Pam Halstead, Clovis
My name is Pamela S. Halstead. I was born in Visalia California. I have two children, one grandson, and am happily married (most of the time) to Jeffrey A. Halstead. I reside in Clovis, California in the San Joaquin Valley near Fresno.
I am an Environmental Consultant and owner of Halstead & Associates, Environmental/ Biological Consultants for the last twenty years. I have degrees in Environmental Science from Fresno City College and California State University Fresno. And I have a background in Business. Our work involves surveys for Threatened and Endangered species of wildlife and plants, evaluations of wetlands and creeks, and the preparation reports for Environmental Impact Reports. We also negotiate with the various county, state, and federal resources agencies concerning mitigation, project impacts, restoration of habitat, and permitting for our clients.
In the past, I was the manager of Jenny Craig Weight loss Center in Fresno for three years.
Before that I worked in Mexico for four years as a liaison between countries as a Land Development Consultant for the government. Before those adventures, I ran a group home for juveniles for several years and also worked for the California Department of Corrections, Parole for three years. I have experience and background in television, radio, and media and have many friends in these areas.
I have been on the Board of Directors of BOW, CA since 2006. I have been a member of the Fresno County Sportsmen’s Club (FCSC) for 16 years and have been on the Board of Directors for ten years. I have held a position on the Executive Board for the last five years. I have been chairperson on many committees and am presently the Chairperson of the Audit, Nominations, and Elections Committees.
I became interested in BOW in 1995 when I was selected by the Fresno County Sportsmen’s Club to attend the Santa Barbara Workshop. I became a facilitator in 2002 at Wonder Valley BOW and worked with staff of the California Department of Fish and Game. My interests are my family, BOW, FCSC, camping, and cruising - and not in this order.
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There are 47 BOW state organizations in the U.S., six in Canada and one in New Zealand. California adopted the “Becoming an Outdoors-Woman” program in 1994. It was sponsored through the state’s Department of Fish and Game. For three years, two multiple course workshops were conducted annually; one in northern California and one in southern California with each workshop accommodating up to 100 participants. A statewide advisory committee was formed, and the program was organized and implemented by volunteers. In 1997, a full time Coordinator and full time Office Technician were secured. The program expanded in 1999 to three workshops and to four workshops the following year.
Due to the success of the program, in 2002 twelve topic specific workshops were added accommodating approximately 25 participants each. A lottery system was instituted due to the high number of women applying. Each workshop was full, with a waiting list.
In 2003, due to the California budget crisis, the BOW program was cut from the Department of Fish and Game.
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, California, Inc. was created in 2005 as a non-profit organization. Growth has been steady and the current Schedule of Events includes several workshops statewide. Since its inception, BOW, CA has educated over 6,000 women in activities including angling, hunting, shooting and kayaking.
BOW, CA is the only non-profit Becoming an Outdoor-Woman organization relying solely on revenue from their events, sponsors and donations. We welcome sponsorships, donations and volunteers.
Copyright Information
"Becoming an Outdoors-Woman” and the logo are protected by copyrights of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and are registered marks in Wisconsin. The BOW, California non-profit organization has obtained written permission to use the name and logo of Becoming an Outdoors-Woman.
Susan Herrgesell, President,
Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, California
BOW, CA has been Susan’s passion since she was appointed Coordinator of the program in 1997.
Susan's career has taken many turns in the outdoor education field. She was the Coordinator for Project WILD, an outdoor education program for children K-12; the Resources Agency Chair of the Governor’s (Pete Wilson) Mentor Program; Becoming an Outdoors-Woman Coordinator for the Department of Fish and Game; and the Program Coordinator for Department of Fish and Game’s Advanced Hunter Education Program.
Susan retired after almost 30 years with California Department of Fish and Game in December 2008 so she could focus her efforts on BOW, CA.
Susan lives in northern California with her longtime partner, Sherry. She enjoys almost all outdoor activities but spends most of her spare time fly fishing, hiking, hunting, and boating.
Board of Directors for Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, California
Tina transitioned from participant to volunteer to facilitator and became a member of the BOW, CA Board of Directors in 2007. “The caliber of our instructors, and their passion for working with women through BOW, seem to bring out the very best in me and that’s what BOW is all about. It brings out the best in all of us. I think we all live for those little “ah-ha” moments, those mini-epiphanies when a participant realizes that they can DO this. That moment of empowerment definitely energizes those of us lucky enough to witness it.”
Tina’s diverse background includes 23 years with the California Department of Corrections as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Labor Relations and Administrative Law and Correctional Counseling. She is currently a Correctional Counselor II Field Specialist doing Americans with Disabilities Act monitoring and training. She also serves as a “Training for Trainers” master instructor, teaching her peers how to be more effective trainers.
In addition to BOW, Tina’s volunteer work includes organizing blood drives for her local blood bank and as a WalkAmerica volunteer and team captain trainer for the March of Dimes.
Augie Pando and Joyce Pando, El Toro
Joyce Pando attended the first BOW Workshop at Rancho Alegre in Santa Barbara in 1993 at the invitation of her friend Ele Flores.
Bridget Maloney-Krips, Placerville
Bridget is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fish & Wildlife Management. Her background includes working for the California Department of Fish and Game on projects such as the Inland Stream Surveying and the Fishery Management Pesticides Investigation. She is currently with Aerojet’s Environmental, Health and Safety department.
Bridget finds that each BOW, CA event is a gift of sharing the out-of-doors with other women wanting more in their life and the promise of lifetime friendships.
Rick Copeland, Hayward
Being a father of two daughters has influenced Rick’s desire to provide outdoor opportunities for women. "He brought Title IX to the outdoors."
Rick, a native Californian, has been a professional outdoors person since graduating with a BS in Biology back in the 70's. He has been CEO of Wilderness Unlimited (WU) since 1992. Wilderness Unlimited is the west's largest manager of private property and thus the largest provider of safe outdoor opportunities for the responsible outdoor enthusiast. WU has been a leader in outdoor education programs since its inception; including youth and women's programs.
Rick is a BOW founding board member. Rick and WU continue to support BOW, CA activities such as the Bidwell Fly Fishing School, the pheasant hunt and waterfowl hunt.
When she came home talking about the instructor with the 24” handlebar mustache that instructed the outdoors cooking workshop, she made the announcement that she really had fun. She also made the announcement that the garden that she and her husband had planted was going to be dug up in order to install an outdoor camp-style cooking ring.
In 1994, she again attended the BOW Workshop and this time volunteered to assist the outdoor cooking instructor to learn as much as she could. After the program, she used her newly learned skills as an instructor for the Boy Scouts of America-Scout Adult Leadership Training program. Her style of instruction was so well-received by the BSA-S.A.L.T. staff, Joyce and her husband Augie have been requested to instruct and demonstrate their outdoors cooking skills at numerous events.
In the years following attending the BOW Program as a student, Joyce installed the cooking ring in the backyard and has been interviewed by the food section of the Orange County Register newspaper on several occasions.
In August,1998, Christine Thomas, founder of the Becoming an Outdoor Woman program came to the Pando residence to observe firsthand the graduate of the BOW Workshop that now instructed the BOW Outdoor Cooking Program. The following year, Outdoor Life Network visited the Pando residence and filmed a documentary, which detailed the Outdoor Cooking Workshop portion. In addition to this program, Joyce was featured in the Outdoors Channel “Whistle Stops” series.
In the fall of 1997, Augie, Joyce’s husband, received his personal introduction to the BOW Program. When a scheduled instructor cancelled at the Feather River Workshop, Joyce was contacted to seek a replacement. Having another commitment, Joyce volunteered her husband and their best friend, David Johnson (also a Backpacking Skills Instructor). Augie and David spent the next three weekends refining their instruction abilities by hosting a four-hour class of cooking instruction for both friends and families, including preparing all of the meals, cooking demonstration, clean-up, question and answer portions. Satisfied that they were ready to instruct at a BOW event, they drove to the Feather River Inn for their class and presented it to the attendees.
Since then, Augie joined Joyce as an instructor for Becoming an Outdoors-Woman, Boy Scouts of America-SALT Program and the scout leaders for Girl Scouts of America.
Each year the Pandos host an annual Dutch Oven Cook-off at their residence which has been well attended and covered by the local newspaper’s food editors on two occasions.
The Pandos see BOW hosting challenges: shooting, fishing, cooking, etc. They see participants coming back to support BOW with family and friends. But mainly, the Pandos see BOW as a place to learn, grow and have fun doing it.
Tina Stoner, Alta Loma
A native of southern California, Tina considers herself a bit of a “late bloomer” when it comes to being an Outdoors-Woman. “My camping experiences as a kid were pretty limited and I was 25-years-old before I slept in a tent -- but I’m making up for lost time now!”
Tina attended her first BOW workshop in 1997 at Rancho Alegre. “I was hooked immediately and hungry for more advanced workshops,” raves Tina. “Beyond BOW filled that niche perfectly and it was at my first Beyond BOW workshop that I met Susan Herrgesell. Her enthusiasm for BOW was and is absolutely infectious and as I learned more about the program, I knew this was something I wanted to be a part of.”
