Our team at 501 includes a broad range of experience and expertise to meet those needs.

VICKY SCHARLAU
Scharlau has 30 years experience in developing and managing organizations, projects and programs across the US and Mexico.  Her skills include non-profit association and project management, non-profit board training, facilitation, strategic planning, organization and project budgeting, grant writing and managing, marketing and communications.  Her range and depth of professional experience have earned Scharlau a reputation as a leader, strategist, advisor, and national agricultural communications specialist. She has a demonstrated ability to implement sound and effective management practices and deliver programs with a refined level of methodology and professionalism.  Scharlau also has extensive experience in grant management, consistently complying with state and federal reporting requirements and including:  

--A collaborative multi-year $500,000 grant to the Washington State Horticultural Association from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and The Pew Charitable Trust.

--Multiple risk management education grants (two multi-state education partnerships, one multi-state research partnership and one multi-crop partnership in Washington for over $1,000,000).

--Cooperative agreements with the Center for Agricultural Partnerships and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

--An extended contract agreement with the USDA Federal Crop Insurance Corporation, through the Risk Management Agency, totaling $265,000.

Scharlau's work experience includes stints with:

-- the Washington Apple Commission where she held several management positions (including president) in a nine year stint that included managing national food publicity, foodservice and public relations programs, agencies, staff and budgets plus grower relations, state media with handling of the now infamous Alar crisis as well as creation and management of the Healthy Choices for America/Healthy Choices for Kids nutrition education campaign;

--the Washington State Horticultural Association, where she served as President and built all aspects of new association management including staffing, policies, procedures, equipment, accounting, database, planning and governance and grew revenues from $350,000 to $625,000 and expenses from a negative $80,000 to a positive $50,000 plus assisting with successful application for a $500,000 grant from The Pew Charitable Trusts and EPA for a pear integrated pest management implementation project and building a Retrospective Rating program for growers;

--the Washington State Department of Agriculture, where she served as spokesperson for Washington's first urban aerial spraying of the gypsy moth and the initial attack on the state's apple maggot infestation;

--the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, where she served as a marketing specialist and traveled over 100,000 miles and gave over 500 presentations in a 15-month span;

--Gerald Dryer and Associates of Madison, WI where she served as a Communications Specialist on Cooperatives;

--Image Management of Milwaukee, WI where she served as an Account Assistant and Wisconsin State Fair Spokesperson;

--Representatives Jim Harsdorf and Dave Paulson of Madison, WI where she served as Legislative Aide.

Scharlau was raised on a farm in Wisconsin and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Journalism and a minor in Agricultural Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  She is a Class 10 graduate of the Washington Ag and Forestry Leadership Program.  She has served in volunteer, board and officer positions with numerous organizations.