Arkansas Soil & Water Education Conference

As the countdown continues, we are excited to introduce Laudies Brantley as one of our speakers for the 2026 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO!

Laudies was born in 1947 and the first year his parents made their first crop. Until he started college, he helped his father with the family farm. He was able to farm with his father for nearly 20-years before his death and operate about 1,200 acres in the 90’s. Since that time, Brantley Farms has roughly doubled in size every decade. Today, they manage about 13,000 acres, approximately half Brantley owned and feel they run a very efficient operation, especially through the use of technology.

Learn more about him: https://www.arkswec.com/post/meet-the-speaker-laudies-brantley

We are excited to introduce Dan Hooks as one of our speakers for the 2026 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO!

Dan Hooks, current President of the White River Irrigation District, is a semi-retired American farmer managing approximately 1,200 acres of irrigated farmland in Prairie County near Slovak, Arkansas, alongside his brother and son. Their family operation primarily produces rice and soybeans, with some wheat cultivation, and has successfully transitioned to surface water irrigation to ensure sustainability—a change Dan believes was essential for the future of farming.

A graduate of Subiaco Academy (1969) and the University of Arkansas (1974), Dan has served on the White River Irrigation District board for more than 30 years, beginning in 1994.

Learn more about him here: https://www.arkswec.com/post/meet-the-speaker-dan-hooks

We are excited to introduce Dr. Michele L. Reba as one of our speakers for the 2026 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO!

Dr. Reba is a research hydrologist, lead scientist, and research leader (acting) at the USDA-ARS-Delta Water Management Research Unit in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The mission of the unit is to execute research related to agricultural water resources management at the multiple scales to further our knowledge base, evaluate technological solutions and inform crop production practices.

She has received several awards for her innovative research related to sustainability, rice research, and irrigation. She is also a member of the ASWEC Steering Committee.

Learn more about her: https://www.arkswec.com/post/meet-the-speaker-dr-michele-l-reba

We are excited to introduce Deborah Leslie as one of our speakers for the 2026 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO!

Deborah Leslie is an Assistant Professor at the University of Memphis in the Department of Earth Sciences. Her research program focuses using managed aquifer recharge strategies to replenish stressed groundwater resources while emphasizing the protection and improvement of groundwater quantity and quality.

Learn more about her here: https://www.arkswec.com/post/meet-the-speaker-deborah-leslie

We are excited to introduce Dr. Gerson Drescher as one of our speakers for the 2026 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO!

Dr. Drescher is an Assistant Professor of Applied Soil Fertility at the Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas. His research is focused on developing best crop and nutrient management strategies to enhance crop production and environmental sustainability.

Learn more about him: https://www.arkswec.com/post/meet-the-speaker-dr-gerson-drescher

We are excited to introduce Edward Swaim as one of our speakers for the 2026 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO!

Edward Swaim has served as Executive Director of the Bayou Meto Water Management District since April 2019, overseeing a project that will provide irrigation water, flood reduction, and wildlife habitat in five Arkansas counties. Prior to this position, he served as chief of the Water Management Division at the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, where he coordinated the Arkansas Water Plan 2014 update involving over 1,000 citizens.

Learn more about him: https://www.arkswec.com/post/meet-the-speaker-edward-swaim

We are excited to introduce Dennis K. Carman as one of our speakers for the 2026 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO!

He retired from NRCS in 2007 and is currently the Chief Engineer and Director for the White River Irrigation District charged with delivering Affordable Surface Water to the Grand Prairie Region.

He gained experience with NRCS in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Indiana before coming to Arkansas where he focused on project development, irrigation, and technology development for flow and water measurement methods for soil and water management.

Learn more about him: https://www.arkswec.com/post/meet-the-speaker-dennis-k-carman

The Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO is right around the corner, and we are so excited to introduce more of our wonderful speakers.

Tate Wentz has spent the last two decades studying Arkansas aquatic ecology and water quality. This included time at the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment’s Division of Environmental Quality and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Tate is currently the Chief of Water Strategy and Conservation for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division.

Learn more about him: https://www.arkswec.com/post/meet-the-speaker-tate-wentz

The Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO will be held at the Arkansas State University Student Union on January 14 at 8 A.M.

We are excited to introduce Mike Clay as one of our speakers for the 2026 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO!

Mr. Clay has 20 years of water resources engineering experience. He has served as the Chief of the Hydraulics & Hydrology Branch in the Memphis District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers since 2018.

Prior to government service, Mike worked as a consultant for regional, Tennessee based firms.

Learn more about him: https://shorturl.at/YiTZk

We are one week away from the 28th annual Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO! Join us at the Arkansas State University Student Union on January 14.

You can register in person on conference day or online now.

REGISTER: https://secure.touchnet.net/C20019_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=145

We are excited to introduce Dr. Ayush Joshi Gyawali as one of our speakers for the 2026 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO!

Dr. Gyawali is a Research Soil Scientist specializing in quantifying and assessing soil health through proximal sensing and field-scale measurement. He has focused his research on answering questions ranging from field sampling design to developing novel, inexpensive devices to quantify soil health indicators.

Learn more: https://www.arkswec.com/post/meet-the-speaker-dr-ayush-joshi-gyawali

We are excited to introduce Amanda Mathis as one of our speakers for the 2026 Arkansas Soil and Water Education Conference and Irrigation EXPO!

Mathis served as acting state conservationist in Louisiana and Oklahoma and provided expertise for several national teams, most recently assisting the NRCS effort to streamline and simplify RCPP.

During her career, Mathis has led producers and conservation partners through developing and implementing site-specific conservation plans, managed Farm Bill programs, and developed and conducted outreach for conservation services and programs.

Learn more: https://www.arkswec.com/post/meet-the-speaker-amanda-mathis-1