NPGCD Employees
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photo)
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General Manager
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.
Steve's wife, Lauren, is a Development Officer
for a University, and he has one daughter who resides in Seattle, Washington.
Steve is active in Rotary Club and Living Waters for the World. He has
spent time in countries such as Guatemala and Mexico putting in water treatment
systems for communities that need clean water. In his spare time, he
enjoys traveling and visiting museums and art galleries.
Assistant 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.
Dale married his wife, Susan
in 1974 and they have one daughter and one son. In his spare
time Dale enjoys coin collecting and home-hobby foundry work.
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 Dumas resident. She was
born in Dumas and attended local schools. Before joining the staff, she had
worked for Natural Gas Pipeline out of Stinnett for 17 years as a clerk and
secretary. She has five children, eleven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
Besides spending time with her family, her
interests are camping, fishing, water aerobics, and scrap booking. She is also
active in her church, The First Assembly of God.
Public Relations and Education Coordinator
Rhonda
Artho is the Public Relations and Education Coordinator for the North Plains
Groundwater
Conservation District. She started working for the District in July 2003.
Rhonda is currently the Texas state coordinator for Project WET (Water Education
for Teachers), an international water education curriculum.
Rhonda was raised in Canyon, Texas, and
graduated from Canyon High School. She graduated from West Texas A&M with a
master's degree in Biology with an Environmental Science emphasis. She
then taught science at Dumas High School for six years and also taught biology
classes for Amarillo College Moore County Campus.
Rhonda's husband is Mike Artho, and they
have two daughters, Rachel & Wendy. They have resided in Dumas since
June of 1978. In her spare
time at home, she enjoys gardening, painting and reading.
Monitor Well Program Coordinator

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 had 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.
Mike's wife, Charlotte, works for the Extension
Service in Moore county as the Assistant 4-H Program Director. Mike has a daughter, Kristy,
as well as three step-daughters, Tiffany, Ashley, and Chelsea.
Permitting Specialist

Karen Mannis began working for the District in July
of 2006, as assistant to permitting coordinator Sabrina Leven. She assists
in data entry and database construction and maintenance. Karen and her
husband Adam have two children, Ty and Abbygail. Karen enjoys spending time with her family, shopping and
watching her son play football.
Compliance Specialist
Casey Tice joined the staff of NPGCD in July of 2004. Casey
is 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
Coast. Casey has two
children, Alex and Bailey. Casey grew up
in Dumas from the age of six on.
In his spare time, Casey enjoys running, playing
guitar and watching movies.
Permitting Specialist
Christie Frost comes to North
Plains Water District from DCP Midstream where she worked as an
administrative assistant. Christie has lived in Stinnett with her family
for the last 3.5 years. Christie and her husband Chip, along with their
four children, Cassie, Caity, Erin, and Eric, moved to Stinnett from Pueblo,
Colorado.
Christie was raised in Lamar,
Colorado where she graduated from high school. She then attended Ames
Community College and the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley for the
next three years.
In her spare time, Christie
enjoys spending time with her family, reading, traveling, and watching her
children’s many sporting
events.
Natural Resource Specialist

Brenda Westeman was born and
raised in Southwest Kansas. She earned an Associate’s degree from Garden City
Community College, and before moving to Dumas, she farmed in Hamilton County,
Kansas for thirteen years.
Brenda has one son, Levi, who
lives in Wichita, Kansas. Her hobbies outside of work include motorcycling,
photography, traveling, and hunting and fishing.
Natural Resource Specialist

Odell Ward has lived in Dumas
for forty-two years and he and his wife Deana have three children; Tyler, Baylee,
and MyKala.
Odell earned a Bachelor of Science degree from West Texas A&M University in
Biology and Wildlife Science and he 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
has been a truck driver for 15 years.
His hobbies include hunting, camping, four-wheeling and off-roading.
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