NACD HONORS NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS

During the 2019 Annual Meeting Appreciation Banquet on the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 6, NACD honored national award winners.


Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Matthew Lohr and NACD President Brent Van Dyke presented the National Conservation Planning Partnership (NCPP)’s Hugh Hammond Bennett Awards for Conservation Excellence. Bruce (pictured above with his family) and Rick Rominger of Rominger Farms in Winters, Calif., received the award for producers in recognition of their innovative conservation efforts on their land.


Lohr and Van Dyke presented Brad Wenz (pictured second from right) of Waite Park, Minn., with the Hugh Hammond Bennett Award for Conservation Excellence for conservation planning, in honor of his 38 years working one-on-one with farmers and ranchers to help them improve and protect their land.


Lohr and Van Dyke also presented the NACD/NRCS Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award to Dick Went of North Scituate, R.I., for his extensive leadership ensuring conservation-minded farming techniques throughout the state of Rhode Island are in good partnership with nature. "We are here for the districts," Went remarked to the crowd. "They're probably the most important part of our lives."


James Vaughn of Vaughn Farms in Forsyth, Ga., received the 2018 NACD Friend of Conservation Award for his contributions to conserving the nation’s natural resources. Vaughn, who manages a family cattle operation, partners with the Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) and NRCS to implement innovative natural resource conservation practices and educational programs.


The 2018 NACD Distinguished Service award recipient, Creede Speake of Springer, Okla., has been serving conservation efforts in Southern Oklahoma for the last 69 years. Speake has assisted in securing easements for the state’s watershed flood control program and has been instrumental in the restoration of native prairie in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas. Oklahoma Conservation Commission Executive Director Trey Lam accepted the award on Speake's behalf.


The 2018 NACD President’s Award was presented to Bob Warner of Warner Ranch in Brighton, Colo. Warner has represented Colorado on NACD’s Board of Directors since 2002 and has worked with the Platte Valley CD since the 1970s.

Read more about this year's awards winners on the 2019 Annual Meeting Resources webpage and find out more about how to be considered for next year's awards on NACD's Annual Awards webpage.


NACD LEADERS TAKE OFFICE

During yesterday evening's Appreciation Banquet, NACD welcomed new leadership, swearing in the organization's 2019 officer team and executive board.


The 2019 Executive Board region representatives, pictured above to the right of President Van Dyke, consists of Pacific Region Representative Tom Wehri of California, Southwest Region Representative Jim Berlier of New Mexico, Southeast Region Representative Gary Blair of Mississippi, Northeast Region Representative Linda Brownson of New Hampshire, North Central Region Representative Alex Schmidt of Iowa and Northern Plains Region Representative Bevin Law of Kansas. Not pictured is South Central Region Representative Bill Thomas of Texas.


In his last act as the association's president, Van Dyke swore in (pictured from left to right) President Tim Palmer of Iowa, First Vice President Michael Crowder of Washington, Second Vice President Kim LaFleur of Massachusetts, Secretary-Treasurer Ian Cunningham of Minnesota and NACD CEO Jeremy Peters.

Read more about the organization's new leadership in this press release.


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