August 8, 2023 - Savannah, GA – The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts held their annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 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.
Jerry Holcomb has been a District Supervisor representing Liberty County for the Coastal Georgia Conservation District for 14 years. He currently serves as the District Chair. He is a former GACD Board Member serving as our Group 4 Vice President and has been previously awarded GACD Supervisor of the Year for his leadership efforts throughout his region.
Jerry was born and raised on a diversified dairy, beef, and row crop farm in Peach County Georgia. Following High School, he attended Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College from 1965-1967. In 1968, he was awarded the American Farm degree from the Future Farmers of America organization and the following year graduated from the University of Georgia College of Agriculture with a B.S. in Agriculture. He later went on to obtain his master’s degree from the University of Georgia in 1980.
Jerry worked for the University of Georgia Extension Service as a County Agent from 1969 to 1999, served as City Arborist for Columbus, GA from 1987 – 1999, and as a consulting arborist from 1995 to present. During his time as a consulting arborist, he assisted the Georgia Forestry Commission with their Urban & Community Forestry Assistance program in partnership with the Georgia Urban Forest Council through his service as a circuit-rider arborist. In this capacity he assisted communities develop community forestry programs, revise tree ordinances, conduct hazardous tree assessments, prepared storm mitigation plans, conducted tree inventories, trained municipal tree care workers, and assisted with Tree City USA certifications.
He is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Consulting Arborist, operating a consulting business statewide.
Since being on the Board, Jerry has always been an active member working to promote the District and conservation efforts throughout the area. He has worked diligently to enhance educational workshop offerings to include estate planning, feral swine control, urban agriculture, erosion and sedimentation control, and forestland management. He has also been heavily involved in the annual Tree Care Seminar held in Woodbine, GA hosted for tree care professionals, government entities, and the general public to provide an opportunity to expand their knowledge on all aspects of tree care in urban settings.
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.
Congratulations to Jerry Holcomb, the 2023 Hall of Fame Inductee.
