2012 Agriculture Advocates

Dr. Donna Woudenberg - St. Louis Leadership Seminar, February 10-11, 2012

Dr. Donna Woudenberg is the co-advisor of Sigma Alpha’s Alpha Delta Chapter on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) campus. She has been working with Alpha Delta ladies since early 2007, when a group of undergraduates decided to re-charter the chapter. The Alpha Delta girls, meetings, and activities are definitely one of the highlights of her life!

All of Donna’s academic degrees are in Natural Resources (Bachelors major: Environmental Studies; Masters Focus: Climatology; Ph.D. Specialization: Human Dimensions). After receiving her doctorate in December 2006, she worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate / Drought Management Specialist for the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) at UNL. She completed her five year contract as a postdoc with the NDMC in January 2012. During her tenure as a postdoc at NDMC, Donna expanded on her dissertation research, which called for the inclusion of the perspectives and voices of women, children, minorities, and indigenous groups in planning for drought and other natural hazards, particularly as associated with farming and ranching.

Donna now works as a lecturer for UNL. During the 2012 Spring Semester, her teaching duties are with the Women’s & Gender Studies Program. She is also creating online learning modules titled “Global Climate Change Education for Extension Educators” in her role on a NASA grant.

Donna was born and raised in Maryland. She met Maury Woudenberg when he was in the service – Maury’s family is from the Great Plains, and Donna moved to Nebraska with him after their marriage. Maury and a business partner own and operate a dental lab in Lincoln, NE. Donna and Maury have three daughters, three granddaughters and a grandson, and one great-granddaughter. Donna’s down-time “favorites” include spending time with family and friends, reading, cooking and baking, gardening, and traveling.

Dr. Maria Navarro - Atlanta Leadership Seminar, February 17-18, 2012

Dr. Maria Navarro is an associate professor in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication at the University of Georgia. She received her Ph.D. in Agricultural Education from Texas A&M University, and her undergraduate degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya.

Before starting at UGA as an instructor in 1999, she worked for six years in the International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM - IAMZ) organizing and managing international cooperation programs, with a major focus on training and development of professionals in agriculture. She has also participated in international projects with the Carter Center (Peace Programs), USAID (United States Agency for International Development), USDA-FAS (United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service), and several U.S. universities, and has worked in the U.S., Europe, Central and South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Western Asia.

Dr. Navarro believes that agriculture, education, and research about agriculture are essential elements to address poverty and hunger around the world. She has worked in research projects and developed and taught courses in international agriculture, poverty and hunger issues, and agricultural education, at UGA and around the world. Most importantly, Maria has been a passionate Sigma Alpha advisor for six years, and a teacher, mentor, and friend to dozens of Sigma Alpha members and alumni. Her two sons, Paul and David, understand well the potential of intelligent, committed, and hard-working women in agriculture.

Martha A. Smith, Monsanto - Denver Leadership Seminar, February 23-24, 2012

Director of State and Local Government Affairs in Southeastern United States, Monsanto Company

Martha Smith is the Director of State and Local Government Affairs for Monsanto Company in the southeastern United States. In this role, she has responsibility for managing policy and relationships affecting Monsanto throughout a nine state region. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agricultural Business and International Agriculture from Iowa State University where she was very active in various clubs and organizations on campus.

Prior to her current role, Martha has worked for Monsanto is a variety of roles. She began her career as a Seed Production Trainee at Monsanto’s Constantine, Michigan seed corn production facility where she was later promoted to Seed Quality Supervisor. She next managed Monsanto’s farming operations on the North Shore of Oahu near the town of Haleiwa, Hawaii and later transitioned to managing community and local government affairs issues throughout the Midwest in a position based out of Monsanto’s seed facility in Farmer City, Illinois.

Martha grew up on her family’s sixth generation cow/calf, small grains and hay operation near Lexington, Virginia. Her family continues to operate the farm today including both her brother and sister who returned home to farm after college. She was active in 4-H and FFA growing up and holds her American FFA Degree. In her free time, Martha enjoys spending time on her family’s farm, running, trying out new restaurants, debating current events (especially those connected to agriculture) and in general making the most of everyday. Martha lives in Raleigh, North Carolina and works out of Monsanto’s research facility in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina.

Angie Boyce, Pioneer - Pittsburgh Leadership Seminar, March 2-3, 2012

Talent Acquisition Consultant & Internship Coordinator, Pioneer Hi-Bred – A DuPont Business, Johnston, Iowa.

Angie Boyce has been a recruiting and consulting professional for over seven years in various industries, three of those years have been spent with Pioneer Hi-Bred – A DuPont Business. Providing consulting services while developing and maintaining strong working relationships with the business is critical in achieving results. Angie focuses on building integrated systems effective in attracting, selecting and on-boarding a highly skilled and competitive workforce. She also manages and leads Pioneer’s internship program for the U.S. and Canada, hiring approximately 200 interns each summer. Angie holds a B.S. in Public Relations from Northwest Missouri State University, Maryville, MO. She currently resides in Des Moines, IA with her husband, Nate and son Zakk.