SWCD Staff

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Nate Pennell, District Manager

Nate lives in Whitneyville Hired at the District in 1983. He is a retired teacher and a diversified farmer. He raises Belted Galloway cattle, chickens, sheep, flowers, vegetables, berries as well as wreath brush. Hobbies: fishing and cooking. Active in local and State Grange activities. He volunteers on the Machias and East Machias River Watershed Councils.

Sharon Foss, District Office Manager

Sharon lives in Machias adjacent to the Machias River. She was hired at the District in June of 1997. Her expertise are in accounting but has found an interest in education of our natural resources in Washington County. She has attended the Natural Resource Institute and is Chair to Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Association. She volunteers for the Machias and East Machias Watershed Councils. Hobbies are quilting and motorcycling. She came to Machias in 1985 and loves the way of life here in Maine.

Bill Cherry, Watersheds Coordinator

Bill grew up in Machias and lives there today. A recently retired forester, Bill now directs the programs for the Machias and East Machias River Watershed Councils. He works with local stakeholders to improve the quality of life within these two watersheds and is involved with many restoration and education projects.

NRCS Staff:

Dave Garcelon, District Conservationist

Dave administers NRCS/USDA programs in the county and provides technical assistance to the conservation district, communities and groups, and individual landowners on resource conservation issues. Originally from Linneus, Maine, Dave received a degree in biology from the University of Maine at Orono in 1979. He started working for NRCS in 1983 and for the last 14 years has worked in Washington County residing in East Machias with his wife Kathy and daughter Leia.

Board of Supervisors:

Stephen Follette, Chair
Lives in Talmadge and is a Forester for Georgia Pacific as well as a diversified farmer.

Reinald Nielsen, Vice Chair
Lives in Whiting and raises lingonberries. He is a retired engineer and volunteers in several activities in his community. He serves as Vice President with (MACD) Maine Association of Conservation Districts, sits on the Advisory Council and Directors Council.

Geneva Duncan-Frost, Treasurer
Lives in Perry and is a forester as well as a wild blueberry farmer.

Arthur Emerson, Addison
A diversified farmer and minister.

Associate Supervisors:

Sandra Pottle, Perry
Host of the Outdoor Classroom on the Pottle Tree Farm. Her and her husband, Jim, are tree farmers and were selected as "Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year" for several years. They were also selected as the SWCD's "Tree Farmer of the Year" in 1998. The Pottles have always opened up the land to education for young and young at heart. The Pottles are good stewards of the land.