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CALS Alumni Organization Board of Directors

Image of three smiling female alumni in Virginia Tech shirts.
Scott Stevens
President, Scott Stevens; ’92 B.S. Animal Science, Minor Agricultural Economics
Image of Rachel Kohl
Vice President, Zach Jacobs; '19 B.S. Agribusiness Management
Image of Elizabeth Galbreath
Past President, Elizabeth Galbreath; '17 B.S. Agriculture Sciences
President ~ CALS Alumni Organization Board of Directors
'92 B.S. Animal Science, Minor Agricultural Economics

Fincastle, VA
agrhokie@aol.com
(540) 312-9863

Scott is currently serving as Vice President – Commercial and Agriculture Lending at the Bank of Botetourt.   Prior to this position he was a loan officer with Farm Credit of the Virginias and for more than 25 years, he served as manager of Southern States Roanoke Cooperative-Troutville/Rockingham Cooperative.

He serves on the following boards and organizations:  Roanoke County Farm Bureau Board of Directors – (Secretary/Treasurer), Botetourt County Extension Leadership Council (Chairperson for the past five years); Botetourt County Fair Committee; Botetourt County adult 4-H leader, Roanoke Valley Hokie Club & Roanoke Valley VT Alumni Association.

Former board activities include terms with the Virginia FFA Foundation Board of Directors, Virginia Forage and Grassland Council Board, and the Botetourt Chamber of Commerce.

Scott is married to Amy Clements Stevens ’93 (ANSC, B.S.), ’94 (AGED, M.S.), who teaches Agri-Science at Read Mountain Middle School and leads a very active FFA program. They are proud parents of three children: Katelyn (ALCE ’20 –Agriculture Instructor and FFA Advisor at James River High School), Kaden (20) junior at VT studying in HNFE, and Genelayce (16) attending LBHS.   

Most of his spare time is spent working on his part time commercial cow-calf operation in Botetourt County and traveling to as many Hokie sporting events as possible. 

Vice President ~ CALS Alumni Orgainzation Board of Directors
'19 B.S. Agribusiness Management

Swoope, VA
zachjacobs19@gmail.com

Zach is a Legislative Specialist for Virginia Farm Bureau's Governmental Relations team. Prior to this role, he worked as a Senior Legislative Assistant for two members of congress. Before his time on capitol hill, Zach worked as a Legislative Analyst in the Office of Congressional Relations at the United States Department of Agriculture for Secretary Sonny Perdue.

As a student, Zach held several leadership positions in agricultural and political science student organizations. He also served as a Campus Ambassador and National Student Advisory Team Member for the Agriculture Future of America organization and served as Virginia Tech’s first American Royal Scholar.  Since graduating from Virginia Tech, Zach has also earned his master’s degree in Strategic Communication through Liberty University.

Past President ~ CALS Alumni Orgainzation Board of Directors
'17 B.S. Agricultural Sciences

Kansas City, MO
elizabethgalbreath17@gmail.com

Elizabeth Galbreath grew up on a small dairy farm in northern Maryland and has been involved with various local, state, and national agricultural organizations and efforts.

She received her B.S. in Agricultural Sciences in May 2017 with an emphasis in Applied Economic Management. As a student at Virginia Tech, she held several leadership roles in student organizations, ranging from serving as a Hokie Camp Student Director and a Student Alumni Associate, to a CALS Ambassador and a mentor to first-year students in SGA’s FLEX program.

Since she became an alumna, she has worked in youth programming, marketing, sales, agricultural education, and leader development. She’s involved in various local 4-H, FFA, and Farm Bureau activities and is a member of the Chairman’s Club of the American Royal and the AFA Alliance. She is currently the President of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Alumni Organization (CALSAO) Board of Directors.

Elizabeth is committed to being a reliable, authentic spokeswoman for the agriculture community and developing young people to reach their full potential.

’15 B.S. Applied Economic Management and Environmental Horticulture
Farmville, Virginia

Normand is the Graduate Program Professional Coordinator for the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. Before his time with the department, Normand worked as the live roof production manager at Riverbend Nursery in Riner, Virginia.

As a student, Normand held several leadership positions in student organizations and on college committees. He also served as the CALS Ambassador representative to the CALS Alumni Organization Board of Directors.

Originally from Farmville, Virginia, Normand was active in community service as a volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician. He has a passion for horticulture and photography.

'14 A.AG. Agricultural Technology
'16 B.S. Agricultural Sciences
District Manager, Edko LLC


Bent Mountain, VA
adam93@vt.edu

'12 A.AG. Agricultural Technology
'14 B.S. Animal and Poultry Sciences
Research and Development Geneticist, Neogen

Lincoln, NE
willf3@vt.edu

‘14 B.S. Crop & Soil Environmental Science
‘17 M.S. Supply Chain Management (Michigan State University)

Kimberly grew up on a cattle farm in Mecklenburg County, Virginia. She is a third generation Hokie. While at Virginia Tech participated in Sigma Alpha, Agronomy Club, and Forestry Club. She also worked with Small Grains Extension and Tobacco Extension groups. After graduation, she began working for F.W. Rickard Seeds, Inc. as a sales representative for tobacco seed. She transitioned to the tobacco Leaf Procurement organization of Altria Client Services LLC in 2018 in a variety of roles supporting university relations, grower projects, stakeholder engagement, and corporate responsibility

Kimberly currently resides in Mechanicsville, VA with her husband Ian (that she met her first weekend at Virginia Tech) and her two boys Thomas & Waverly, that already respond in the proper way to Let’s Go...

’04 B.S. Secondary Ed, Agriculture,'04 B.A., Interdisciplinary Studies

Gladys, Virginia
(434) 249-1952
jessica.jones@pcs.k12.va.us

Jessica M. Jones is a 2004 honors graduate of Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. She began her teaching career in 2004 as the agricultural education/environmental science teacher and FFA advisor in Campbell County, VA.

In 2007,she joined Pittsylvania County Public Schools as the agricultural education teacher and FFA advisor at Chatham Middle School and currently works in the county at Tunstall High School in the same capacity.

Jones was selected as the 2015 American Farm Bureau Excellence in Agriculture National Runner-Up, the 2016 NAAE National Agriscience Teacher of the Year, and the 2017 American Farm Bureau Discussion Meet National Runner-Up.

In addition to being a full-time classroom teacher, Jones serves as a Virginia state milk commissioner for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and works as a National AgriScience Ambassador Trainer for DuPont USA, Lab-Aids, Inc., the National Association of Agricultural Educators and the National FFA. She has served as mentor for the Tunstall High First Robotics Competition (FRC) team, president of the Virginia Association of Agricultural Educators, and president of the Virginia Association of Career and Technical Educators. Jones currently serves as president of the Pittsylvania Education Association along with other roles at the state level.

Additionally, Jones earned her doctoral degree in leadership studies from Lynchburg College in May 2016 and remains an active member of Virginia and Pittsylvania County Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Women’s Committee.

'17 B.S. Agricultural and Applied Economics
Business Representative, US Crop Protection, BASF

Stony Creek, VA
hcspiers@vt.edu

’11 B.S. Animal and Poultry Sciences
’14 M.S. Public Administration

Richmond, VA
stefanie.taillon@vafb.com

Stefanie Kitchen Taillon is Assistant Director of Virginia Farm Bureau Governmental Relations. Prior to this role, she worked as the Commissioner’s Office Director for the South Carolina Department of Agriculture. Stefanie previously ran the Certified Farm Seekers Program, a component of the Virginia Farm Link Program, and has worked as a legislative aide in the Virginia General Assembly. She has a B.S. in Animal Science and a Master of Public Administration, both from Virginia Tech, and was a member of Class IV of the Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results (VALOR) Program. Stefanie grew up on a row crop farm in Southampton County.

’19 M.S. Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences

Richmond, VA
sthomsen@statefairva.org

Sarah Jane serves as the Manager of Ag Education and Strategic Partnerships Programming with the State Fair of Virginia and Meadow Event Park in Doswell, VA where she is excited to tell the ag story and cultivate a passion for agriculture in others. She was raised a forester’s daughter in Southwest Virginia, where she found her voice around the family dinner table with her three older siblings. Growing up close to Blacksburg, Sarah Jane took the opportunity to head south as an Animal and Dairy Science major at the University of Georgia. Sarah Jane took every opportunity to get her hands dirty and found her passion while working at the university dairy, representing the Georgia Beef Board, visiting farms during spring break, studying abroad, and interning with the Virginia Cooperative Extension. After undergrad, she came back home to pursue a Master’s Degree at Virginia Tech in Agronomy with fieldwork at the Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Blackstone. Sarah Jane previously served as the Director of Member Services and Events with the Virginia Agribusiness Council.

'06 B.S. Biochemistry
Scientist, Novozymes Biologicals

Roanoke, VA
ahnt@novozymes.com

’87 B.S. Dairy Science
’98 M.S. Dairy Science

dwinston@vt.edu

Dave grew up on a 100-cow dairy farm in Gladys, Virginia, and now resides in Radford. He serves as an Extension specialist in the Department of Dairy Science at Virginia Tech and coordinates the state 4-H dairy youth program. 

Dave teaches three courses — DASC 2474 (Dairy Science and Industry), DASC 3474 (Dairy Information Systems), and DASC 5004 (Dairy Science Graduate Seminar). He serves as lead advisor for the Dairy Club and co-advisor for Students for Cultivating Change. 

He chairs the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' curriculum committee and is a member of the university's Undergraduate Curriculum Committee and the CALS Diversity Council.  He also chairs the Southern Regional Dairy Challenge planning committee.

Dave volunteers at Glencoe Mansion, Museum, and Gallery in Radford. Dave is also an active member of Grove United Methodist Church in Radford where he serves on the Ministries Board and is secretary of the Administrative Board.

CALS Undergraduate Student Representative 

 

CALS Graduate Student Representative

Bodie Fletcher '18
School of Plant and Environmental Sciences

MANRRS Representative

 

CALS Ambassador Representative

 

’86 B.S. Agricultural Economics
’89 M.S. Agricultural Economics


Kenbridge, Virginia
(540) 641-0217
dixie@vt.edu

Dixie is the Agribusiness Concentration Coordinator for the online Master of Agricultural and Life Sciences (OMALS) degree at Virginia Tech and a member of the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AAEC) faculty. She began her career in the AAEC department in 1993, serving 17 years in her teaching and extension position. In 2010, she returned home to Lunenburg County to create and provide leadership to an agribusiness program at Southside Virginia Community College where she also served as an academic dean from 2015 to 2021. In August of 2021, she returned to Virginia Tech to provide leadership to the OMALS agribusiness concentration.

She serves as president of the Colonial Agricultural Educational Foundation and is a member of the State Fair of Virginia Youth Development Board and its Scholarship Committee.

Dixie and her husband, Johnny, a cattle farmer and businessman, have two sons, Kyle and Jacob. She enjoys playing competitive softball in tournaments around the country and watching college basketball and football.

’82 B.S. Agronomy

Tappahannock, Virginia
(804) 443-6952 or (804) 445-3447
rgill@colonialfarmcredit.com

Ronnie has been employed for 37 years with Colonial Farm Credit and currently serves as Chief Lending Officer – Branch Operations. His office is in Mechanicsville, VA.

He currently serves on the Essex County Board of Supervisors.  He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Virginia Grain Producers Association and the Northern Neck Farm Museum.  Ronnie is also a member of the Tappahannock Rotary Club.  Previously, he served as President of the Virginia FFA Foundation and is a past member of the Essex County School Board.

A family of Hokies, his wife, Linda, is an ’82 graduate of Clothing, Textiles, and Related Apparel; their son, Tyler ‘08, holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering; and their daughter, Hannah, is a ’14 graduate with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. Pastimes include weekend farming/gardening and attending VT football games.  The Gill’s also enjoy time with their new granddaughter, Anne-Marie.  

’80 B.S. Dairy Science

Troy, Virginia
(434) 242-4996
rob@foodsforthoughtinc.com

Rob owns a cow/calf beef operation in central Virginia.  He also owns Foods For Thought Inc., which distributes natural Angus beef.

He currently serves on the Albemarle County Fair Board of Directors and sits on the board of directors for the Albemarle County Farm Bureau and the Charlottesville Southern States Cooperative. Rob also holds membership in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association, and the Virginia BCIA, and is assistant treasurer of the Charlottesville Masonic Lodge.

’87 B.S. Agricultural Economics

Natural Bridge, Virginia
(540) 460-3365 or (540) 291-2051
hokie@hughes.net or anne.herring@va.usda.gov

Anne is a Community Solutions Specialist on the Partnerships Team of the USDA/Rural Development Innovation Center. She is of the Owner/Innkeeper of Herring Hall Bed and Breakfast.

Anne serves on the boards of the Rockbridge Historical Society, the Mountain Valley Preservation Alliance, and the Friends of Natural Bridge State Park. She is Treasurer/Elder at Falling Spring Presbyterian Church, an Economic Development Committee Member of the Lexington Rockbridge Chamber of Commerce, and a Family Partnership Committee Member for the Rockbridge Area Habitat for Humanity.

67 B.S. Agricultural Education
’74 M.A. Education

Waterford, Virginia
(540) 882-3945 or (540) 454-4405
mmegeath@yahoo.com

Mike is retired from Loudoun County Public Schools after working for 35.5 years.  He served as the Principal of Monroe Technology Center for 25.5 years.

Mike currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Loudoun Farm Museum.

  • Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education
    Brett Millikenbmilliken@vt.edu
  • Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise
    Nicolin Girmes-Grieco ’01, ngirmes@vt.edu
  • School of Plant and Environmental Sciences
    Mike Goatley ’88, goatley@vt.edu