FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NACD HONORS NATIONAL CONSERVATION LEADERS
WASHINGTON, D.C.—February 1, 2012—The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) honored leaders in conservation during a special awards banquet last night. The ceremony was part of NACD’s 2012 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas and was moderated by National Association of Farm Broadcasting President Tom Steever.
Lee McDaniel, NACD Executive Board Member from Darlington, Md., was honored with the prestigious President's Award – one of highest forms of recognition bestowed by the nation's largest private lands conservation organization.
“As I look back over the past year, I am humbled by the fact that we are clearly making a difference for conservation at the national scale,” said NACD President Gene Schmidt. “Someone who has been truly instrumental in helping us make the advances we have is Lee McDaniel. Whenever there’s been a challenge or an opportunity, Lee has stepped up to the plate and gone above-and-beyond for the cause of conservation.”
McDaniel, a beef and crop farmer, is deeply involved in conservation issues both locally and nationally. McDaniel serves on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Advisory Committee. He manages family-owned and operated Indian Spring Farms and has been recognized as the Harford Soil Conservation Farmer of the Year. He currently serves as chairman of the Harford Soil Conservation District.
John Redding of Monroe, Ga. was presented with NACD's Distinguished Service Award. In addition to various leadership roles with NACD over the years, Redding shares his passion for conservation as an active speaker at FFA, 4-H, civic and garden clubs and other organizations. Redding was selected by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to serve as a panelist for the National Rural Summit.
NACD’s Friend of Conservation Award was presented to Ray Tschillard of Greeley, Colo. Tschillard is founder and first Director of the Poudre Learning, an earth-system based educational organization offering outdoor experimental learning for the general public on the Poudre River Watershed.
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Chief Dave White presented the NACD/NRCS Olin Sims Conservation Leadership Award to Kimberly LaFleur of Plympton, Mass. This annual award—given in honor of the late Olin Sims, conservation leader and past NACD president—recognizes an individual, district or organization for superior service to the conservation community in promoting and leading conservation on private lands.
“Kimberly’s accomplishments advanced locally led conservation in Massachusetts and is a tribute to Olin Sims,” White said. “As president of Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts, Kimberly exemplifies the spirit of Olin Sims through her strong leadership and creativity in raising funds, enhancing partnerships and initiating needed training for conservation district supervisors. She has been the guiding force behind locally led efforts in Massachusetts.”
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and NACD presented the Partnership Award—for excellence in conservation equipment and technology use—to Outagamie County Land Conservation Department of Appleton, Wis. The award was given in recognition of the department’s expanded use of GIS technology, which is reported to save hundreds of hours each year, helping to increase efficiency and accuracy, and at the same time creating an electronic record of the inventory that can be accessed at any time without the need for all the usual paperwork.
Other awards presented during NACD’s Annual Meeting include:
For news and photos from the 2012 NACD Annual Meeting, visit: www.nacdnet.org and click on the Annual Meeting logo.
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The National Association of Conservation Districts is the non-profit organization that represents the nation's 3,000 conservation districts and 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For almost 70 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. NACD's website is at www.nacdnet.org.