Meet . . .

Jeffery Lewis Purchasing Agent Morgantown, WV

My name is Jeffery Lewis, and I am the new Purchasing Agent for the state office in Morgantown, WV. I have lived in New Geneva, PA  for over 6 years.

My background includes 21 years active duty in the U.S. Navy. I have served overseas and aboard various ships on the east coast. I retired in 2003 as a Chief Petty Officer and moved to Pennsylvania to start a new career and to assist family members. Since arriving, I have worked for a furniture distribution company as the QA/Returns/Safety Manager and Logistics Coordinator. I accepted a term position with the federal service at NIOSH in Morgantown, WV in January. My background in the military and with the furniture distribution company allowed me the opportunity to come to work for the USDA NRCS.

My education includes some college while in the Navy at Central Texas College. I also attended various management training courses and have attended Penn State College campus in Uniontown, PA.

I am very excited to be here and look forward to assisting everyone. I appreciate the opportunity and thanks for the warm reception.

Diana Bokoch Human Resource Manager Morgantown, WV

On September 29th,  I started as the new Human Resources Manager at the WV NRCS State Office in Morgantown. Although not from West Virginia, I previously worked for three years in Kingwood, two years in Wheeling, and I am proud to say that I climbed Briery Mountain at Camp Dawson.

I served in the Army (5 years active duty) and Army Reserves for over 28 years and retired as a Command Sergeant Major in 2004. My career highlight was in 1993, I was the first female to be promoted to this rank in my command, which encompassed five states. While serving in the Army Reserves, I also worked as a federal employee for the Department of Defense for 25 years. The last few years of my career involved mobilizing and demobilizing units, training, personnel and casualty assistance. My heart aches for the soldiers and their families; I think of them everyday.

Upon my retirement from the military, I changed civilian careers and went to work for the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections as the Human Resources Director for SCI – Greene in Waynesburg, PA. I truly enjoy the challenges associated with Human Resources and have always committed myself to serving the needs of employees.

My husband’s name is Phil; he is retired from Monongahela Railway and spends his time hunting, fishing, and fixing whatever is broke. We went on a fishing trip to Alaska a few years ago and it was there that I learned to enjoy fishing as well. I have one son, Aaron, who lives in Mt. Lebanon, PA, and manages a Salon & Spa in Cannonsburg. I also have two step-son’s; Greg is from Columbus, Ohio, and is an auditor for Nationwide Insurance, and Mike, who is in the MD/PHD Program at Stanford.

Heather Hinson Toolkit Coordinator/Farm Bill Specialist Morgantown, WV

After graduating in 2003 from Stephen F. Austin State University with a Masters in Science for Forestry, I began working as an Environmental Planner for a private engineering firm in Houston, TX. The team that I was on completed environmental assessments, environmental impact statements, Phase I Site Assessments, and COE wetland determinations on various projects for the Texas Department of Transportation. After three long months, I was offered a job with NRCS as a Soil Conservationist in Henderson, TX.

I spent one year in Henderson before being promoted and transferred to Franklin, TX. I went from the forests of East Texas to the range and crop country of central Texas. Besides learning a great deal about crop and rangeland, I also learned which came first (the chicken or the egg). Robertson County has an abundance of chicken farms and the smell to prove it. Amazingly enough, I still love to eat chicken!

After one and half years in Franklin, TX, I received the position of Transfer Technology Specialist for Zone 3 in Corpus Christi, TX. Zone 3 consists of 50 counties in the southern part of the state. My major task assignments were to train field and zone office staff on Customer Service Toolkit, PRS, ProTracts, and GPS systems. No questions are too great or too small. And if I do not have the answer, I know someone who does!

In June I married Jared whom I met in Corpus Christi. In September, while my husband and I were evacuating to avoid Hurricane Ike, I received a phone call from my Assistant State Conservationist for Field Operations offering me this position here in West Virginia. I gladly accepted and here we are after driving 1,700 miles! I look forward to the new experiences, challenges, and people that I will encounter working here in West Virginia.

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