GACD is pleased to announce the new Star DPA Award recipient, Tixie Fowler, our DPA in the DeKalb County and Gwinnett County Conservation Districts. This award is dedicated to a DPA that stood out in exemplary support of their districts, agency partners, and community.
Tixie has served as a DPA since March of 2018 out of the Lawrenceville NRCS office. In just over two years, Tixie has been extremely successful in promoting and serving her conservation districts. Her list of accomplishments is long and quite impressive. Perhaps her greatest achievements have been the two large grants that she has written and received funding for; one called the ‘Urban Conservation Toolbox Grant’ for $166,000 and the other ‘The Bridge Grant’ for $195,500. In addition to maintaining these grant programs that have provided a mired of outreach resources for her communities, Tixie has created educational videos for students called “Careers in Conservation” and has hosted numerous educational workshops for youth and adults. By expanding her network of contacts, Tixie has been successful in bridging her local conservation districts with federal, state, and university partnerships that have further enhanced their outreach potential. Her recent partnership with Mercer University has led to the creation of the AgSTEM project, an ongoing educational project that seeks to blend agricultural and STEM education in urban areas.
The hard work that Tixie has put in for her districts has not gone unnoticed. Ellis Lamme, Chairman of the Gwinnett County Conservation District says, “Tixie is a very important part of the Gwinnett County Soil and Water Conservation District. She has tireless energy toward education, conservation and loyalty to all that she works with. Thank you Tixie for being so outstanding to us.” Mathew Retter, supervisor for Gwinnett County Conservation District, echoes his chairman and iterates, “Tixie is an asset to the district along with being a friend.” In addition to serving her two districts, Tixie has been an active and invaluable part of her work with her local NRCS office. Her District Conservationist, Ryan Burgess, has been truly pleased to work with her over the years and see all that she has accomplished. In describing her, Ryan says, “Tixie has a true commitment to her job and a passion for agriculture education. She is always eager to get outside with urban kids and educate them on everything from garden education to hiking through the woods and discovering ways to implement conservation into their practices. Tixie you are a true inspiration to us all in the work you do. Congratulations on your accomplishments and keep up the good work.”
Katie Bowker, GACD North Georgia Program Manager says, “Tixie never ceases to amaze me. Her work ethic and her ability to rally people together from different organizations under one cause and achieve a solid outcome is wonderful. I am always looking forward to seeing what she is working on next!”
Congratulations to Tixie Fowler, GACD’s Star DPA!
