Employees

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Steven Walthour joined North Plains Groundwater Conservation District in May of 2007. His previous experience includes serving as the Permitting and Enforcement Program Manager and the Compliance Coordinator for the Edwards Aquifer Authority. In addition, he has operated a consulting company that offers expertise in many areas of groundwater management.

Mr. Walthour is a Hydrogeologist who received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology and a Masters of Science in Geology from the University of Arkansas.

Assistant General Manager/Hydrologist

Dale Hallmark started working for the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District in January of 1996, and served as the Assistant Manager and District Hydrologist. As Hydrologist, he is responsible for creating hydrologic maps from qualitative and quantitative data, managing the District IRS water depletion program, and managing the District GIS and GPS programs. He is responsible for collection and interpretation of hydrologic data and worked closely with the Manager in developing District rules, procedures and projects.

Dale received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Hydrology and Water Resources from Tarleton State University with a Minor in Geology as well as completing graduate course work in Environmental Science, Groundwater Geology, and Geophysical Investigations.

Finance/Administration Coordinator

Pauletta Rhoades is the Administrative Assistant for the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District. She started working for the District in June of 1997. Pauletta is a life-long resident of Dumas and a graduate of Dumas High School.

Pauletta is responsible for providing human resources and financial services required to keep the District operating efficiently. She prepares and monitors budgets and expenditures of the District and coordinates and maintains all financial transactions and records. She also coordinates payroll and employee benefit programs, and coordinates the District's audit procedures.

Public Information and Conservation Education Manager

Kirk Welch came to NPGCD after twenty years of public relations, communications and marketing in the public and private sectors. Kirk is a graduate of Dumas High School and he holds a BA in Radio/TV/Film from West Texas State University.

His duties include the management and execution of the educational functions of the District, including school and adult programs aimed at promoting protection, conservation, and preservation of groundwater. He also oversees communications activities with various stakeholders, emphasizing the District’s mission and the critical need for individual involvement in the process.

Mike Pitts joined North Plains Groundwater Conservation District in April of 2002, and was formerly a Natural Resource Specialist for the District. Before joining the District, Mike worked for Kinder Morgan (formerly Natural Gas Pipeline) for 30 years.

Mike's duties include working with land owners who are willing to have a monitor well placed on their property, overseeing the drilling and equipping of new monitor wells and entering the data obtained from the monitor wells into District databases.

Casey Tice joined the staff of NPGCD in July of 2004. Casey retired after 22 years in the U.S. Navy, where he worked as an operations analyst and assistant navigator on numerous submarines on both the East and West Coasts.

Casey's duties include conducting field investigations for compliance issues, including installation of proper check valves and flow meters, proper capping and plugging of unused wells to prevent contamination to the aquifer, and spot check on flow meters and alternative metering methods. He also checks for compliance in the installation of flow meters and check valves on new wells. He maintains the compliance database and notifies well owners who are out of compliance with District rules.

Christie Frost comes to North Plains Groundwater Conservation District from DCP Midstream where she worked as an administrative assistant. Christie graduated from Lamar High School in Lamar, Colorado.

Christie is responsible for the annual groundwater production reporting, compliance issues regarding production reporting, updating of the District database with production reporting information, and assisting with permitting. She also works with well owners in the pooling of properties and agent authorizations.

Permitting Specialist

Karen Mannis joined the North Plains Groundwater Conservation District staff in July 2006. Karen is a graduate from Sulphur High School in Sulphur Oklahoma. Karen is also a 1992 graduate of the Aladdin Beauty College in Ardmore Oklahoma. Karen is the proud parent of two children.

Her duties at the District include issuing permits for water wells and test holes. Karen has also begun working in the field where she checks for compliance of the installation of flow meters and check valves on new wells. Karen assists in the production reporting process, as well as data entry.

Odell Ward earned a Bachelor of Science degree from West Texas A&M University in Biology and Wildlife Science and has completed some work towards a Master’s degree in Ecology. Odell worked for the National Park Service in 1992, and has since been in the trucking business. He owned and operated his own business for six years, and was a truck driver for 15 years.

His duties with the District include conducting field inspections, investigations, and field services and reporting his findings. He also maintains records and summary reports of field investigations, provides information regarding the Ogallala aquifer, and maintains field equipment used by the District.

Randy Coon was born and raised in Dumas and graduated from Dumas High School. He worked for Westco Rentals in Dumas before coming to the District as a Natural Resource Specialist.

Randy's duties with the District include performing well site investigations, conducting water well or pivot GPM flow tests, performing water level measurements in wells and installing and maintaining various types of monitoring and field equipment. He also maintains records and summary reports of field and investigation activities and is involved in GIS mapping.

Laura West was born and in Dumas and graduated from Dumas High School in 2005. She went on to become a 2009 graduate of Texas A&M University.

Her duties with the District include conducting field inspections, investigations, and field services and reporting her findings. She also maintains records and summary reports of field investigations, provides information regarding the Ogallala aquifer, and maintains field equipment used by the District.

Kristen Alwan was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona and later to Pacifica, California. She graduated from Oceana High School in Pacifica in 1994. Kristen married Eddie Alwan and moved to Dumas in 2001. They have two children. She previously worked for Cole Ivey Autoplaza and Keeney, Hembree & Company.

Her job duties include meeting and greeting the public, integrating the digital filing system, assisting the Finance Coordinator, answering phone calls, handling District mail, and issuing well and test hole permits. In addition, she coordinates and schedules meetings for the General Manager and maintains his calendar.

NPGCD Employees

Finance/Administration Coordinator

Public Information and Conservation Education Manager

Casey Tice joined the staff of NPGCD in July of 2004. Casey retired after 22 years in the U.S. Navy, where he worked as an operations analyst and assistant navigator on numerous submarines on both the East and West Coasts.

Christie Frost comes to North Plains Groundwater Conservation District from DCP Midstream where she worked as an administrative assistant. Christie graduated from Lamar High School in Lamar, Colorado.