GACD Elects New Leadership & Extends Special Thanks

GACD is proud to announce our 2021 Executive Committee elected at our Special Meeting held on January 15.

Mark Masters, President, GACD

President: Mark Masters, Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District
Vice President: Tabatha Wooten, Altamaha Conservation District
Vice President: Roger Bowman, Catoosa County Conservation District
Secretary: Jake Ford, Alapaha Conservation District
Treasurer: Vikki Consiglio, Henry County Conservation District
NACD Representative: Danny Hogan, NACD Representative, Central GA Conservation District
Immediate Past President: Woody Snell, Cobb County Conservation District

Congratulations to our new leadership team!

We extend a special thank you to our former President Woody Snell, Past President Dan Bennett and Vice- President Marty McLendon for their leadership of our Association.  The growth and success of GACD can be attributed to the dedication of their countless time and resources. While they step down into new roles, their legacy and efforts will be remembered for years to come.

GACD Honors District Supervisors for Service

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 will receive a pin of service. Please note, some Supervisors reached these milestones of service previously and need to be recognized today despite already exceeding these years of service markers. Normally we would honor these individuals at our Annual Meeting but due to COVID, service pins will be mailed in the coming weeks.

HONORING 50 YEARS OF SERVICE

Coosa River Conservation District

Thad Rush

Lincoln County Conservation District

Olin Reed

Honoring 40 years of service

Catoosa County Conservation District

Bobby Plemmons

Coastal Conservation District

Pete Waller

Flint River Conservation District

Steve Singletary

Upper Chattahoochee River Conservation District

Edmond Reid

Walton County Conservation District

George Malcolm

honoring 30 years of service

Central GA Conservation District

Hodges Hartley

Paul English

Flint River Conservation District

John Harrell

Wayne Thomas

Lincoln County Conservation District

Stanton Tankersley

McDuffie County Conservation District

George Reeves

Middle South GA Conservation District

Farrow Baker

Ocmulgee River Conservation District

James Warbington

Ohoopee River Conservation District

LaVerne Davis

Honoring 20 years of service

Altamaha Conservation District

Travis Cook

Blue Ridge Mountain Conservation District

Dr. John Kay

Virginia Palmer

Clayton County Conservation District

Vacal Caldwell

Cobb County Conservation District

Don Ayres

Flint River Conservation District

Marty McLendon

Billy Roland

Fulton County Conservation District

Walt Rekuc

Alan Toney

Gwinnett County Conservation District

Ellis Lamme

Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District

Guy Beard

Frankie Sauls

McDuffie County Conservation District

Larry Morris

Pine Mountain Conservation District

Jerold Evans

Satilla River Conservation District

Marvin Giddens

Towaliga Conservation District

Douglas Cawthon

Upper Chattahoochee River Conservation District

Tracy Grizzle

Upper Ocmulgee River Conservation District

Bill Whitten

West GA Conservation District

Tommy Waldrop

Billy Sims

honoring 10 years of service

Alapaha Conservation District

Harold Simposon

David Fields

Paul Folsom

Carlos Vickers

Altamaha Conservation District

Bobby Mathews

Jeff Deen

Blue Ridge Mountain Conservation District

Damon Davenport

Les Neely

Brier Creek Conservation District

Robert Snider

Tom Mims

Lamar Black

Broad River Conservation District

George Smith

Laura Bass

Central GA Conservation District

Ralph Veal

Michael Jones

Wayne Dykes

James McCranie

Columbia County Conservation District

Gene Hair

Coosa River Conservation District

Jarrell Cagle

Milton Stewart

Gwinnett County Conservation District

Lawrence Kaiser

Henry County Conservation District

Amy Rollins

Flint River Conservation District

Shane Kelley

Graham Ginn

Steve Bailey

Pete Miller

Lamar County Conservation District

Chad Thompson

Lower Chattahoochee River Conservation District

Andrew Payne

George Cathrall

Bill Bowen

Oconee River Conservation District

Tony Embrick

Janice Marable

Ogeechee River Conservation District

A.W. Robinson

Middle South GA Conservation District

Van Murphy

Dan Niewoehner

Alex Sumner

Keith White

Ocmulgee River Conservation District

Larry Stubbs

Leon Arant

Donald Newberry

Jack McGlaun

Jimmy Moncrief

Ohoopee River Conservation District

Chris Hopkins

Piedmont Conservation District

Richard Josyln

David Blizzard

Pine Moutnain Conservation District

Benjamin Miller

Satilla River Conservation District

Jonny Harris

Upper Ocmulgee River Conservation District

Preston Wynens

Walton County Conservation District

Herman Wiley

Sonny Turner

West Georgia Conservation District

Joan Boalch

Buddy Burns

Broad River Conservation District Named District of the Year

GACD is excited to recognize the Broad River Conservation District as our 2021 District of the Year. The Broad River District encompasses the following counties in Northeast Georgia: Banks, Elbert, Franklin, Hart, Madison, Oglethorpe, Wilkes.

Broad River Conservation District has provided outreach, educational and financial assistance to advance local conservation efforts. Some of their activities include:

• Operating a successful feral swine control program, eliminating over 1,000 hogs since 2019

• Coordinating and leading successful outreach programs including two feral swine control workshops to educate landowners about control options, a poultry composting workshop to educate poultry farmers on composting, litter storage and permitting, and the highly successful Field to Fork program which was a three day event to teach hunters about wildlife conservation, firearms safety, biology and ethics. Participants ended the Field to Fork program with mentored hunts to use their newly acquired skills.

• The District also Funded a high tunnel and provided pollinator educational lessons to local schools

The mission of Broad River Conservation District is to serve as a voice of conservation, meeting the needs of residents and farmers. By providing advocacy, outreach programs, and conservation education, Broad River seeks to encourage others to become stewards of the land. 

Congratulations to GACD’s 2021 District of the Year, Broad River!

The District of the Year award was established by GACD and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 2001 to recognize the conservation district in Georgia which best plans, implements, and reports a conservation program in a given year.

Mark Masters Named Supervisor of the Year

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.

ALAN TONEY NAMED GACD 2021 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

ALAN TONEY, CHAIR, FULTON COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT

Growing up in the Atlanta area as a fourth generation Atlantan, Alan had the pleasure of exploring Georgia’s waterways at places like Lake Lanier and in ponds and rivers near his home. An avid outdoorsman, Alan is a trained naturalist and enjoys spending his time studying the outdoors, fly fishing, and visiting places like Yellowstone National Park. 

After retiring from a career in corporate finance, Alan was able to continue his devotion to the outdoors. As an extremely active volunteer for the Chattahoochee Riverkeepers, Alan has collected over a thousand water samples that provide vital information on the health of the waterways in the area. 

A few of Alan’s notable accomplishments include: 

• Serving as Vice Chair of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Regional Atlanta Development Planning Committee during the implementation of Metropolitan River Protection Act

• Serving as a member of Friends of the River and helping to create the Chattahoochee National Recreation Area 

• Serving as the Treasurer for Friends of Lost Corner that supports the local nature preserve 

• Being nominated for the Cox Conserve Hero Award in 2015 

• Currently serving chairman of the Fulton County SWCD where he has been a supervisor since 1995

Fellow district supervisor, Jason Ulseth says this about Alan- “I have known Alan for more than 15 years and he is one of the most dedicated District Supervisors I’ve ever worked with. He’s also a committed volunteer to help the environment and his local community.” 

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 Alan Toney , the 2021 GACD Supervisor Hall of Fame Inductee. 

GACD and Fulton County Soil & Water Conservation District announce funding for Georgia Conservation Assistance Program

The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts and the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District are excited to award over $20,000 in first round funding to eight homeowners for the installation of green infrastructure practices through the Georgia Conservation Assistance Program.

Alan Toney, Chair of the Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District says, “We are very pleased to announce the first recipients of the Georgia Conservation Assistance Program.  This important partnership will help reduce stormwater flooding, improve water quality, protect homeowner’s property and improve the general livability of our neighborhoods.”

In urban areas, stormwater runoff is one of the major sources of pollution that impacts watersheds. Green infrastructure practices such as cisterns, dry wells and rain gardens installed in residential areas can reduce the rate of stormwater runoff & water pollution in urban areas all while maintaining a beautiful home exterior. Trees Atlanta, a non profit group that works to increase green space in Atlanta, will be partnering with GACD and the District to perform all green infrastructure installations for the Program.

Georgia Conservation Assistance Program is a partnership between the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts and the Cobb and Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation Districts that funds the installation of green infrastructure practices on residential properties located in Cobb and Fulton County. Funds for the Program are provided by the United States Department of Agriculture.

For more information, please visit www.gacd.us/gcap .

Congratulations to Wesley Doyle, GACD's Superior Support Professional Award Recipient

The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) is thrilled to announce Wesley Doyle as recipient of the 2021 GACD Superior Professional Support award for his accomplishments. This is awarded yearly to recognize an individual who has provided superior leadership in and support of soil and water conservation in Georgia. 

For the past 2.5 years, Wesley has served as District Program Assistant to the Lamar County and Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the Barnesville Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Field Office. During this time he put his public relations and marketing skills to use to bring significant recognition to both Districts through outreach events, the creation of promotional materials, and the establishment and maintenance of a significant online presence. He has applied for and successfully secured a multitude of awards for conservation minded producers within his Districts that brought national attention to Georgia. In addition, his efforts have bolstered partnerships between both Districts and NRCS, the Farm Service Agency, Resource Conservation & Development councils, University of Georgia Extension and the Georgia Forestry Commission.

Wesley has brought conservation opportunities directly to his local communities through grant funding to implement conservation education initiatives. With his efforts, he has secured over $90,000 in grants on behalf of his Districts to create the Beef Cattle 101 Educational Series, which provides Lamar County producers opportunities to learn about cattle grazing systems and to make improvements to the Wetland Nature Trail in Barnesville, GA. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Conservation Education Initiative that provides raised garden beds for educational purposes in the Towaliga Soil and Water Conservation District.

Wesley rose above and beyond his position of District Program Assistant and excelled in serving his local Districts and NRCS with all of their programmatic outreach. His dedication and service in this position has truly benefited not only the surrounding community but also everyone with which he has worked. 

Thank you and congratulations to Wesley Doyle for his dedicated service!

GACD Executive Director, Katie Sponberger, awards the GACD Superior Support Professional Award to Wesley Doyle.

GACD Congratulates Tom McCall & Extends Thanks to Gerald Long

The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts would like to extend congratulations to Mr. Tom McCall, the newly elected President of Georgia Farm Bureau. We look forward to our continuing work with former Representative McCall as we advocate for the conservation of Georgia's natural resources.

We would also like to give a special thank you to past President Gerald Long for his service through our conservation partnership. Mr. Long's dedication to agriculture and natural resources will leave a lasting impact across our state.

Pictures courtesy of Georgia Farm Bureau

Tixie Fowler Named GACD's Star DPA

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!

GACD Annual Meeting Cancellation and Special Meeting Announcement

After much discussion and careful deliberation, the GACD Board has made the decision to cancel our Annual Meeting originally scheduled for January 15-17, 2021 at Callaway Resort and Gardens. Our top priority has been the health, safety, and well-being of our conservation community. With so much uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, we believe this is the only way to protect all our Annual Meeting attendees, speakers, and exhibitors.

As you know, we depend on the Annual Meeting to present and have discussion on important Association business. Because of that reason, I would like to announce a Special Virtual Meeting to be held on January 15 from 1pm-2:30pm where we will discuss several items of business. A detailed agenda will be distributed before the meeting.

The GACD Special Meeting will be conducted virtually via Zoom. Registration is required and can be completed at www.gacd.us/events .
We will hold a Zoom assistance session at 12:30pm on January 15 for anyone who needs assistance using the Zoom features that will be required for participation in voting and discussion.