GACD and AACD Partner for Farmer of the Year

The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts and the Alabama Association of Conservation Districts partnered to support the 2025 Sunbelt Ag Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year program. 

The awards program is part of the annual Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition which was held October 14-16, 2025 in Moultrie, GA.

Since its Inception in 1990, the Sunbelt Expo Southeastern Farmer of the Year Award has evolved into the most prestigious honor in the southeast and nation with over 300 outstanding agri-business leaders being honored for their “excellence in agriculture.”

Participating in the program are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. 

Congratulations to Mr. Kent Hamilton from Norman Park, Georgia who was named the 2025 Southeastern Farmer of the Year!

Pictured are Katie Sponberger and Vickie Watkins (ACD Directors) with Georgia Governor and First Lady Brian and Marty Kemp.

Pictured are Vickie Watkins, Katie Sponberger and Brian Ponder (GACD President) at the Farmer of the Year awards dinner.

GACD Names Annual 2025 Award Recipients

August 19, 2025 - Jekyll Island, GA – The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) held their annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 during their Annual Meeting to honor and award those individuals who have gone above and beyond to further conservation efforts for our state. The awards are Superior Professional Support, District of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, Urban Conservationist of the Year and Conservationist of the Year. Scholarship recipients and special recognitions were also honored.

Conservationist of the Year

Every year, GACD recognizes farmers and landowners that are conducting exemplary conservation work on their land and have demonstrated a strong commitment to soil and water conservation through their land stewardship, outreach and community interactions, and/or education. The recipient of GACD’s 2025 Conservationist of the Year award is Herbert Hodges. Herbert Hodges, an ordained minister who practices what he preaches and shares the good news of his heart, is also a strong conservation advocate who helps connect minority landowners to resources to achieve their conservation goals. Over the years, the Hodges family has hosted many groups to teach climate resilient land management techniques that reduce wildfire risk, sequester carbon emissions, and provide for a healthier and more diverse wildlife population. With assistance from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), longleaf pines were established on his farm in which he has since partnered with National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and NRCS Georgia to transform his farm into a “model farm” and provide mentorship to fellow landowners, specifically minority landowners. He has worked closely with NWF, NRCS, Pine Country RC&D, Georgia Forestry Commission, Ohoopee River Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), The Longleaf Alliance, the GA Heirs Property Law Center, Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, and many other groups to host workshops and to develop a first-of-its kind curriculum titled "Longleaf and the Landowner”, a 3-day Longleaf Academy tailored to the minority landowner experience and history. Mr. Hodges is committed to long-term sustainable forestry and wildlife management for himself, his family, and other landowners in the community and region. He was nominated for this award by the Ohoopee River Conservation District. Congratulations to Herbert Hodges!

Pictured (left to right): Herbert Hodges and Brian Ponder - GACD President

Urban Conservationist of the Year

In 2023, GACD started a  new award  to recognize urban conservationists for their exemplary work and strong commitment to soil and water conservation through their land stewardship, outreach, community interactions, and education in urban areas of Georgia. The recipient of GACD’s 2025 Urban Conservationist of the Year award is Cory Rayburn. 
Cory Rayburn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health Science from the University of Georgia and a Master’s in Civil Engineering from Kennesaw State. He has devoted nearly 20 years of his career to the public sector protecting our water resources. He began his career with the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission before moving to municipalities including Roswell, Atlanta, and Johns Creek. His current role is Senior Water Resources Engineer for Jacobs Engineering. He has been a Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor since 2013 and serves as the district’s local expert in Stormwater Management policy and implementation. Cory has been pushing the integration of nature-based solutions to help solve urban runoff challenges for the past 15 years. He has overseen multiple award-winning projects such as Rodney Cook, Sr. Park in Atlanta, and has been a staunch advocate and leader for building resilience into our urban landscapes. 
Cory has also embraced and supported Urban Agriculture efforts within Fulton County and led the conservation district’s effort to apply for and receive two Urban and Community Conservation Grants from the National Association of Conservation Districts – one in 2017 and one that wrapped up this year. Both grants focused on building out the much needed urban agriculture infrastructure within Low-Income, Low Access food areas in Fulton County. These grants helped to convert underutilized Georgia Power utility easements into urban farms through partnerships with the City of Atlanta’s Office of Sustainability, the AgLanta program, Groundworks Atlanta, and Core2Globe. 
As a strong steward of the environment who believes in sharing collaborative ideas and solutions, Cory has presented in over 180 conferences, workshops, peer exchanges, webinars and tours related to improving Georgia’s water resources. He also represented Georgia’s 40 Soil and Water Conservation Districts on the Governor’s Stakeholder Advisory Board for 8 years. Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District Chairman said of Cory: “His expertise and project management skills have been instrumental in helping the district achieve our goals. The conservation district and the community are grateful for his efforts.” Congratulations to GACD’s 2025 Urban Conservationist of the Year, Cory Rayburn!

Pictured (left to right): Brian Ponder - GACD President and Cory Rayburn

District of the Year

The District of the Year award was established by GACD and the Tennessee Valley Authority in 2001 to recognize the Conservation District in Georgia which best plans, implements, and reports a conservation program in a given year. GACD is excited to recognize the Blue Ridge Mountain Conservation District as the 2025 District of the Year. The Blue Ridge Mountain Conservation District has been a consistent leader in the community by actively promoting conservation to local producers and students. The past two years, they have hosted “Georgia Beef Day”, a community event, to provide agricultural and natural resource conservation educational and agency offerings at the Union County Farmers Market with attendance of about 5000 people. There were more than 20 supporting agencies to answer questions and provide support to the community. The district cooked and served free hamburgers provided by local beef producers. They provide further support to schools by awarding the Olin Hughes Memorial Scholarship to enrolled college students and supporting FFA Chapters, support student attendance of the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop and provide a bus for student travel to the workshop. Through partnership with Natural Resources Conservation Service and UGA Extension, and the Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D, the District has recently opened the Butternut Creek Trail which highlights local historical facts and native plant species. They have also been a part of updating the grounds of the Herbert Reece Historical Farm with native species and markers for educational purposes. They also provide other educational opportunities and workshops as needed. The District holds their monthly meeting and farm tour every July providing District Supervisors local educational opportunities. They also participate in GACD’s Feral Swine Control program and offer trapping services to landowners throughout the county. GACD’s State winning photo for 2024 was taken by Jennifer Holloway of Hiawassee, Ga. Congratulations to GACD’s 2025 District of the Year, Blue Ridge Mountain!

Pictured (left to right):Dr. John Kay, Ann Stanley, Wayne Swanson, Frank Riley, and Brian Ponder - GACD President.

Supervisor of the Year

In appreciation of District Supervisors’ commitment to the protection of Georgia’s natural resources, GACD presents a Supervisor of the Year award annually at Annual Meeting. The award recognizes exemplary achievements, leadership, and service to GACD, NACD, and local communities. This year, Deetra Poindexter, District Supervisor for the Clayton County Conservation District, is the 2025 Supervisor of the Year. Born and raised in Atlanta, Deetra majored in Early Childhood Education in college and received an Honorary Doctorate from The Global International Alliance University in May 2022. She received this honor for making a difference in her community and the lives of youth for over 30 years. She has served in the U.S. Army Reserve since 1989. Deetra is a very active district supervisor and engages her community in natural resource conservation. She plays a vital role in the district’s education and outreach programs as the point of contact with the local school district. She spends much of her free time attending and orchestrating various school events including college and career fairs, STEM nights, and agriculture field days. She is instrumental in promoting and coordinating the annual poster contest, and ensures students and educators are aware of programs such as the Natural Resource Conservation Workshop. Teaching students about conserving our soil and water resources brings a fresh perspective to urban Clayton County. Deetra’s passion for getting youth involved with their community, and the source of their food production, shows readily through her commitment and tireless efforts. Her community involvement is outstanding. She planned and hosted an “All Growers Meet and Greet” where she gathered community gardeners, local restaurant owners, and farmers for the purpose of building relationships and informing the community about resources available to them through the conservation district and various partner agencies. She and the district exhibit annually at the local Wetlands Festival and other community events. Deetra is a team player and coordinates all of her efforts with her fellow district supervisors and enjoys working together towards healthy soil and clean water in Clayton County. Deetra is very actively involved with GACD and other partner agencies. Thank You and congratulations to Deetra Poindexter for her dedicated service!

Pictured: Deetra Poindexter

Superior Professional Support

Each year, GACD presents an award to an individual recognized as providing superior support to Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Georgia. This year the GACD Superior Professional Support recipient is Jennifer Standridge with the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Jennifer is the GSWCC, Region II Manager providing support to 10 Conservation Districts. She provides administrative assistance and technical support and works closely with supporting agencies to provide conservation education through district events, workshops, and field days. She seeks out grant funding for District project support. She is responsible for sending out meeting and public forum notices, monthly meeting minutes, managing budgets, keeping plans of work updated, yearly annual reports and audits, and manages social media for those districts who participate. Jennifer is certified to provide Water Quality Testing and provides this service as needed. She recommends new ideas for district involvement and even enters local parades in District’s honor. She provides technical assistance for landowners and homeowners, site visits for complaint follow-up, reviews Erosion & Sediment plans and coordinates training with Local Issuing Authorities. Jennifer has been instrumental in the success of the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop (NRCW) at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and the Envirothon Competition for many years. She is involved in making the Small Farm Conference a success and a no cost event for Georgians to attend. She provides assistance to the Districts with student scholarship opportunities they provide. Jennifer  has provided over 20 years of professional service to GSWCC and the Districts she works with. She received nominations from Broad River, Lincoln County and Oconee River Conservation Districts, which lends support to her dedication. Thank you and congratulations to Jennifer Standridge for her dedicated service!

Pictured (left to right): Jennifer Standridge and Brian Ponder - GACD President.

Georgia Conservation District Scholarship recipient - Emily Sloboda

NACD's 2024 Southeast Regional Hugh Hammond Bennett Planner Award - Kevin Lee

Pictured: Chad Nimmer, Kevin Lee, Johnny Sabo, and Brian Ponder

REV DR JOHN KAY INDUCTED INTO GACD HALL OF FAME

August 19, 2025 - Jekyll Island, GA – The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts held their annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 during their Annual Meeting to honor and award those individuals who have gone above and beyond to further conservation efforts for our state. The highlight of the evening is naming the Hall of Fame Inductee. 

The GACD Hall of Fame preserves the history of the conservation movement in Georgia by recognizing individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to soil and water conservation. 

Rev. Dr. John Kay is a former District Supervisor of the Blue Ridge Mountain Conservation District of 23 years, and represented Towns County, beginning in 1999. He served as Chairman the last 13 of those years and retired in 2023. 

Rev. Dr. John Kay with Brian Ponder - GACD President

Dr. Kay was born and raised in Hart County, Georgia, where he grew up in a farm family with 12 children. He understands the hard work involved in maintaining a farm and the challenges of planting cotton, grain, and vegetables by mule. He learned a strong work ethic by watching his father work hard and listening to his guidance.

Through his education, he has learned many skills to be a leader. He holds degrees from Young Harris College, LaGrange College, Drew University School of Theology, and Vanderbilt Divinity School. 

Dr. Kay has been a professor at Young Harris College teaching in the religious field for many years and was honored with the John Kay Award for Excellence in Comparative Religious Studies through Young Harris College. In 2024, Dr. Kay also established the John and Patti Kay Endowed Scholarship in Environmental Sustainability at Young Harris College.

Dr. Kay has also shown just as much care to conserving our natural resources. He has led the Blue Ridge Mountain Conservation District in many opportunities and projects throughout Rabun, Union, Towns, and Fannin Counties. Through the Blue Ridge Mountain SWCD, Dr. Kay has partnered with GACD, NACD, Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D, USDA-NRCS, UGA Extension, MountainTrue, UGA Experiment Station, the City of Blairsville, and the local government offices of the counties represented by the District.

In 2024, Dr. Kay was chosen as the 2024 Holman Water Quality Award winner for his dedication to conserving the water resources and quality of the water in North Georgia. He was a recipient of  the Governor’s Award in Humanities in 2001. Dr. Kay volunteered with the Hiawassee River Watershed Coalition’s water quality monitoring team in the mid-2000s. Dr. Kay included the Creation Care Committee at Sharp Memorial United Methodist Church in MountainTrue’s work and shared his dedication to water quality with the community. For his dedication to his community, Dr. Kay was chosen as Chatuge Shores Rotary Club's Towns County Citizen of the Year in 2025.

Through his work, Dr. Kay has been a mentor in conservation to many individuals teaching them the value of conserving our natural resources and continues his efforts with his involvement in the Citizens Climate Lobby. His leadership will live on for many years to come.

Congratulations to Reverend Dr. John Kay, the 2025 Hall of Fame Inductee.

GACD Elects 2025 Leadership

August 19, 2025 - Jekyll Island, GA – The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts is proud to announce our 2025 Executive Committee elected at our Annual Meeting on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 during our GACD Business Meeting.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2025 GACD LEADERSHIP TEAM!

President: Brian Ponder, Middle South Georgia Conservation District, Tift County

Vice President: Tabatha Wooten, Altamaha Conservation District, Jeff Davis County

Vice President (re-elected): Ellis Lamme, Gwinnett County Conservation District

Secretary (re-elected): Jim Waters, Satilla River Conservation District, Pierce County

Treasurer: Andrew Standard, Coastal Conservation District, Liberty County

NACD Representative (re-elected): Jimmy Bramblett, Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District, Stewart County

Immediate Past President: Jake Ford, Alapaha Conservation District, Berrien County

GACD HONORS DISTRICT SUPERVISORS FOR SERVICE

August 18, 2025 - Jekyll Island, GA – GACD has been lucky to have a number of individuals willing to make long-term commitments as District Supervisors on the boards of their local Conservation Districts. We appreciate the tireless efforts made by District Supervisors in conserving, protecting, and improving the natural resources in their local areas. GACD recognizes District Supervisors each year for dedication to their local Conservation District and natural resources conservation in the state of Georgia. Supervisors who reach 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 service year milestones receive a pin of service. Today during the Luncheon, we honored several of these individuals who were present at the Annual Meeting.

10 YEAR
Group 1 

• Betts Berry, Catoosa County

• Tony Cole, West Georgia

• Matthew Retter, Gwinnett County

• David Van Landingham, Gwinnett County

Group 2

• Timothy Anderson, Upper Ocmulgee River

• Russell Biggers, Stephens County

• Tommy Blackstock, Hall County

• Charlie Byrd, Brier Creek

• Missy Garner, Warren County

• Chad Mosley, Warren County

Group 3

• Bob Martin, Middle South Georgia

Group 4

• Bill Barrett, Ohoopee River

• Jake Ford, Alapaha

• Howard Morris, Ohoopee River

20 YEAR
Group 1

• Milton Stewart, Coosa River

Group 3

• Jack McGlaun, Ocmulgee River

30 YEAR
Group 1

• Davis Nelson, Coosa River

Group 2

• Virginia Palmer, Blue Ridge Mountain

40 YEAR
Group 1

• Joel Keith, Roosevelt

Group 2

• George Reeves, McDuffie County

Thank you and Congratulations to all District Supervisors for your service!

Alan Toney of Fulton County Inducted into Southeast Conservation Hall of Fame

August 4, 2025, Louisville, KY— Alan Toney of Fulton County was inducted into the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Southeast Region Hall of Fame at their Luncheon held in Louisville, KY on August 4.

Pictured: Alan Toney with Steven Meeks

The Southeast Region Conservation Hall of Fame annually recognizes and honors individuals from the Southeast Region of the United States who have had a significant impact or influence on natural resources conservation practice or partnerships at the local, state, territory, regional or national levels.

Alan Toney has been a District Supervisor for the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District for 31 years. He currently serves as the District Chair. He was inducted into the GACD Hall of Fame in 2021 for his leadership efforts in conservation. 

As a fourth generation Atlanta native, Alan had the pleasure of exploring Georgia’s woods and waterways from a young age. Growing up, he spent his time in the ponds and rivers near his home. An avid outdoorsman, and Georgia Master Naturalist, Alan is a student of the outdoors. He enjoys fly fishing, kayaking, seeing wildlife, and visiting Yellowstone National Park with his family. 

He is a founding member of Georgia Adopt-A-Stream, and worked with Former President Jimmy Carter on the Friends of the River initiative to create the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. He served as Vice Chair of the Atlanta Development Planning Committee during the implementation of the Metropolitan River Protection Act, helping to protect Georgia’s waters in the midst of booming urban development.

Now retired from corporate finance, Alan continues his devotion to the outdoors. As a Chattahoochee Riverkeeper volunteer, he has logged 2,800 annual miles collecting water samples of the Chattahoochee River and its tributaries to monitor the health of Georgia’s waterways that impact humans and the ecosystem at large. Alan also serves as the Treasurer of Friends of Lost Corner Nature Preserve that implements native plants and pollinator habitat.

Alan and the other district supervisors work together to protect state waters in Atlanta’s heavily urban environment. Fellow district supervisor Cory Rayburn had this to say of him: “in his 30 years on the Fulton County SWCD, Alan has exemplified strong leadership and vision with a focus on keeping our local water resources healthy and clean. Alan has inspired me with his wisdom and sense of tact when balancing environmental protection with sustaining healthy growth in the County. His early work with grassroots environmental organizations laid the groundwork that is now embedded in the way we manage and protect our soil and water resources.”

Alan is a long time advocate for Georgia’s natural places and has championed conservation causes such as water quality, native plants and pollinator habitat restoration, invasive species removal, erosion and sedimentation control, and more. Congratulations, Alan.

Pictured: (L-R) Mark Masters, Katie Sponberger, Alan Toney, Brian Ponder, and Ellis Lamme

The mission of GACD is to advocate for the conservation of Georgia’s natural resources by providing organization, leadership and a unified strategic direction to the Conservation Districts of the state. For more information on GACD or to explore opportunities on how you can support our efforts, please visit us online at www.gacd.us or on Facebook @GACDConserve.

Fulton County Student Awarded with $6,500 Scholarship at 2025 Natural Resources Conservation Workshop

Tifton, GA, June 16, 2025: Every year, Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Georgia sponsor high school students to attend the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop (NRCW) held at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, GA. The 5-day Workshop allows students to take part in lectures and hands-on activities to boost their knowledge of Georgia’s vital natural resources. It also provides them with a taste of college life while delivering valuable insight into careers in agriculture and natural resources through their advisors and instructors. Over $20,000 was awarded in scholarships at this year’s event. 

The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) and Soil and Water Conservation Districts throughout Georgia partnered to provide a $6,500 scholarship to the overall highest scoring individual at camp. This scholarship can be used at any accredited college in the state of Georgia. 

The recipient of the 2025 Georgia Conservation District Scholarship is Emily Sloboda of Fulton County. She is a rising senior at Innovation Academy. Her attendance to the Workshop was sponsored by the Fulton County Conservation District.

The mission of Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) is to advocate for the conservation of Georgia’s natural resources by providing organization, leadership and a unified strategic direction to the Conservation Districts of the state. For more information on GACD or the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop, please visit us online at www.gacd.us or on Facebook @GACDConserve. 

Pictured: (First Row L-R) Ellis Lamme - GACD Vice President, Sadie Wood - Soil Conservation Technician, Leanne Hopper - GACD Southwest Regional Program Manager, Katelyn Poppell - GACD Southeast Regional Program Manager, Dana Tripp - GACD Northeast Regional Program Manager, Danny Hogan - GACD Board Member Emeritus, Tabatha Wooten - GACD Treasurer; (Second Row L-R) Brian Ponder - GACD Vice President, Emily Sloboda - 2025 Scholarship Recipient, Katie Sponberger - GACD Executive Director, Deetra Poindexter - GACD Group 1 Vice President; (Third Row L-R) Andrew Standard - GACD Group 4 Vice President, Jim Waters - GACD Secretary, Marc Land - GACD Feral Hog Program Manager, Sonny Turner - GACD Group 2 Vice President, Michael Raulerson - GACD Group 4 Vice President, and Andy Payne - GACD Group 3 Vice President

Wes Fogle of Whitfield County and Deetra Poindexter of Clayton County Re-Elected to GACD Board

Acworth, GA -- At the GACD Group 1 Regional Meeting held at Tanyard Creek Overlook on February 18, district supervisors of GACD Group 1 re-elected Wes Fogle of Whitfield County for a third term as GACD Group 1 Vice-President, and re-elected Deetra Poindexter of Clayton County for a second term as GACD Group 1 Alternate Vice-President. Group 1 Vice-Presidents serve on the Board of Directors for GACD in representation of the fourteen Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Group 1 spanning 39 counties across Metro Atlanta, Northwest and West Georgia. They will each serve two-year terms.

Wes was born and raised on a dairy farm in Cope, South Carolina where he was exposed to soil and water conservation at a young age through his family’s partnership with their local USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office. Today, Wes enjoys timber farming, hunting and the outdoors, and splits his time between his land in Georgia and South Carolina. He has served as a District Supervisor for the Limestone Valley Soil and Water Conservation District since 2013. He also serves as a board member for the Limestone Valley Watershed Dam Committee and the Limestone Valley Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council.

Deetra Poindexter of Jonesboro has served as a District Supervisor for Clayton County Soil & Water Conservation District since 2020. She majored in Early Childhood education in college and has spent her 30 year career making a difference in the lives of youth and in her community. She continues to work with students in her role as a Clayton County District Supervisor by promoting conservation education programs including the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop, the annual conservation poster contest, and STEM and conservation student programs throughout Clayton County. Growing up, she spent summers visiting her grandparents 1,000+ acre farm in Quitman, Ga which started her passion for natural resource conservation. 

Ricardo Diaz of Juliette, GA named 2025 GACD $1000 Scholarship Recipient

Ricardo is a senior at Mary Persons High School and will be attending Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in the fall to pursue a degree in Horticulture.

Mark Masters Elected as NACD First Vice President

Salt Lake City, UT – On February 12th, the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) announced the 2025 NACD Officers and Executive Board members and they were sworn in at last night’s Appreciation Banquet.

Mark Masters of Georgia was elected as First Vice President. He previously served as NACD Secretary-Treasurer. He is currently GACD Past President and a District Supervisor for the Lower Chattahoochee Conservation District.