiving technical information. Mr. Racz has an undergraduate degree in physics, and has worked for multiple companies that develop web-based resources for people with disabilities.
Project Ergonomist: Robert Stuthridge
Responsibilities: One requirement of the NAP request for proposals was to address the role of ergonomics in the design and implementation of assistive technology in the agricultural workplace. The Project Ergonomist will conduct a review of all current and proposed AgrAbility resources to ensure recommendations are consistent with accepted ergonomic standards and best practices. Training will be conducted at the AgrAbility National Training Workshop (NTW) on ergonomic design, and the Project Ergonomist will be available to the SRAPs for consultation on workplace design.
Qualifications: Mr. Stuthridge has more than 13 years of experience conducting ergonomic risk assessments and job redesign (adaptation) for workers with disabilities. He has developed and presented ergonomics training courses for workers, employers, and disability professionals. He is currently working on his Ph.D. in agricultural safety and health, and is conducting research on incorporating best ergonomic practices to agricultural worksites.
Project Assistant: Denise Heath
Responsibilities: The Project Assistant will provide information management services for the project, including report preparation, mailing list maintenance, and data management.
Qualifications: Denise Heath has served as the information processing systems operator for the Breaking New Ground Resource Center for more than 25 years. She has carried out numerous responsibilities, including the design of brochures, fliers, pamphlets, newsletters, and other materials; created complex documents, including technical research articles, proposals, and manuals; and served as the main phone operator and receptionist for BNG.
Farmer Liaison: Ed Bell
Responsibilities: The Farmer Liaison will be available to the SRAPs for media interviews, awareness presentations, and marketing opportunities. He would also be available to SRAPs and agriculture-related organiza- tions/agencies for training, education, and support, such as staff training, consumer workshops, trade shows, and other areas where his expertise would be advantageous.
Qualifications: Ed Bell has been associated with the Breaking New Ground Resource Center since 1992 as a client and farmer-consultant, Barn Builder Peer Support Network member, and owner/operator of Bell's Strawberry Farm. He is a founder and former executive director of a rural independent living center, a professional public speaker, and a consultant/account executive for The Standing Company. Mr. Bell has conducted professional trainings and presentations on both the state and national levels.
Goodwill Industries International AgrAbility Coordinator: Eric Olson
Responsibilities: As the AgrAbility representative for the main project subcontractor, the Goodwill AgrAbility Coordinator will be the conduit through which information about AgrAbility flows to Goodwill affiliates and information about Goodwill flows to AgrAbility staff members. In addition to providing training at the NTW and Goodwill events, the Coordinator will be responsible for supplying AgrAbility resources to Goodwill staffs and marketing AgrAbility through Goodwill affiliates and outlet stores. Through the coordinator's work, it is anticipated that Goodwill will provide AgrAbility services to many customers in states that have no SRAP.
Qualifications: Eric joined the Goodwill National Member Services Office in the Washington, D.C. area in February 2004 as the National Director of Mission Services. In that capacity, Eric provided leadership and support to the 161 Goodwills in America. He will be returning to Ashland, Oregon to serve as the Goodwill AgrAbility Coordinator. Prior to his work with the national Goodwill office, Eric's Goodwill experience was as the Vice President of Workforce Development at Southern Oregon Goodwill in Medford, Oregon from 1988 - 2004. Eric's 20+ years of work at Goodwill is part of a 30+ year career in providing employment and train- ing services to adults with disabilities and other barriers to employment. He currently serves on the national board of Inter-National Association of Business, Industry and Rehabilitation (I-NABIR).
Goodwill Industries International Director of Grant Projects: Jennifer Davis
Responsibilities: As a member of the Mission Services Department, she oversees the management of several national grants that fund workforce development and family strengthening programs and initiatives at many of the 161 Goodwills operating around the country. Grant-funded projects at GII support employment retention and advancement, financial education, older worker employment and training, volunteer management, microenterprise, staffing services and rural support for people with disabilities.
Qualifications: Jennifer joined the staff of Goodwill in October 2004. Prior to joining Goodwill, she worked for the City of Detroit's workforce development agency for 10 years. Jennifer has a bachelor of science degree from Michigan State University and has completed all course work for the master of arts program in urban planning at Wayne State University.
Arthritis Foundation, Indiana Chapter AgrAbility Coordinator: Amber Wolfe
Responsibilities: The AgrAbility Coordinator for the Arthritis Foundation, Indiana Chapter will, though working out of a state chapter, be a national resource for rural arthritis issues. The Coordinator will provide training to AgrAbility staffs at the NTW and supply arthritis-related information to SRAPs and consumers via telephone and electronic means. The Coordinator will conduct three rural arthritis workshops annually in states having SRAPs and three annually in states not having projects. The coordinator will also assist in developing resources related to rural arthritis and will explore the development of an eXtension web portal that addresses rural arthritis issues.
University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign Evaluation Team: Chip Petrea and Bob Aherin
Responsibilities: The UIUC Evaluation Team will provide external accountability to the NAP by conducting a variety of assessments on program effectiveness. These include an annual needs assessment completed by SRAP staffs, a conference evaluation of each NTW, an assessment of NAP products and services, an evaluation of AgrAbility media exposure, and a summary of demographic data from each SRAP. In addition, UIUC will provide consulting services, on a limited basis, for SRAPS that desire an external review of project products and services.
Qualifications: Dr. Chip Petrea grew up on a registered Jersey dairy farm outside Iuka, Marion County, Illinois.He returned to the family farm following graduation from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BS in Dairy Science in 1976. He participated in all aspects of production and management of the family farm until 1987 when he returned to UIUC. Dr. Petrea holds both a M.Ed. and a Ph.D. in Agricultural Education from the University of Illinois. He led the evaluation of a W.K. Kellogg Foundation funded community development program as well as the evaluation of the nationally available Teaching Ag Safety to Kids program. He is currently using factors underlying occupational behaviors as the basis for evaluating safety training programs administered to surface mining staff and personnel working in Illinois.
Qualifications: Dr. Bob Aherin has been the project director for the Illinois AgrAbility program since its inception in the early 90's when Illinois was funded as one of the ten initial projects by USDA. He has been involved in almost all aspects of developing the AgrAbility program in both Illinois and nation- ally. Dr. Aherin hosted the National AgrAbility conference in Illinois. He has a strong educational background in program evaluation through both his Ph.D. degree in education and being involved on a continuous basis of evaluating the Illinois AgrAbility program and at various times assisting with evaluating the national program. He also directs the University of Illinois Agricultural Safety and Health program in the areas of Extension, teaching and research.
