Organizing Committee

Conservation Drainage Network Organizing Committee 2023

*Organizing Committee Chair: Jeppe Kjaersgaard

**Organizing Committee Vice-Chair: Keegan Kult

Name	Institution	Committee Member Representation
Jeppe Kjaersgaard*	Minnesota Department of Agriculture	NCERA-217 Past Chair
Keegan Kult**	Ag Drainage Management Coalition	Industry representative
Lindsay Pease	University of Minnesota	CDN Past Chair
Jane Frankenberger	Purdue University	NCERA-217 Vice Chair
Abigail Tomasek	Oregon State University	NCERA-217 Chair
Chris Hay	Iowa Soybean Association	Non-profit organization representative
John McMaine	South Dakota State University	At-large
Tom Christensen	Ecosystem Services Exchange	CDN Growth Committee Chair
Vinayak Shedekar	The Ohio State University	Education/Extension Chair
Advisors		
Alan Gillespie	P.E. National Water Management Engineer, USDA-NRCS	NRCS representative
Kevin King	USDA-ARS, Ohio	ARS representative
Katie Flahive	U.S. EPA	EPA representative
Jeff Frey	USGS, Indiana	USGS representative

The Organizing Committee guides the Conservation Drainage Network, including planning the annual meeting, organizing any other events or projects, and communicating with the network. The Organizing Committee consists of the 6 or 7 members listed below, 4 of whom are selected through specific stakeholders and projects (NCERA-217, affiliated projects, the drainage industry) and others who are selected by the current Committee based on nominations from network members. A Chair, who is normally the past Chair of NCERA-217, ensures that the Committee meets and plans the meeting.

1. NCERA-217 Chair
2. NCERA-217 Past Chair (CDN Chair) 
3. Industry representative, selected by ADMC
4. Affiliated project(s)
5. Non-profit organization representative
6. Other agency representative (state or local)
7. At large member
8. CDN Past Chair

Advisors

Representatives from NRCS, USGS, EPA, and ARS serve with the Organizing Committee as Advisors or Liaisons. The Organizing Committee may choose to appoint Advisors or Liaisons from other organizations as well. 

Organizing Committee member responsibilities: 

• Be responsible for moving the Conservation Drainage Network and its goals forward. Strategize about new people to engage, issues to address, and activities to undertake.
• Be a public face for the organization so people seeking information can find someone to contact.
• Plan the annual meeting, including suggesting speakers to invite or issues that should be discussed to move agricultural drainage management forward.
• Propose changes to the structure or the organization when needed, which will be brought to the larger group if broader input is appropriate. 

Organizing Committee organization and terms:

• Terms are generally 2 years, with multiple terms allowed. NCERA-217 Chair and Past-Chair are 1-year positions. 
• New Organizing Committee members will be selected by the current Organizing Committee based on nominations from network members. A goal is broad representation and ensuring that Organizing Committee members are engaged and actively contributing to the Task Force. The first Organizing Committee members were selected in 2019 by vote of participants at the Agricultural Drainage Management Systems Task Force – NCERA-217 annual meeting in Moorhead, Minnesota. 
• NRCS, ARS, and other advisory representatives will be listed on the website and participate in all Organizing Committee activities. 
• The Organizing Committee will meet in person immediately after each annual meeting, and by web meeting or conference call at other times. Meeting frequency will be irregular, becoming more frequent as required to plan the annual meeting.  
• The Past Chair of NCERA-217 will be the Organizing Committee Chair and is responsible for convening Organizing Committee meetings. The Vice Chair will be selected by Committee members, and is responsible for written communication as well as supporting Organizing Committee functioning together with the Chair.

Past Chairs of CDN Organizing Committee