Melissa Maxwell graduated from Oregon State University with a Masters of Arts in health education and a minor in Spanish. After growing up in the Portland area, Melissa has lived in Lakeview, Oregon, for 20 years. In June of 2019, she became the educational program assistant at the OSU Extension office in Lake County.  Melissa has a diverse teaching background in English, Spanish, health and ballet, as well as coaching many sports.  Currently she is teaching robotics in the Lake County elementary schools and is a Spanish adjunct professor for Oregon Tech University.   

Melissa is a volunteer in many different areas including as a Lake County Library Board director and the Warner Canyon National Ski Patrol.  With her Spanish language background, Melissa has lived and traveled in many Spanish speaking countries throughout the world.  Her most recent accomplishment was building a home for Habitat for Humanity in Guatemala. Outside of work, Melissa finds joy spending time with her family, followed by trail running, downhill skiing and anything that involves outdoor recreation. One of Melissa’s greatest satisfaction has been inspiring her former students to graduate, further their education and later to return and contribute to the community they grew up in.  Two goals she would like to accomplish in the future are summiting Mt. Hood and leading a group of youth to volunteer abroad.  Melissa’s passion is to inspire creativity, community service and a healthy lifestyle. 

Chris Adlam serves as Oregon State University Extension fire specialist for southern Oregon. While new to this position, he looks forward to partnering with community leaders, agencies, landowners and tribes to support the region’s efforts in adapting to a future with more fire. Chris received his PhD in Ecology from the University of California, Davis, where his work focused on supporting tribal initiatives for revitalizing traditional burning practices. Burning with Prescribed Burn Associations in California gave Chris a taste of the transformative power of putting fire into the skillful hands of tribes, ranchers, and trained rural residents. He believes in the Extension motto “Helping People Help Themselves” and looks forward to working with the Fire Program to build capacity and support for prescribed fire and forest restoration across private and public lands. In his free time, he enjoys birding, whittling, outdoor adventures, and raising pigs.  

Amy Hoffman is honored to serve as the OSU Extension Service-Outdoor School Regional Coordinator for southern Oregon. She partners with districts, educators, and outdoor school providers in seven counties (Coos, Curry, Douglas, Josephine, Jackson, Klamath, and Lake) to ensure an inclusive, fun, and safe outdoor school experience for all of our youth. Amy earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Natural Resources and a Master’s of Science in Science Education. Amy has fifteen years of experience in environmental education leading hands-on, experiential place-based programming designed for K-20 learners, educators, and the general community. She has led student-driven service-learning projects, worked closely with teachers and school districts, and developed curriculum. Amy is passionate about connecting learners to our great outdoors through inquiry and action in their local communities. In her free time, Amy enjoys being outdoors, learning to play piano and viola, and spending time with her husband, their two dogs, and bunny.

Monserrat Alegria is the OSU Open Campus Juntos coordinator in OSU Extension’s Southern region. Monse shares a position with Southern Oregon University (SOU). Her work with OSU Juntos and SOU Latino Programs enables her to provide culturally relevant educational programming for Latinx youth and families in the Rogue Valley.

Gordon Jones is extension agriculture faculty at the OSU Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center in Central Point. He holds a B.S. in Environmental Studies and Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences from Virginia Tech. Gordon conducts research, teaches extension classes, and provides technical assistance around pasture, hay, and hemp management, soil fertility, cover crops, and pesticide stewardship in Jackson and Josephine counties. When he’s not working, you’ll find Gordon cooking, taking photographs, hiking, and/or dreaming about a time when it will be safe to travel again.

Mandy Hatfield attended Oregon State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in nutrition, food management and business administration.

She co-chairs the Blue Zones Umpqua Schools committee and is a member of the Food Policy committee. She has long-standing partnerships with Mercy Foundation and Feeding Umpqua, previously known as the UCAN Food Bank. Mandy’s partnership with Mercy Foundation provides funding for three SNAP-Ed Education Program Assistants, who are able to increase nutrition and physical activity programming for youth in Douglas County.

Mandy is married with two daughters who now attend Glide School District, continuing a family tradition that dates back to her grandparents. Her family spends lots of time together enjoying the North Umpqua River, which runs through the Glide area.

Cheryl Kirk is a registered dietitian and senior instructor for Family and Community Health Extension in Jackson and Josephine counties. She has over 30 years’ experience in community and clinical nutrition education in Oregon. Cheryl leads a team of five nutrition education staff who provide community-based nutrition education, physical activity and food resource management to youth, parents and older adults. Current projects include; Farm to School and Cafeteria Program, collaborating to develop a Food Hero campaign for older adults, and navigating community engagement with program partners in the online environment. Extension work feeds her passion for “connecting the dots” to bring people, programs and resources together to improve individual and community health. Cheryl’s points of pride are her two daughters: Talor, an elementary teacher in Eugene, and Claire who is currently an OSU student. Her favorite recreational activities are hiking, swimming in lakes and rivers, snorkeling in tropical water and cross-country skiing. Cheryl is looking forward to traveling again soon!