About > Advisory Board

Advisory Board

The PERC Advisory Board includes expert educators, certification authorities and farmworker advocates from across the United States. They steer PERC activities to achieve its objectives, identify under-served audiences, and fill resource gaps. Their advisory role is essential to ensure that PERC resources are used where and when they are most needed to prevent pesticide impacts on human health and the environment.

Suzanne Forsyth

Co-Chair
UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education
  • B.S. in Environmental Toxicology UC Davis; MPH in Public Health UC Berkeley
  • Nearly 30 years' experience in serving pesticide regulatory officials and stakeholders at the tribal, state and federal levels
  • Experience as a pesticide registration chemist, water quality specialist, and risk assessment associate bringing subject matter specificity to her work in pesticide safety education
  • Formerly served as Coordinator for the Tribal Pesticide Program Council (TPPC)
  • 18 years successfully managed the nationally acclaimed Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP)
  • In 2014 honored with Life Membership to the American Association of Pesticide Control Officials (AAPCO)

Kaci Buhl

Co-Chair
Oregon State University
  • Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) Coordinator in Oregon
  • Associate Professor of Practice in the Department of Environmental & Molecular Toxicology
  • 10 years as the Project Coordinator of the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) at Oregon State University
  • Worked in pesticide enforcement and incident coordination at the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA)

Lisa Blecker

Advisory Board Member
Colorado State University
  • Pesticide Safety Educator at Colorado State University
  • Currently serves as the Administrator for the Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP)
  • 10 years as the Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator for the UC Statewide IPM Program
  • Experience delivering Train-the-trainer and continuing education programs
  • Holds a pesticide applicator's certificate
  • Member of AAPSE
  • Fluent in Spanish

Louise Carhart

Advisory Board Member
Illinois Migrant Legal Assistance Project at Legal Aid Chicago
  • Staff Attorney for the Illinois Migrant Legal Assistance Project at Legal Aid Chicago
  • J.D., Loyola University Chicago
  • Provides comprehensive legal services to migrant and seasonal workers in Illinois, including occupational health and safety issues
  • Experience in direct outreach to and training for agricultural workers and community partners on pesticide safety, reducing risk of exposure, and legal protections
  • 6 years of experience providing direct services to immigrant and migrant populations
  • Fluent in Spanish

Melanie Forti

Advisory Board Member
Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs
  • Bachelor's degree in Business Administration
  • 6 years as the Director of Health & Safety Programs at Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs (AFOP)
  • Directs the National Farmworker Training Program (PST, Heat Stress Prevention, Tractor Safety, and other trainings)
  • 10 years in pesticide safety education
  • Developed U.S. EPA-approved WPS curriculum flipchart for agricultural workers
  • Experience developing and translating instructional materials for pesticide applicators and farmworkers
  • Fluent in Spanish

Carmina Hanson

Advisory Board Member
NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
  • B.S. Food Industry Engineering, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, México
  • M.S. Animal Science, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
  • 7 years of Pesticide Regulatory, Education and Training with WPS emphasis
  • Experience developing and translating instructional materials for pesticide applicators and farmworkers
  • Fluent in Spanish

Caroline Kohnert

Advisory Board Member
Plunkett's Pest Control
  • Technical Director at Plunkett's Pest Control
  • 9 years' experience in creating and facilitating training for adult learners
  • 3 years' experience as a pest control technician
  • Past-president and current board member of the Minnesota Pest Management Association
  • Member of NPMA Technical Committee, the Urban Pest Management Technical Committee, Pi Chi Omega, and AAPSE
  • Licensed Pest Control Applicator in MN, WI, IL, IA, NE, SD, ND, MO, and KS
  • Associate Certified Entomologist with a certificate in Public Health Entomology
  • B.S. in Wildlife Ecology, UW-Madison; M. Ed—Adult Education, U of MN—Twin Cities
  • Graduate Certificate in Human Resource Development, U of MN—Twin Cities

Catherine LePrevost

Advisory Board Member
North Carolina State University
  • Holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from Wake Forest University, a master's degree in Toxicology and doctoral degree in Science Education from North Carolina State University
  • Acts as the Agromedicine Extension Specialist and Coordinator of the North Carolina Agromedicine Institute at North Carolina State University
  • Has 14 years of experience in agricultural safety and health
  • Develops educational resources for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and pesticide applicators
  • Provides training for pesticide educators, including farmworker health outreach workers and Extension agents

Bethany Plewe

Advisory Board Member
U.S. EPA, Region 10
  • M.S. in Ecosystem Analysis; B.S. Agronomy- Environmental Science
  • 6 years Analytical Chemist for Utah State and U.S. EPA
  • 10 years water quality expertise from field sampling to project management support
  • 10 years pesticide program and enforcement support for Utah State and U.S. EPA Region 10
  • Indian Health Service and Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Project Officer
  • Federally credentialed FIFRA Inspector
  • U.S. EPA Region 10 Worker Protection Standard (WPS) and Pesticide Applicator Certification and Training Rule (C&T) Coordinator

Dave Reddel

Advisory Board Member
Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness
  • B.S. in Agronomy from Iowa State University
  • M.S. in Seed Technology and Business from Iowa State University (completion 2023)
  • Certified Crop Advisor specializing in Resistance Management
  • Agronomy Risk Manager for Wilbur-Ellis Agribusiness (Central US)
  • 8 Years of Agronomy Loss Control / Risk Management as Technical Agronomist for National Agribusiness Risk Management Carrier
  • 18 years in the Seed Industry in various roles including seed research and production operations
  • Provide agronomic training and support to agronomy exposures across the US including, but not limited to, pesticide recertification trainings, dicamba training per U.S. EPA, paraquat training per U.S. EPA,U.S. EPA WPS per U.S. EPA and Certified Crop Advisor CEUs
  • Active member of Iowa CCA Education Committee
  • Active member of Ag Cooperative Safety Directors of Iowa
  • Actively participate in 2000-acre corn and soybean farm operation in NW Iowa
  • 2020-2021 NAEHSS Board Member (National Agronomic Environmental Health and Safety School)

Libby Smith

Advisory Board Member
University of Nebraska - Lincoln
  • B.S. in Environmental Studies, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
  • 9 years of state regulatory experience with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture
  • 2 years' experience as and currently serving as Pesticide Certification and Worker Protection Specialist for the state of Nebraska
  • Develops state applicator licensing exams
  • Works directly with state PSEP on education materials and outreach events

Amy Sullivan

Advisory Board Member
Association of American Pesticide Control Officials (AAPCO)
  • Bachelor's degree in Biology, emphasis in Botany
  • Liaison to SFIREG and AAPCO for PERC
  • AAPCO's Executive Secretary
  • Former AAPCO Director, Full SFIREG representative, and EQI member
  • 10 years as Montana Pesticide Control Official
  • CTAG's Executive Secretary

PERC Projects

We develop, revise, and update pesticide safety resources to advance the protection of humans, communities, and ecosystems from the risk of pesticide poisonings, illness, and injury.

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