National Council

Vice President

Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, my interests included being outside, hiking, fishing, and crabbing with my family. My love for the outdoors and the environment led me to attend a charter high school where I was able to focus my education on Environmental Science. I returned to school to get my Associate of Applied Science degree in Natural Resources and Wildlife Technology, at the age of 26. I obtained my Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Analysis and Planning, at 30!  

I started with NRCS Maryland in 2010 at 32, as a Soil Conservationist, working across the state in various counties, until late 2021 when I became an Area Resource Conservationist in West Virginia. WiN was critical in empowering me and providing me with tools to apply for that promotion and making the leap in my career.  

During my membership I have been fortunate enough to be mentored by three amazing women leaders and now I am a mentor for the first time! As a leader in WiN, I look forward to growing my leadership skills both professionally and personally, while also encouraging and supporting others where I can.

Treasurer of Membership

Treasurer of Finance

Secretary

I started my career with NRCS as a Pathways Student in 2015 in my home county in central Missouri. I have been very fortunate to have served in a variety of roles with NRCS all over Missouri. I currently serve as the Supervisory Lead Resource Conservationist for the Rapid Response Team covering the northeast quarter of Missouri (30 counties). In this role, I get the best of both worlds by being able to come into a field office that does not have the capacity to complete all the work they are tasked with. This could mean getting to work directly with producers or assisting the NRCS Field Office staff in a way that is most beneficial to them.

In 2019, I attended the Joint Employees Organizations conference in Spokane and that was when I truly saw the impact that WiN has across the nation. I am an active member of the Show-Me Chapter of the Soil & Water Conservation Society and am so excited to have the opportunity to be more involved in WiN and to get to know the members of the Midwest Region!

In my spare time, you can usually find me at a ball field, chasing my seven nieces and nephews, hiking or traveling.

Tamara (Tammy) Swihart was born and raised in southern Indiana near Louisville, Kentucky, and the Ohio River. Even though she did not grow up on a farm, she found out early in life that she loved the outdoors, farm life, and was extremely active in 4-H.  Based on her interest in farming and natural resources, Tammy attended Purdue University.  She majored in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences with an emphasis on Soils and Land Use. She received her Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree from Purdue University.

After college, Tammy worked with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Reclamation as a reclamation specialist for 3 ½ years.  In that role, she had the opportunity to work with surface mining operations from the permitting process all the way through the soil replacement, revegetation, and agriculture production phases.

In May of 1992, Tammy had the opportunity to come to work for the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) as a soil conservationist in Southwestern Indiana. She spent 27 years in Southwestern Indiana, 23 of those years as a District Conservationist. During her time working as a District Conservationist, she found that working specifically with Livestock Producers and grazing management was where she had the most interest and impact.

In April of 2019, Tammy was selected to become the State Grazing Specialist in Tennessee. It was the perfect timing as her and her husband had raised two children that were setting out on their own.  Her husband was within a year and a half of retirement from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, so the timing was perfect for move to Tennessee.

During her time as State Grazing Specialist in Tennessee,  Tammy was involved with the TN Civil Rights Advisory Committee, completed acting details as the State Resource Conservationist in TN, ASTC for Field Operations in Maine, and as a member of the National Climate Change Adaptation Technical Team (CCATT). She also completed the Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee Leadership Development Program.

In February of 2024, Tammy started in her new role as the East Region Grazing Specialist at the East National Technology Support Center in Greensboro, NC. In that position, she provides training and support to all state grazing specialists in the East Region.

Tammy has been a member of WiN since 2019 and has remained active in committees and sub-committees the last few years. She has served as the Southeast Region representative since December of 2024.

Tammy and her husband Keith, currently reside in Greensboro, North Carolina. 

South Central Regional Representative

I started federal service with NRCS in 2021 and became a WiN member shortly afterwards. I have been involved with the WiN Book Club and In It to WiN It Committees, and am now serving as the South Central Regional Representative. My NRCS career has included time as a Soil Conservationist, as the State Urban Conservationist for Arkansas, and now as the Initiative Coordinator for Arkansas, primarily focusing on the Regional Conservation Partnership Program and Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative.

Prior to NRCS, I worked in environmental consulting in Tennessee and California and as the Soils Program Manager at a Resource Conservation District in Northern California. I am passionate about local food systems and increasing healthy food access, and I love recharging in my gardens at home. 

West Regional Representative

Since starting with NRCS in 1993, I've worked in various capacities in Nebraska including Soil Conservationist, Resource Conservationist, Resource Conservation and Development Coordinator, Area Program Specialist, and RCPP State Coordinator. I recently completed a year-long detail as a Natural Resource Specialist for the National RCPP Team, but am now a Management & Program Analyst for the National Partnerships Division. I continue to reside in rural Nebraska, filling my non-work hours with landscaping, gardening, walking my two labradors, and enjoying my beautiful family.

I have appreciated WiN for the opportunities to network and assist with the personal and professional development of women (and men) who share a passion for working in natural resources. I look forward to serving you in my role as the WIN Northern Plains Representative and being an active part of this organization as it continues to grow and be a place where women in natural resources are promoted, supported, and celebrated!

Please reach out if you have any questions or just want to talk, I am here for you!

North East Regional Representative