Our Professionals - Colorado
Proud Developers and Agriculture Advocates
Tom Haren, CEO
Chief Executive Officer
Thomas M. Haren is the CEO of AGPROfessionals. Founded in 2000, AGPROfessionals is an organization specializing in large-scale agriculture development throughout the Western United States.
AGPROfessionals was selected as a “Colorado Company to Watch” in 2013 by the Governor’s Office of Economic Development. AGPROfessionals was also chosen as a finalist for the Better Business Bureau “Torch Award of Ethics” in 2014 and is a recipient of the 21 st Annual Torch Award of Ethics in 2019.
Mr. Haren was the Vice President of Envirostock Inc. from 1996-2000, a company he purchased in 2002. He was Vice President of Environmental Services at the Colorado Livestock Association from 1997 to 2000, and Director of Natural Resources at Colorado Cattle Feeders Association from 1994 to 1997. Mr. Haren began his professional career at Stewart Environmental Consultants in Fort Collins in 1992.
In 1992, Mr. Haren received his Associate of Science in Environmental Science and Hazardous Materials from Front Range Community College and studied Construction Management and Civil Engineering at Colorado State University and Biology at Appalachian State University in North Carolina. Mr. Haren served in the U.S. Army from 1988 to 1992 and was honorably discharged as a Sergeant. During his service, he was a Drill Instructor at Fort Benning, GA and Fort Jackson, SC.
Mr. Haren is a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager, a WSO Certified Safety Specialist and Registered Ag Consultant. He was President of the Coal Creek Irrigation Company from 1997 to 2002, Board Member of the Colorado Horse Council from 1998 to 2007 and served on the Weld County Agricultural Advisory Committee in 1997 and again in 2007. Mr. Haren has also served as a member/participant of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and International Trade “Blueprint for Colorado.”
He recently served as Chairman of Upstate Colorado Economic Development Executive Board and is a member of the National Western Stock Show and the Weld County Farm Bureau.
Management Team
We are a team of dedicated professionals, ranging from agricultural consultants to agricultural engineers, geotechnical consultants, real estate brokers, land planners, and more, ready to do whatever it takes to make your business grow.
Tim Naylor, COO
Chief Operating Officer
Tim is a native Coloradan with a B.S. in Animal Science from Colorado State University. Tim’s expertise lies in the due diligence and analysis process for land use entitlement and permitting for our client’s operations. Achieving desirable outcomes for clients consistent with their needs, goals, and budget is always Tim’s goal.
He has guided clients through complex, multifaceted land use processes involving both agricultural and commercial land use entitlements. He has worked with the energy industry in acquisition of rights of way and easements for multi-mile pipeline structures.
Tim has been involved in the design, engineering, management and operations of several large poultry layer facilities in both Washington and Colorado and was instrumental in developing and implementing programs for food safety and quality, including HACCP and ISO 9000 under the USDA guidelines. He was also involved with engineering review and geotechnical assessment for a geotechnical engineering firm in northern Colorado.
Chad teVelde, P.E.
Senior Principal Engineer
Chad teVelde joined our team as our Senior Professional Engineer at AGPROfessionals in 2011. He provides our AGPROfessional clients with new and existing dairy development services from site selection, permitting, and construction to irrigation structures, waste-water pond design and permitting, and more.
Chad focuses on dairy designs that make money for the owner by reducing costs and making sure improvements and equipment translate to the bottom line, not just look nice. Chad works with a variety of dairy systems, from freestall, cross-vent, and open lot, to robotic dairy facilities. Over his career, Chad has been involved in the design and permitting of more than 30 new dairy projects varying from 800 to 15,000 cows. In addition to new designs, he has provided support and designs for more than 50 dairy remodel projects.
Chad’s roots in the dairy industry run deep, from growing up on his family dairy in Chino, California, to operating a dairy in partnership with his brother in Nebraska and beyond. He earned his degree in Agricultural Engineering at California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, and in 2002, launched his career in engineering consulting, specializing in dairy and building design.
Prior to joining us here in Colorado, Chad worked for a consulting firm in Visalia, California, involved in permitting dairy buildings, ponds, and drainage and working with the county air district and water boards.
In 2023, Chad was appointed to the Board of Directors at the Weld County Farm Bureau.
Maria Irianni Renno, PhD
Senior Environmental Engineer
As Senior Environmental Engineer, Dr. Irianni Renno has over 10 years of experience working as a project manager and technical specialist in environmental remediation. She has worked in the academic sector in collaboration with private and government clients on on-site investigations, remediation system design, and developing and implementing monitoring tools for site and technology assessments.
Maria specializes in biogeochemical cycle characterization and its application to different environments with the goal of optimizing natural and engineered processes to achieve efficient and cost-effective solutions. She has extensive field experience in the collection and preservation of biodegradable and redox-sensitive samples as well as in the installation of non-conventional monitoring sensor-based tools. Maria is well-versed in several remediation technologies and has primarily focused on molecular biology tools and microbiology for environmental applications. A focus of her career has been the development of monitoring tools for natural source zone depletion (NSZD) of contaminants and biodegradation enhancement technologies for contaminants in multiphase environments with a strong emphasis on sustainability and impact mitigation. This expertise makes her a valuable resource in waste management and remediation practices to yield the best cost-benefit for our clients.
Maria earned her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2011. She was awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship to complete her Master Studies at Colorado State University in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Maria completed her Masters in 2013, and earned her PhD in 2024.
Jodi Reed, CAP
Senior Executive Assistant
Jodi joined AGPROfessionals in 2015, bringing with her almost 30 years of administrative experience. Most of that time was spent in construction/development. While in construction, Jodi helped with the entitlement process of land, and tracking projects to make sure they were on time and budget. Her professional focus is on the daily operation of AGPROfessionals’ office, assisting the leadership and management teams with meeting our clients’ needs.
Trish Spaine, P.E.
Sr. Advisor - Professional Engineer
Trish holds a Master of Civil Engineering degree from N.C. State University in the areas of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering. She is a registered Professional Engineer in Colorado and Nebraska. She holds certifications from OSHA for hazardous operations, site supervision, and confined spaces; from CDOT for Erosion Control Supervisor; from the Corps of Engineers for Design Project Management and Construction Quality Management Supervision.
Her specialty areas include:
- Compliance Planning and Audits
- Multi-media Environmental Assessments
- Ground and Surface Water Protection,
- Erosion Control
- Waste Management and Minimization
- Treatment Process Designs
- Monitoring Network Design
- Spill Delineation and Remediation
- Field Project Quality Control and Execution
Jason Allee, PLS
Senior Professional Land Surveyor
Jason Allee has over 25 years of experience working in land surveying. He has worked in numerous roles in the industry and most recently held the title of Director of Office Operations, and Project Manager for twelve years at his previous firm.
Jason’s expertise includes:
- ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys
- Land Surveys
- Improvement Surveys
- ILC’s, Subdivisions
- Re-subdivisions
- Vacation Plats
- Lot Line Adjustments
- Family Farm Divisions
- Well Location Plats
- Topographic Surveys
- Construction Surveys
- Condominium Surveys
- Metes and Bounds Property Descriptions
- Aliquot Property Descriptions
- Right-of-Way Descriptions
- Easement Descriptions
- Grade Certifications
- Flood Certifications
- Elevation Certifications
- Set Back Certifications
- As-Built Survey
Karen Gerfen Glueck
Vice President of Communications and Strategic Planning
Karen is a recognized advocate for agriculture and a communications, operations, and strategic planning expert. Previously, she worked for the agricultural advocacy group Protect The Harvest for seven years, where she guided the group's growth to national prominence.
Prior to joining Protect The Harvest, Karen spent 20 years working in a variety of roles, from operations and training to communications, marketing, and strategic planning to help grow the largest animal hospital company in the United States, VCA Antech, which is now owned by Mars Animal Health.
Karen also has a background in real estate in the commercial, residential, and ranch/equestrian property sectors. She provided contractual and marketing support to realtors and brokers in the Los Angeles area as well as marketing consulting for agents and brokers on the California Central Coast which has a robust market for rural, equestrian, and agricultural properties.
Based in Oklahoma, Karen and her family are avid reined cowhorse and versatility ranch horse breeders and competitors. They also have a cow/calf operation specializing in farm-to-fork beef.
Karen joined the AGPROs team in 2023 to lead our advocacy work for our clients and to position our company for future growth.
Ryan Hostetler, ALC
Managing Broker – Real Estate
A Colorado native, Ryan obtained his Colorado real estate license in 1999. An active member of the Realtors Land Institute (RLI), Ryan also earned the esteemed Accredited Land Consultant designation through RLI. He is currently licensed in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Idaho, Nevada, South Dakota, and Wyoming.
Ryan joined AGPROfessionals in September 2010 as the Managing Broker. Since then, he has brokered over $257 million in sales involving more than 50,000 acres. The majority of these transactions were in Weld County, Colorado. He handled the dispersal of 5,200 acres in Weld County for Butterball and facilitated many large dairy and feedlot sales throughout Northern Colorado. This included the sales of two large operations in Morgan County, Colorado; a dairy with a 10,000-head permit and a feedlot permitted for 42,000-head. Hostetler also spearheaded the site selection and land assemblage for several large dairies in which the AGPROfessionals team handled all permitting, engineering, surveying, and construction management.
Ryan has been a top contender for the Northern Colorado Commercial Association of Realtors (NCCAR) Land and Water Award every year since 2020. He earned the NCCAR “Titan Award” for top land sales broker in Northern Colorado in 2019, 2020, and 2021, averaging over $33,000,000 in sales volume per year. Ryan has been recognized as one of the “Top 20 Land Brokers” in the nation for 2017, 2019, and 2020 and as a member of the “Top Producers Club” annually from 2017 through 2023. He was recently awarded the APEX 2023 Region 6 Broker of the Year in Ag Land Sales by the Realtors Land Institute, an affiliate of the National Association of Realtors.
Meet the Team
Austin Kerbs, PE
Professional Engineer, Level II
Austin holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has experience in civil land development, building design, and a background in agriculture.
Austin grew up helping on his family farm outside of Fort Collins, Colorado. He re-joined AGPROfessionals in July of 2022, where he previously interned for two summers while earning his degree.
Austin has his PE certification with a focus in water resources. Austin’s work at AGPROfessionals includes:
- Site Development and Expansion
- Agricultural Building Design
- Drainage and Water Resource Engineering
- Septic Design
Michael Strickland
Land Survey Crew Chief
A Colorado Native, Mike Strickland was born and raised in Rocky Ford and currently lives in the Pueblo area. Mike has 20 years of Land Survey Crew Chief experience, traveling over the entire state of Colorado, and several other western states.
Mike's background is rooted in agriculture, growing up on his family farm and an irrigation business in Southeastern Colorado.
Mike’s expertise includes:
- ALTA/ACSM Land Title Surveys
- Land Surveys
- Improvement Surveys
- ILC’s, Subdivisions
- Cell Tower Surveys
- Vacation Plats
- Lot Line Adjustments
- Topographic Surveys
- Construction Surveys
- Condominium Surveys
- Metes and Bounds Property Descriptions
- Aliquot Property Descriptions
- Right-of-Way Descriptions
- Easement Descriptions
- Grade Certifications
- Flood Certifications
- Elevation Certifications
- Set Back Certifications
- As-Built Survey
- FAA Certified Drone Pilot
- Utility Locating
David Miranda
Senior CAD Designer
David has over 20 years of experience in the civil design field. David spent several years as a drafter in the environmental and mining industries. His work shifted to land development and he learned civil design in the areas of lot grading, site layout, road design, utilities, etc. At AGPROfessionals, David has been developing his design skills that pertain to the agriculture industry.
David’s project design experience includes:
- Commercial Site Development
- Residential Development
- Highway Interchange
- Road Design
- Mining and Mine Reclamation
- Creek Restoration
- Feedlots
- Dairy Farms
- Structural and Building Layout
Frank Mercurio, P.E.
Professional Engineer
Frank is a Professional Engineer licensed in Kansas, Colorado and Oklahoma. He served as Area Engineer and State Agricultural Engineer with the USDA Soil Conservation Service / Natural Resources Conservation Service in Kansas. His responsibilities included the design of erosion control practices, irrigation systems, small dams for flood control and water supply, and livestock waste management systems.
Seeing a need for engineering services focused on the livestock sector, Frank and a partner established a consulting firm in 1998. The firm was acquired three years later by the Kansas Livestock Association and became KLA Environmental Services. Frank served as project manager and later president of the firm. His relationship with Syracuse Dairy led to a move there, where he provided engineering support for the design and construction of a dairy and feedyard and was responsible for regulatory compliance with environmental permits and water rights. Frank’s focus with AGPROfessionals is on project planning, support, and permitting.
Grace Bailey
Engineering & Construction Tech
Grace is a Colorado native with a background in the agriculture industry, raising and training performance horses. She earned her Associate of Applied Science, Engineering Technology, Computer Aided Drafting at Aims Community College in Greeley, Colorado.
She joined AGPROfessionals in the fall of 2021, where she works with the engineering team to complete structural and civil drawings for our clients.
Hannah Dutrow
Land Planner II
A Colorado native, Hannah earned an A.A. in Liberal Arts from Aims Community College. Prior to joining AGPROfessionals, she spent six years working with Weld County Government in the Building and Planning Department.
Hannah's professional focus includes:
- Land Use Entitlements
- Permitting
- Planning
- Property Due Diligence
- Public Hearings and Neighborhood Meetings
- Project Management
Hannah works directly with various state, municipal, and/or county authorities to advocate for our clients’ project-specific needs and goals.
Jake Garton
Survey Technician I
Jake is a Colorado native hailing from the eastern plains. Growing up on a grain farming operation gave him an early appreciation for agriculture. Jake’s background also includes crop scouting and advising. He joined AGPROfessionals in the spring of 2022 and contributes to the survey team by aiding in developing drawings and assisting in fieldwork.
Jake attended Aims Community College for two years and received training in a variety of Computer Aided Drafting (CAD) software. He plans to graduate with an Associate of Applied Science degree in CAD.
Janine Baratta, CCA
Senior Agronomist
Janine is a native New Yorker and has been in Colorado and with AGPROfessionals for 18 years. She has a B.S. in Animal Science from Oregon State University and an M.S. in Agronomy from the University of Maryland.
Before joining AGPROfessionals, Janine spent 13 years with the Maryland Cooperative Extension in various roles, including as a 4-H Agent, Regional Livestock Agent and Regional Nutrient Management Specialist. Janine’s focus at AGPROfessionals is on environmental & regulatory compliance, CAFO permitting, and nutrient management planning.
Kari Baughman
Administrative Coordinator – Employing Broker
Kari Baughman has an Employing Broker’s license and supports the Real Estate Department. Her knowledge and background help her to better determine and understand AGPRO’s client’s needs. A licensed real estate broker since 2005, Kari brings with her many years of experience in all facets of the business including transaction coordination, document preparation and marketing.
Kelsey Bruxvoort
Land Planner
A Colorado native, Kelsey earned a B.A. in Environmental Design with an emphasis in Architecture from the University of Colorado. Her prior experience includes architecture, landscape design, and land use planning.
Her professional focus is on land use entitlements, including:
- Use By Special Review Permits
- Site Development Plans
- Annexation
- Zoning
- Subdivisions
- Planned Unit Developments
- Recorded Exemptions
- Subdivision Exemptions
- Conceptual Master Plans
- Easements and Right-of-Way Agreements
- Property Due Diligence
- Public Hearings and Neighborhood Meetings
- Project Management
Kelsey works directly with various state, municipal, and/or county authorities to advocate for clients’ project-specific needs and goals.”
Monica Watson
Full Charge Bookkeeper
Monica is a Colorado native, who joined AGPROfessionals in 2020 as the Full Charge Bookkeeper. Monica has 30 years of bookkeeping and administrative experience. Most of this time was spent in the construction industry, in the HVAC and plumbing trade.
Monica holds an Associates of Applied Science degree in Office Occupations, Administrative Support from Aims Community College. Her role at AGPROfessionals is the day-to-day bookkeeping tasks and human resource duties.
We've got you Covered!
We are professional problem-solvers achieving clients’ goals and advocating their success.