Lieutenant General Thomas P. Bostick, U.S. Army Chief of Engineers and Commanding General of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Lieutenant General Bostick serves as the senior military officer overseeing most of the Nation’s civil works infrastructure and military construction.

As the USACE Commanding General, he is responsible for more than 37,000 Civilian employees and 600 Military personnel who provide project management and construction support to 250 Army and Air Force installations in more than 100 countries around the world. USACE has a key role in support to Overseas Contingency Operations, with thousands of Civilians and Soldiers having deployed to support reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lieutenant General Bostick is also responsible for USACE's diverse missions such as hundreds of environmental protection projects; regulatory permit program to protect, restore and enhance thousands of acres of wetlands; and emergency response mission to support the Federal Emergency Management Agency in restoration and repair after a disaster, whether natural or manmade. As the Chief of Engineers, Army Staff Principal, the Chief advises the Army on engineering matters and serves as the Army's topographer and the proponent for real estate and other related engineering programs.

Wayne Gieselman, Deputy Director, Water, Wetlands and Pesticides Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Wayne has served as Deputy Director of EPA Region 7’s Water Division since January, 2012.  Prior to joining the Water Division, Wayne served for 9 years as the Administrator of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources from 2002-2011 and was the CAFO Coordinator at IDNR prior to that from 1999-2002.  Wayne was a farm owner and operator from 1982-1999 and is still actively involved in the farming operation with his son. He served as Chief Engineer for the Iowa Natural Resources Council from 1978-1982.  Wayne received a BS degree in agricultural engineering from Iowa State University.

Colonel Anthony J. "Tony" Hofmann enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1984 and graduated from the U.S. Military Academy Preparatory School in 1986. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers after graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1990. Colonel Hofmann holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from the U.S. Military Academy, a Master of Science Degree in Construction Management from Colorado State University and a Master of Science Degree in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He is a certified Project Management Professional.

Colonel Hofmann has held a variety of troop assignments, primarily in divisional mechanized combat engineer battalions. He served as a lieutenant in the 10th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division in Kitzingen, Germany as well as the 40th Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Division, in Baumholder, Germany; commanded Alpha Company as well as Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Engineer Battalion, Fort Carson, Colorado; and was the operations officer in both the 937th Engineer Group and 70th Engineer Battalion, 1st Armored Division, Fort Riley, Kansas. He also served in the Army’s Senior Leader Development Office in Rosslyn, Virginia as the assignment officer for Chemical, Engineer and Military Police colonels.

His combat and operational experience includes Operation Iraqi Freedom supporting the 3rd Infantry and 1st Armored Divisions; Intrinsic Action in Kuwait with 3rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division; and deployment to Kuwait in support of Task Force 3-77 Armor, 3rd Infantry Division.

This is Colonel Hofmann’s third tour with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. From 2006 to 2008 he commanded the Walla Walla District, responsible for the execution of a diverse civil works program over 107,000 square mile area encompassing parts of six states. Earlier he served in the New Orleans District as a project engineer, project manager and Chief of Safety, Security and Occupational Health.

Colonel Hofmann’s military education includes the Engineer Officer Basic and Advanced Courses, and the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College. His awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal (two awards), the Army Meritorious Service Medal (five awards), the Army Commendation Medal (four awards, including Valor Device), the Army Achievement Medal (four awards), the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal with service star, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Medal for the Liberation of Kuwait, the Bronze Order of the DeFleury Medal, the German Armed Forces Efficiency Badge (Silver), Parachutist Badge, Army Staff Identification Badge, Ranger Tab and the Combat Action Badge.

Robin Jennison brings more than 22 years of experience; serving in the Kansas Legislature, influencing state policy on behalf of Kansas interests, and promoting the state’s natural assets to expand outdoor recreations. 

Elected to represent the 117^th House District, Robin quickly rose through the ranks, serving as Assistant Majority leader in his second term, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee in his third term, House Majority Leader in his fourth term and finally, Speaker of the House. 

As president of Jennison Government Services, Robin represented businesses, associations, groups and other entities before the state legislature and regulatory agencies of Kansas.  Robin is a well-respected and knowledgeable hunter who anchored the Kansas Outdoors Radio Show for four years. 

Robin was selected by Governor Sam Brownback to serve as the Secretary of Wildlife and Parks, which became the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism on July 1, 2011.  He has been a partner in the Jennison Ranch located near Healy for more than 33 years. Robin is married to Coleen Jennison, Director of Government Affairs for Cox Communications, and has two grown children and one granddaughter. 

Brad Loveless was raised in Ohio and received a B.S. from The Ohio State University in Zoology and a M.S. from Kansas University in Biology. I’ve worked for Westar Energy for 25 years, the first 12 being at Wolf Creek Nuclear Station. Since then, I’ve worked from Topeka and been focused on avoidance of environmental impacts through proper design and siting of electrical generation and distribution facilities, and mitigation of those impacts, when they occur. I help plan company actions to address climate change and to lead the Green Team, a volunteer group of employees and retirees that have been helping with habitat improvement, environmental access and education, and enhancement of sensitive species for over 20 years.

I am married to Mindy, who teaches school, have 3 boys, and enjoy working on church initiatives, fishing, hunting, and gardening.

Tim Lust is the CEO of the National Sorghum Producers (NSP) and the United Sorghum Checkoff Program (USCP), two organizations dedicated to increasing profitability for more than 30,000 sorghum growers in the United States. For NSP, he works directly on legislative and regulatory issues that impact the sorghum industry and represents the industry at events throughout the United States and worldwide. For the Sorghum Checkoff, Tim works directly with producers, researchers and marketing specialists to increase producer profitability and keep the sorghum industry competitive among the world marketplace.

Tim grew up on a diversified farming and cattle operation in Lazbuddie, Texas. He received a B.S. in Animal Science in 1992 from Angelo State University and an MBA in 1993 from Texas Tech University. He is a past member of the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Advisory Committee for Trade to the Secretary of Agriculture and a former board member for the USDA Sorghum Crop Germplasm Committee. He has also served on the Texas Tech Center for Industry Research and Education board of directors and the Sorghum Improvement Conference of North America board of directors. Today, Tim serves on numerous industry and regional committees and advisory councils.

Throughout his career, Tim has been instrumental in helping to advance the U.S. sorghum industry. His work in the legislative arena has resulted in increased sorghum price elections for farmers, equalized loan rates for sorghum, and the inclusion of sorghum as an advanced biofuel in the 2007 U.S. Energy Bill. Tim was extremely involved with the startup of the national checkoff program to increase sorghum research and market development. Tim has also been a strong supporter of the Great Plains Sorghum Initiative, a program that supports research in the agricultural economics, communications and agronomy departments annually.

 Tim and his wife of 22 years, Lea Ann, have two sons, Ty and Dru, and reside in Abernathy, Texas.

Steve McNinch, CEO, Western Plains Energy has over 20 years of manufacturing and management experience in fields ranging from home products, automotive, defense supplier, and most recently ethanol. Mr. McNinch is Past-Chairman of the Kansas Association of Ethanol Processors. As an officer on the Board of Directors of Growth Energy, he has been active in the continued promotion of ethanol. Mr. McNinch holds degrees in Chemistry and Physics and an M.B.A. from Southwestern College in Winfield, Kan.

John O’Neil has been with Johnson County Wastewater since 1989, first as the Director Operations and Maintenance and in February 2006 as Wastewater General Manager.

As Wastewater General Manager, Mr. O’Neil oversees all aspects of the wastewater utility, including the Operations and Maintenance, Business Operations and Planning, and Customer Relations Divisions. Engineering functions are divided between the Operations and Maintenance and Customer Relations Divisions.

Johnson County Wastewater has 218 employees, an annual operating budget for 2011 of $37 million and an annual capital program of $70 million. Johnson County is on the southwest part of the metropolitan Kansas City area and has a growing population of approximately 550,000.

As Operations and Maintenance Director, Mr. O’Neil emphasized cross training and removing barriers between the operations functions and the maintenance functions. As General Manager, following recommendations of a recently completed Strategic Business Plan, he is coordinating the building of strong bridges between the three department divisions to provide a unified level and quality of service to all customers.

Mr. O’Neil has a Master of Education Degree from Kansas State University and a Masters of Environmental Health Science from the University of Kansas. He holds the highest level of certification for both Collections System and Wastewater Treatment Operation in the state of Kansas. 

Rorik Peterson is a Project Developer with EDP Renewables North America in Overland Park, Kansas.  Since joining EDPR in 2008, Rorik has managed multiple wind projects under development across Kansas and the central United States.  His responsibilities include negotiating wind energy leases with landowners, working with local, state, and federal regulatory entities on permitting matters, meeting with elected officials and policymakers, and maintaining relationships with potential power customers.  He received a BA in Geography from Kansas State University in 2005 and a MA in Geography from Kansas State University in 2008.  Rorik grew up in Wamego, Kansas, and now resides in Overland Park. 

U.S. Senator Pat Roberts is a Kansan through and through. He was born in Topeka, graduated from Holton High School and went on to earn his journalism degree from K-State – and proudly wears the purple to this day. He always puts Kansas’ needs and concerns front and center in his public service career. For 16 years, he represented the Big First District, including his home of Dodge City, in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1996, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. He is currently serving his third term.

Roberts has built a reputation as a national leader in agriculture, health care and defense. He is an advocate of a strong education system, free and fair trade policies, increased investment in science and technology, a focused foreign policy and a strong military — all of which are necessary to keep Kansas competitive in today's rapidly evolving global marketplace.

Senator Roberts serves as the ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, becoming the first in history to hold the post in both the House and the Senate.

Dale A. Rodman was appointed secretary of the Kansas Department of Agriculture by Governor Sam Brownback in January 2011.

A native Kansan, Rodman was born in Eureka and grew up on a diversified farm and ranch near Toronto. His family raised cattle, wheat, soybeans, hay, and sorghum. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture in feed milling from Kansas State University in 1963. He later graduated from the Minnesota Management Institute at the University of Minnesota.

Rodman served as an agribusiness executive in national and international agriculture development and management for the majority of his career. He worked for 37 years at Cargill, Inc. and gained experience in a number of agribusiness industries including milling, grain product processing, and meat slaughter and processing. Rodman spent 4 years as president of Tramco, Inc. a manufacturer of heavy duty dry bulk conveying systems located in Wichita. During his career, he lived in Europe and Asia and worked in over thirty countries.

In the 1990s, he worked with then-Secretary of Agriculture Sam Brownback as a member of an agricultural advisory board.

Rodman left retirement at the request of Governor Brownback to serve the Kansas agricultural industry. He is personally committed to building Kansas agriculture and developing opportunities to grow the state's agricultural economy. In addition, he is focused on strengthening the Department of Agriculture and revitalizing the Department's focus on serving Kansas' producers and consumers.

Robert (Bob) Stanbery is the Production Technology Team Lead for Shell Exploration and Production Company – Onshore Asset Arrowhead Project in Kansas. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Texas A&M University and his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Houston. Bob has sixteen years experience in the oil industry with various assignments including tertiary oil recovery projects, offshore and onshore completions, production surveillance, operations and engineering management.

Tracy Streeter has served as the Director of the Kansas Water Office, the state’s water planning and coordination agency since 2004.  Tracy was re-appointed by Governor Sam Brownback on December 31, 2010.  Before joining KWO, he served as Executive Director of the State Conservation Commission. Tracy has 26 years of experience in Kansas water resources management. 

Tracy serves as Chair of the Governor’s Drought Response Team and the Kansas GIS policy Board.  In addition, Tracy represents the State of Kansas on the Missouri River Association of States and Tribes (MoRAST) and Western States Water Council. 

A native Kansan, Tracy grew up as part of a family farming operation in Brown County.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriculture and Agriculture Economics from Missouri Western State University and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Kansas.

Steve Swaffar has worked for Kansas Farm Bureau since November of 2000 as Natural Resources Director. Steve and his staff address natural resource policy and technical issues for their farmer and rancher members. Steve assists agricultural producers to assess and find solutions to environmental and conservation issues on their farms and ranches; works with state and federal agency staff on regulatory actions; provides advice to farmers about wildlife management; and provides assistance with various permits required by regulatory agencies. He also is works with the Kansas legislature and lobbies on natural resources and environmental bills.

Prior to joining Farm Bureau worked four years with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Steve holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biology from the University of Kansas.  Steve also serves on the board of several non-profit natural resources and environmental education organizations.

Steve and his family live in Rossville, Kansas.

Colonel Michael J. Teague received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from Norwich University and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers in 1985.

Upon completion of the Officer Basic Course, he served in Bravo Company, 10th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Infantry Division, in Bad Kissingen, Germany, as a Line Platoon Leader, Assault and Barrier Platoon Leader, and Executive Officer (XO). After attending the Officer Advanced Course, he served with the 19th Engineer Battalion, 194th Separate Armor Brigade at Fort Knox, Kentucky, before assuming command of the 13th Engineer Company (Construction Support) in 1990. During the two years he commanded the 13th Engineer Company, they deployed to construction missions in Honduras and Saudi Arabia, as well as forest firefighting in Tennessee.

From 1992 to 1994, Colonel Teague attended the Naval Postgraduate and received a Master of Science Degree in Operations Analysis. He completed assignments as a Combat Analyst with the TRADOC Analysis Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and as a Personnel Analyst with the OPMS XXI Task Force at PERSCOM. After serving as the Executive Officer, Directorate of Civil Works for Headquarters, US Army Corps of Engineers, he attended Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth.

Following Staff College, he was assigned to Fort Carson, Colorado, where he served as the S3 and XO of the 4th Engineer Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division. After assignments as the Force Engineer (South), Multinational Forces and Observers, Sinai, Egypt, and as the Chief of Current Operations, US Army Space Command at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, he returned to Fort Carson.

On July 8, 2003, Colonel Teague assumed command of the 52nd Engineer Battalion (Combat Heavy) in Mosul, Iraq. The Battalion conducted construction, civil-military, and combat operations in support of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The Battalion redeployed in February 2004. After command, he served as the Army Engineer for North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and US Northern Command and as the Deputy Executive Officer to the Combatant Commander. After this joint assignment, he attended the Naval War College where he earned a Master of Science degree in National Security and Strategic Studies. Before taking command of the Tulsa District, he was the Third Army/US Army Central Engineer responsible for Army construction throughout the Middle East and central Asian states.

His awards and decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Global War on Terrorism and the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medals, the Iraqi Campaign Medal, the Southwest Asia Service Medal, the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal and the Combat Action and Parachutist Badges.

Frank Ward is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agricultural Business at New Mexico State University and the Departmental Coordinator for MS and PhD in Water Science and Management Programs. He holds a BS, MS, and PhD in Economics from Colorado State University.

Ward's expertise is water policy. He is the author of numerous journal articles, research reports, and book chapters. Ward has written two books: Valuing Nature with Travel Cost Models. 2000 with D.J. Beal published by Edward Elgar (UK) and Environmental and Natural Resource Economics by Prentice-Hall, scheduled for 2005.

Ward teaches Water Resource Economics and Natural Resource Economics.