Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award

NACD's mission is to serve conservation districts by providing national leadership and a unified voice for natural resource conservation.

NACD 2010 Annual Meeting • January 31 - February 3, 2010 • Orlando, FL

Jack Winsted
Lawrence, MS

Award as presented by NRCS Chief Dave White:

"It is my honor this evening to present the NACD-NRCS Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award. This award is presented annually to an individual, district, or organization, based upon superior service to the conservation community in promoting and leading conservation on private lands.

In the case of this year’s recipient, we should perhaps rewrite the criteria to read: “presented to an individual based on sustained superior service to the conservation community.” That is because he has been wearing the mantle of conservation leadership for years in Mississippi, the region, and nationwide.

He is past chairman of the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission, as well as the immediate past president of the Mississippi Association of Conservation Districts. The Mississippi Wildlife Federation named him Conservation Educator of the Year and, not to be outdone, the Farm Bureau declared him Man of the Year. He led the charge nationally to promote the NACD Capital Building Fund, challenging every state to follow Mississippi’s lead in making contributions.

In addition to all of that, he somehow found time to work for the Soil Conservation Service for 35 years, retiring as our Deputy State Conservationist in Mississippi in 1992, and to farm trees and raise cattle.

Obviously, he is a man deserving of recognition. But I would suggest to you that there are two reasons he is especially deserving of an award named for Olin Sims. First, if he sees a leadership vacuum, he fills it. Despite a life filled to the brim with personal and professional obligations of all kinds, he has routinely answered the call to serve. They say if you need to get something done, you should ask the busiest man or woman you know. He—as Olin did—shows this to be true.

Second, he has always understood that being an effective communicator is part and parcel of being an effective leader. So, if you need someone to carry your message to Congress, call him. If you need someone to get buy-in from the next generation of conservationists, call him. His expertise and openness and enthusiasm will always carry the day. Ladies and gentleman, we all know that is very much like Olin Sims.

And though he needs no introduction, it is my pleasure now to introduce to you this year’s recipient of the NACD-NRCS Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award: our esteemed colleague and dear friend, Jack W. Winstead."