MENDOCINO COUNTY
New leadership announced for Ukiah public lands
The Bureau of Land Management has selected Neal Craig as the Ukiah Field Manager who will oversee management of more than 270,000 acres of public lands within Marin, Mendocino, Lake, Sonoma, Napa, Colusa, Glenn, Yolo, and Solano counties.
The Ukiah Field Office also manages parts of the California Coastal National Monument in the Point Arena-Stornetta area and the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, managed jointly with the Mendocino National Forest. The field office also administers geothermal leasing at The Geysers, the world’s largest geothermal steam field and the Cow Mountain Recreation Area, which includes the first Congressionally designated OHV area.
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work collaboratively with our stakeholders and the public to manage the Ukiah Field Office,” Craig says.? “I look forward to developing new and existing projects and programs that serve the surrounding communities, while balancing our multiple-use mission.”
Neal brings a broad background in natural resource management, sustainable agriculture, and organizational development in both the government and private sectors. Most recently, Neal has served as the Assistant Field Manager in the BLM Bishop Field Office where he supervised the multi-resources staff and provided leadership in several program development areas. He previously worked for the U.S. Geologic Survey, serving as a technical expert, project manager, and supervisor in water quality and water quantity projects in Colorado, Michigan, Kentucky, and other states. Throughout his career, he has focus Lake County on employee training, mentoring, engagement and advancing organizational change. He has also owned and operated a sustainable farm that utilized livestock grazing systems, soil health improvement, and watershed restoration projects.
“We are fortunate to have Neal on our team,” says BLM Central California District Manager Gabe Garcia. “His experience and leadership in natural resource management combined with his knowledge of watershed restoration projects will be valuable additions to our Ukiah Field Office.”
Neal graduated from the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Science in geography. When not in the office, Neal is an avid runner, small batch coffee roaster, and explorer of diverse social viewpoints. Craig succeeds Nick Lavrov, who took a position with another government agency.
—Submitted
SAN FRANCISCO
Blood donation saves lives, which can include your own
January is National Blood Donor Month and blood donors with nonprofit Vitalant can help save lives and can learn about their own health with the complimentary pre-donation health check. Longtime donor Howard Berger says the health check helped to save his own life not once, but twice!
A blood donor’s life saved, twice
In 2019, pre-donation health checks indicated Berger had an elevated pulse. He mentioned it at his next medical checkup and further tests revealed major blockages in three arteries. He had had no symptoms like chest pain or shortness of breath.
After he recovered from heart bypass surgery and attempted to donate again, his health check indicated his iron level was too low. After seeing a doctor and additional testing, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. It was caught early and removed with a successful surgery. He’s since been able to return to donating blood.
“I didn’t feel any symptoms when my heart rate was too high and I certainly didn’t feel any symptoms when I had colon cancer, I felt perfectly normal,” Berger said. “If I had not been a donor, I could’ve either dropped dead of a heart attack or by the time they would have found that I had colon cancer, it could have been stage four or worse.”
Free health check at each blood donation visit
At each donation visit, the Vitalant “mini-physical” checks the donor’s pulse, temperature, blood pressure and hemoglobin (iron) levels to ensure they are healthy enough to give blood. Donors also learn their blood type and cholesterol level after giving, and all those results are available in their confidential donor account. Vitalant Chief Medical and Scientific Officer Dr. Ralph Vassallo says the health data donors can track over time are valuable.
“With about an hour of their time, not only are blood donors helping save patients’ lives but they can keep tabs on their own health indicators,” Vassallo said. “Noticing trends over time and sharing those during regular visits with a primary provider is a great way to head off possible health concerns before they can become serious health issues.”
Healthy, eligible donors are needed every day to make sure blood is readily available for patients who are treated for trauma, undergoing surgeries, fighting cancer, living with blood disorders and more. Find a convenient blood drive or donation center at vitalant.org, download and use the Vitalant blood donor app or call 877-25-VITAL (877-258-4825).
About Vitalant
Vitalant (Vye-TAL-ent)) is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit blood and biotherapies healthcare organizations, providing hospitals and patients across the U.S. a safe blood supply, specialized laboratory services, transfusion medicine expertise and world-renowned research. Individuals generously donating blood, volunteering and giving financially are essential to our lifesaving mission. Learn more at vitalant.org.
—Submitted
