Clarence Durban served the Union Soil and Water Conservation District in Ohio for nearly three decades from 1961 to 1987. He was president of the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts from 1975 to 1976 and president of NACD from 1985 to 1988. Before he passed away in 2014, Clarence farmed in southern Union County, Ohio, and was inducted into the state’s Agriculture Hall of Fame. In the early 1980s, he met with President Ronald Reagan to discuss the farm bill.

Throughout Clarence’s long career in conservation, he worked tirelessly to represent the interests of Ohio’s conservation districts and NACD across the United States and abroad. He provided tremendous leadership to NACD in helping to secure the organization’s Capitol Hill headquarters, which in turn helped to strengthen NACD’s visibility and influence in Washington, D.C.

Clarence challenged conservation districts to grow their program responsibilities and develop their capacities to better deliver critically needed conservation.