Meet our Alumni

Stephen Lenzo

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1980

Steve started his career with the U.S. Forest Service while still a student at Humboldt and retired in 2018 after 40 years.  Along the way he worked in five regions, served two years in the Peace Corps, and taught high school in NYC while completing a master's degree in bilingual science secondary education.  Steve worked in both National Forests and at Job Corps centers finishing his career in the National Office of Job Corps.  Since retirement, Steve has worked as a consultant helping to start Youth Conservation Corps programs in Honduras, Colombia, Lebanon, Bangladesh, Morocco, Guinea, Egypt, and Congo.

Bill (William) G. Ramos

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1980

Bill lives in Issaquah, Washington. He has worked for the U.S Forest Service for 30 years and 8 more years with the U.S. Department of Transportation. He was elected to Issaquah City Council in 2015. Then elected to the Washington State House of Representatives in 2018, 2020, and 2022. This year, 2024, He was elected to the Washington State Senate.

Rita Carman

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1978

Carman graduated from HSU in 1978 with a degree in Forestry Science and a minor in Geology and worked for the USGS Water Resources in Carson City, Nevada, from 1979 to 1998 as a Hydrologist. She then went on to Nevada State from 1998 to 2016. She has been happily retired since 2016, is involved in the community, and a member of the Carson City Kiwanis since 1991. Living the good life!

Barbara Scaroni

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1978

Barbara Scaroni has managed to stay a dirt forester over the many years. Scaroni is still out marking and cruising timber, administering timber sales, running property lines, and writing environmental assessments, timber sale contracts, and researching the land use history of my timber sale areas. During college, Scaroni worked summers for the BLM in Ukiah, CA; Missoula, MT; Rawlins, WY; and Susanville, CA. Scaroni worked USFS in Cave Junction, OR, and Willows CA. Scaroni had permanent jobs after graduation with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs 1980-1990; Malheur National Forest, Burns, OR, 1990-1993; Coeur d'Alene Tribe, 1993-present.

Gene Blankenbaker

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1977

Gene Blankenbaker, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1977, is retiring in January 2019 after over 41 years of service with the federal government. He spent approximately 2 years with the U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resource Division as a groundwater hydrologist, and over 39 years with the U.S. Forest Service in a variety of locations in California, Washington D.C., Arizona, Wisconsin and New Mexico, in positions that included hydrologist, forester, district ranger, forest supervisor, deputy regional forester, and deputy director of human resources for the agency.

Gene Blankenbaker

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1977

Gene Blankenbaker, 1977 Forestry & Wildland Resources, transferred to the position of Deputy Director for Human Resources for the U.S. Forest Service last spring.

Rick Tholen

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1976

After graduating, Rick continued to work seasonally for the Shasta Trinity NF until he was hired on permanently with the FS in Potlatch, ID. From there he went to work for the BLM in Medford, OR. Transferred to a BLM office in Missoula, MT, and then to Boise, ID, where he worked for the Washington Office and then at the National Interagency Fire Center. In Boise, he earned a Master's from Idaho. He retired with 34 years of federal service in 2010. He still lives in Eagle, Idaho (31 years now) and stays active by hiking, backpacking, biking, and golfing.

Thomas F. Wuenschell

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1974

Thomas F. Wuenschell, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1974, studied Forestry 1972-1974 at Humboldt and got his BS in Idaho later. He retired in 2016 as a forester after more than 30 years with USFS. He has always been a supporter of Save The Redwoods League and is currently on board of directors of his Audubon chapter.

Norm Benson

Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1974

Happily married. Living in N Cal.

Lately been passing along reasonably green thoughts at http://timberati.com

David E. Howell

Forestry & Wildland ResourcesForest Management, 1974

David Howell, Forestry & Wildland Resources, 1974, served in the U.S. Air Force active duty for four years and flew in Phantom F-4C, D, and E primarily out of George Air Force Base. He retired from career civil service after 37 years of active duty with the Bureau of Land Management. Howell's duty stations included, Susanville, California, Roseburg, Oregon, Ukiah, California, Hollister, California, Washington D.C. Headquarters, Vernal, Utah, and Anchorage, Alaska. Positions included entry level Forester, Natural Resource Specialist, Area Manager, District Manager, Branch Chief and Deputy State Director for Resources.