Mark Masters, District Supervisor, Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District
GACD is honored to recognize Mark Masters as Supervisor of the Year for 2021. Mark has served as a District Supervisor for the Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District representing Terrell County since 2013. Mark displays outstanding leadership in the protection and enhancement of our state’s natural resources through positions with his local Conservation District and to GACD, where he previously served as our Group 3 Vice President and now serves as our new President. Mark has been instrumental in securing grants, coordinating outreach with local producers, and establishing and maintaining partnerships for the Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District.
Mark was chosen as an inaugural participant of the National Conservation Foundation's "Next Generation Leadership Institute" cohort. He was one of seven selected in the nation and two in the Southeast.
He currently serves as Director of the Georgia Water Planning and Policy Center at Albany State University and is a leading expert in agricultural water use and policy in the Southeastern U.S. Throughout his career, Mark has led numerous research and outreach projects related to water resources in Georgia and has positioned the Center as a trusted technical resource for the State and its water planning efforts. Mark is active on a number of local, state and national advisory boards including the American Farm Bureau Water Advisory Committee, Governor’s Soil and Water Advisory Committee, the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership Board of Directors.
He resides in Dawson, GA with his wife Amy and daughters Lilly, Sally and Molly.
In appreciation of 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.