Board of Directors

Kirk Heger

Appointed: 2009   Serves to: 2018

President

Kirk is a fourth generation irrigator from Stevens County. His family started irrigating in the 1940’s and drilled wells until the early 2000’s. He got his start in irrigation by watching his dad plow a ditch, set the dams, fill the ditch with water and set the siphon tubes before the dam was breeched. Kirk has served on the Southwest Kansas Irrigation Association board of directors since 1992. He was elected to the GMD #3 board of directors in March 2009. Kirk has also served on several water related committees and task forces. Kirk has represented Stevens County since 2009.

Kirk has a son at the University of Kansas and a daughter at Hugoton High School. Kirk has been married for twenty three years to Elise Thomas Heger. Elise is in school administration at USD 210.

Bret Rooney

Appointed: 2014   Serves to: 2017

Vice President

Bret grew up on a family farm just outside Satanta, KS and attended Butler Community College and Kansas State University on livestock judging scholarships. Upon graduating Kansas State University with a bachelors degree in Agronomy, Bret worked for Dupont Pioneer in Garden City, KS as a drought trait Research Associate for 4 years. He then returned home to his family’s farming operation. On that operation they grow corn, wheat, grain sorghum and soybeans. Bret also runs a small cowherd with his wife, sister and mother. Bret is also a partner in Flatland Pheasants LLC, where they showcase Southwest Kansas’ upland bird hunting opportunities with a full service hunting lodge. Bret has a wife, Carlie, and one daughter, Rylie. Bret has represented Haskell County since 2014.

Mike McNiece

Appointed: 1992   Serves to: 2018

Secretary

Mike is the Industrial Representative on the Southwest Kansas Ground Management District 3. He has served on the Board from 1992-1998 as the Gray County Representative and now Industrial Representative from  2004 to the present. He has served as  President of GMD3 Board and present member of the Executive and Policy Committees. Also a past President of the Kansas Livestock Association Water Committee. Graduate of Saint Mary of the Plains College (1976) in Dodge City, Kansas.

Mike was with The Irsik & Doll Co. of Cimarron from 1978-1998. Partner in DM&M Farms Inc. of Cimarron, Kansas a Farm,  Ranch and Commercial Livestock Feeding operation.

Mike lives in Cimarron, Kansas with his wife Jan. They have two grown children, Jessica Rabe of Dodge City and Sean McNiece of Broomfield, Colorado.

Mike O’Brate

Appointed: 2004   Serves to: 2019

Treasurer

Mike O’brate has represented Gray County since 2004 on the GMD3 board of directors.

David Casterline

Appointed: 2017   Serves to: 2019

David is originally from Dodge City, but attended high school in Wamego, KS. He played football at McPherson College before attending Kansas State University where he received his bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness. He was an ag loan officer with a local bank for several years out of college. He now works in insurance. He worked on the family farm during high school and college, and also when he moved back to southwest Kansas after college. He farms with his wife, Jamie, in Ford County with a mix of irrigated and dry land. They have two children, Charlie and Ren.

Fred Claassen

Appointed: 2015  Serves to: 2018

Fred Claassen has represented Morton County since 2015 on the GMD3 board of directors.

Kent Dunn

Appointed: 1995 Serves to: 2018

Kent Dunn has represented Seward County since 1995 on the GMD3 board of directors.

Doug Fox

Appointed 2012   Serves to: 2018

Doug has represented Meade County since 2012. Doug, his wife Trista, and their 2 children, Erin and Cayden, raise corn, wheat, sorghum, and soybeans on 2200 irrigated acres in Meade county.

Zachary Gale

Appointed: 2015   Serves to: 2017

Zachary was born and raised in Syracuse, Kansas. After High School, he attended The University of Kansas and received a BS in Finance. Upon Completion, Zachary went to work for Frontier Dairy. In 2013, he began leasing ground and farming 5000 acres under pivot of Corn, Sorghum, Triticale and Wheat. Zachary has represented Hamilton County since 2015.

Randy Hayzlett

Appointed: 2013   Serves to: 2019

Randy is a farmer/rancher consisting of both irrigated and dry land. His irrigated land uses both groundwater and surface water from the Arkansas River.

Randy serves as a board member for the South Side Ditch Association and served many years as president of that company. He is currently the vice chairman of the Arkansas River Compact Administration and has been a commissioner for the State of Kansas on that administration for 20 years. Randy also serves as chairman of the Western Waters Conservation project funds committee and is a member of the Kansas Water Authority. He is a Surface water representative for Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management Dist. #3 and has been on the GMD3 board since 2013.

Fred Jones

Appointed: 2017   Serves to: 2020

Fred Jones is the Water Resource System Manager for the City of Garden
City, Kansas. He directs the City’s Water and Waste Water Utilities.  He serves on the board of the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District #3, the Upper Arkansas Regional Advisory Committee and KsAWWA Operator Training Committee.

Fred attended Fort Hays State University and holds a Certified Public
Management certificate from the KU Public Management Center. Before his tenure in Garden City, he served as the City  Administrator in Lakin, KS
from 2006 to 2013.

Fred is married to Suzie, a surgical nurse, and have two sons Cormac and Conor.

 

Seth Nelson

Appointed: 2011   Serves to: 2017

Seth Nelson has represented Stanton County since 2011 on the GMD3 board of directors.

Hal Scheuerman

Appointed: 2010   Serves to: 2019

Since receiving a BS in Agriculture at Kansas State University in 1973, Hal has been farming irrigated and dryland cropland north of Deerfield, Kansas.  For several years, he served on the Kearny County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and the Kearny County Extension council. Now he is a member of the Advisory committee to the Southwest Kansas Area Experiment Station, member of the Associated Ditches of Kansas, a representative for Kearny County on the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District no 3, and has been the President of the Kearny County Farmers Irrigation Association for Amazon Ditch for the past 16 years. Hal has been appointed as commissioner for the Arkansas River Compact Administration and has served in this federal position for 3 years.  This position represents Kansas water rights for the Arkansas River in Western Kansas and parts of Southwestern Colorado.  Hal has a wife, Collette and 2 daughters, Kelsey and Krista that support him in his endeavors. Hal has served on the GMD3 board since 2010.

Clay Scott

Appointed: 2002   Serves to: 2017

Clay Scott has represented Grant County since 2002 on the GMD3 board of directors.

Steve Stone

Appointed: 1994   Serves to: 2019

Steve has represented Finney County since 1994.  He is a farmer, stockman in Soutwest Finney County.