Lyle Thompson was born and raised in San Diego County, graduating from Carlsbad High School in 1981. Although growing up in the suburbs, his interest in agriculture was cultivated by his father, who taught agriculture and horticulture at MiraCosta Community College in Oceanside, CA, and by the rural roots of his parents who, like many of their generation, grew up on farms in the south. He decided to combine his interests in agriculture and engineering and graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in Agricultural Engineering in 1985. After a four and a half months training period in Susanville, Lyle has been working at the Willows Field Office of the Natural Resources Conservation Service since January 1988. He enjoys working with the farmers and ranchers of Glenn County in evaluating, designing and performing construction checks on engineering conservation practices. During his time with NRCS, he has also provided engineering assistance to customers in Butte and Tehama Counties, as well as numerous temporary detail assignments to other areas of the state. He appreciates how the variety of land uses in Glenn County (rice, row crops, orchards, dairies, rangeland, etc.) provides a diverse workload which keeps his job interesting and challenging. Outside of work, he values time spent with his wife, three kids, and grandson. He has served as an elder at the Chico Church of Christ for over 11 years, has made seven trips to Japan, and enjoys almost any sport with a ball involved.