At their Group Meeting on October 24, 2023, members of the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) elected Ricky Yarbrough of Jones County as GACD Group 2 Vice-President, and Howard (Sonny) Turner of Walton County as GACD Group 2 Alternate Vice-President. They will each serve two year terms and represent the Northeast area of the state on the GACD Board.
Ricky Yarbrough
Piedmont Soil and Water Conservation District(SWCD) Supervisor for Jones County, Ricky Yarbrough was first elected to the Piedmont SWCD in 2012 and has served continuously since. Mr. Yarbrough resides in the Bradley Community and is the owner of Cherry Ridge Farms Land and Cattle which he established in 1988 and utilizes many conservation practices in many areas of the farm. He is a former Federal Civil Servant with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management retiring with over 34 years of service as a Computer Specialist. He served as President of the Baldwin-Jones-Putnam Cattlemen's Association from 2010 through 2012 and again from 2015 through 2022. He is a member of National Cattlemen, Georgia Cattlemen, American Hereford Association, National Wild Turkey Federation and serves as an agricultural advisor for the local Cooperative Extension office and the Jones County FFA where he is a member of the FFA Alumni. After retiring, Mr. Yarbrough has been a strong advocate for soil and water conservation in Jones County.
Sonny Turner
Howard (Sonny) Turner was appointed to the Walton County Conservation District in 2010 where he has served for 13 years. Mr. Turner began his career in Agriculture Education and later worked for Walton EMC where he retired having spent a lifelong career in Member Services and Supervision. After retirement, he turned to conservation. His efforts toward conservation in Walton County begin with youth. He is known for taking high school students under his wings and giving them resources to succeed in the agriculture and conservation fields. He spearheads scholarship opportunities and is a fierce supporter of sending students to the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop (NRCW) every year where he attended the very first NRCW in 1962. He shares conservation efforts with local farmers and teaches them about erosion control, invasive species, and pond management and gives tours on his own farm to share his knowledge. Mr. Turner serves on many state and local leadership boards and is completely dedicated to the conservation efforts in Walton County and the Northeast Region of Georgia.