National Association of Conservation Districts

NACD Officers

John Redding, President, is a second generation landowner from Monroe, Georgia. Redding's involvement with districts is vast; he has served as a district supervisor since 1978 and as a Chairman since 1979. He was elected president of the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts in 1996. Redding's participation at the national level began in 1990 when he was elected to the Board of Directors. He has served on NACD's Executive Board since 2001 and was elected to national office in 2004. Redding's commitment to conservation and districts was recognized by his colleagues when he was named the Outstanding Supervisor in Georgia in 2003.

Redding owns a 400-acre farm where he raises cotton, peanuts and pine trees. The cotton and peanuts are irrigated using three wells and a nine-acre pond, all of which are permitted. Conservation practices on his farm include riparian buffers, conservation tillage and grassed water ways.

In addition to his work with districts, Redding has served as the Agency Manager of Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance in Walton County since 1970.

Steve Robinson, President Elect, operates a family farm in Union County, Ohio. Robinson has served as a district supervisor for Union Soil and Water Conservation District since 1988. He has filled many leadership roles both in his district and in his state association, including service as President of the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts from 1999-2001. Robinson has participated at the national level since 1997 serving as a member of the Board of Directors and chair of the District Operations Committee. He was elected to national office in 2006.

Robinson's commitment to conservation was recognized by his colleagues in 2003 when he received the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Cardinal Award for Conservation Achievement.

Robinson was raised on a dairy farm in Union County and continues to farm approximately 900 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat there today. Conservation practices on his farm include nine water and sediment control structures, three waterways with rock chutes, surface drainage, a wooded wetland, filter strips and use of no-tillage and strip tillage on corn. In addition, Steve manages Robinson Excavating, Inc., a family owned business specializing in earth moving for ponds, waterways, rock chutes, wetlands and site development.

Bob Cordova, Second Vice President, is a rancher from Colorado Springs, Colorado and has been involved in full-time agriculture since 1969. He began his first experience with conservation in 1973 when he became the District Supervisor and Secretary/Treasurer for the Black Squirrel Soil Conservation Districts. Cordova served as President of the Colorado Association of Conservation District for four years. He has also held positions as Region Chair and Executive Board Member for the Southwestern Region before being elected as Second Vice President for NACD.

In addition to being on several El Paso boards and commissions, he has been instrumental in forming the El Paso County Weed Commission and the Water Authority District in El Paso County. Cordova committed four years on the Citizens’ Advisory Committee working on the Highway 94 Comprehensive Plan. His dedication to conservation gained him recognition as CACD Supervisor of the Year in 2002.

Cordova has owned several businesses and is currently a cow/calf operator on over 3000 acres of land. The Cordova Ranch is an example of improvement with its cross fencing and over 12,000 feet of water lines. He takes pride in the variety of wildlife that coexists with his livestock, including a pair of Golden Eagles, Burrowing Owls, and Antelope.

Gene Schmidt, Secretary/Treasurer, is a farmer from Hanna, Indiana with extensive experience working for conservation districts. He has been a member of the LaPorte County Soil and Water Conservation District board since 1983, and has served in numerous leadership positions in the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, including as president in 1995 and 1996. In addition to his local- and state-level district work, Schmidt has been active at the national level since the mid-1990s. He served as a member of NACD’s executive board and most recently as the chair of the Stewardship and Education Committee.

In 2008 he received the NACD President’s Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to conservation. Nationally, Schmidt also serves on the board of directors of the Conservation Technology Information Center.

Schmidt and his wife, Diane, farm 1,500 acres of seed corn, seed beans, and wheat and operate a retail seed business. Conservation practices in use on Schmidt's farm include minimum till, no-till, cover crops, stream buffers and windbreaks.

Krysta Harden, Chief Executive Officer, Washington, D.C.
Krysta Harden joined the officer team in March 2004 as NACD's Chief Executive Officer. Operating from NACD headquarters in Washington, D.C., she oversees the association's policy development and member services programs and coordinates strategic planning, budget formulation and related business operations.

Harden previously served as the senior vice president of Gordley Associates, a Washington, D.C. consulting firm. In that capacity, she served as senior lobbyist for a variety of commodity organizations, most notably the American Soybean Association. Her major areas of responsibility included conservation, environmental and energy issues.

Prior to working for Gordley, Harden served in various positions on Capitol Hill for 12 years. While on the Hill, Harden worked as chief of staff for former House member Charles Hatcher of Georgia and spent time working for the House Agriculture Committee.

Harden holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia.