Cyphers, Ours attend first State Conservation Committee meeting as newest board members
GUTHRIE, W.Va. -- The two newest members of the State Conservation Committee, Doug Cyphers and Jerry Ours, attended their first SCC meeting at Guthrie on Jan. 9.
Former Gov. Jim Justice appointed both Ours and Cyphers to their positions.
Cyphers, of Mannington, succeeds former SCC member Eli McCoy and Ours, of Maysville, succeeds former member Angie Rosser.
Cyphers is a graduate of West Virginia University with a BSA in resource management and a master’s degree in agricultural economics. He began his 32-year professional career in agriculture with the Farmers Home Administration as an assistant county supervisor. He concluded with the Farm Service Agency as a district director, while also serving in various capacities within those agencies throughout his career.
Cyphers has had a life-long interest in agriculture. With the help of family and some great friends, he has spent much of his retirement working to improve the sustainability of his family’s seventh-generation hay and beef cattle farm for future generations. He and his wife Kim reside on the family farm near Mannington. They have three adult children.
Ours is a graduate of West Virginia University, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in agriculture. Growing up on a beef cattle and sheep farm, he developed a strong foundation in agriculture that led him to pursue a career in the poultry industry. After completing his degree, he held various positions within the poultry sector, gaining valuable experience and insight into the industry. He also served as a poultry specialist for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture, where he played a key role in the state's nutrient management program. In this role, Jerry worked closely with farmers to implement best management practices, promoting sustainable farming and environmental stewardship across the state.
Currently, he serves on the board of directors for the West Virginia Poultry Association and is a board member of the Grant County Public Service District. Ours also previously served as the Grant County Assessor. In addition to his public service work, Ours and his wife own a greenhouse and high tunnel business in Maysville, where they contribute to local agriculture and promote sustainable farming practices.
Justice also had reappointed SCC board member Timothy VanReenen, of Hillsboro, to a term that expires in 2026.
VanReenen is a farmer and a supervisor on the Greenbrier Valley Conservation District. He is a former president of the West Virginia Association of Conservation Districts and has served as the Association’s legislative committee chairman.
State Conservation Committee members also re-elected Rocky Peck as vice chairman of the SCC during their Jan. 9 meeting.
Peck and his wife, Dee, are beef cattle farmers and small business owners in Parkersburg. He is active in the agriculture community and understands the conservation needs of the farm industry. He has extensive auctioneer experience and former Gov. Justice appointed him to the state Auctioneers Board of Review on Jan. 7. He also has served several organizations including the WV Beef Expo Board, Wood County Beef Producers, the USDA-FSA State Executive Committee, and he was a past director and chairman of the West Virginia Farm Bureau Young Farmers Committee.