Meet the Team

Lisa Blecker – Director of CEPEP Program

Faculty – Pesticide Safety Education

Lisa Blecker is the Pesticide Safety Educator at Colorado State University (CSU) and faculty member in the in the department of Agricultural Biology. In this role she oversees the revision of study guides and exams for applicators seeking their private and commercial applicator certifications, delivers continuing education programs for pest management professionals, delivers worker protection standard (WPS) trainings, and teaches an undergraduate course, AB 410 Understanding Pesticides. Lisa is currently the Administrator for the Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP), a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, providing professional development opportunities for pesticide regulatory officials in states, tribes, and U.S.-affiliated territories.

Prior to starting this role in 2021, Lisa was the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP) Coordinator with the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program for 10 years. She previously spent 8 years working in IPM Programs at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and the University of Idaho IPM Center. Lisa has also worked with National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Research Foundation (NASDARF) to co-write the National Soil Fumigation Manual. Lisa received her master’s degree at CSU in a joint program with the U.S. Peace Corps. She spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Panamá during this master’s program and gained skills that have been invaluable to her career in Cooperative Extension.

Through these experiences, Lisa has had opportunities to collaborate with many pesticide safety counterparts, and to interact with state lead agency personnel working in certification and training, worker protection, environmental protection, and enforcement programs.

Languages spoken: English, Spanish

Hannah works at CEPEP, where she develops and edits educational content for pesticide applicators and agricultural workers. She leads the creation of online courses, including CEPEP’s pre-license and continuing education training programs, and collaborates with the Colorado Department of Agriculture to update study guides and state exams.

Before joining CEPEP, Hannah served as a course coordinator for a continuing education program and more recently coordinated agricultural research at a Colorado State University agricultural experiment station. With a degree in specialty crop production, years of experience in the green industry, and certification in project management, she is committed to enhancing the learning experience for Colorado applicators.  

Alicia Lenners has been the Pesticide Outreach Specialist in the Department of Agricultural Biology at Colorado State University since August 2023. In this role, she provides research for the development of pesticide workshop training materials, maintains that the Extension fact sheets are up to date, and acts as a point of contact for pesticide applicator testing centers. She also runs and maintains the Colorado Environmental Pesticide Education Program (CEPEP) and Pesticide Regulatory Education Program (PREP) websites. 

Prior to working at Colorado State University, Alicia was an Environmental Protection Specialist at the Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters in Arlington, VA. She previously spent two years in Paraguay as a Peace Corps volunteer. In this role, Alicia partnered with community members and government agencies to develop and implement community-led conservation programs. This experience led to her interest in grassroots work in agriculture and environmental health.   

Alicia has earned an M.S. in Ecology from CSU. She is passionate about ensuring support for consumer, occupational, & natural habitat health from pesticides.  

Languages spoken: English, Spanish