HARRISBURG, Pa. — Indiana County Conservation District Director Barbara Pearce received the President’s Award from the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts at its annual conference, held last month.
The President’s Award is presented to an individual, organization, or agency in recognition of their outstanding efforts that have resulted in furthering the accomplishments of PACD. Pearce, first vice president of the PACD, supported the group during a period of organizational change and leadership transition.
Other awards were given during the awards luncheon Aug. 6. Tom Ulrich, agricultural and erosion and sedimentation technician for Washington County Conservation District, received the Conservation District Employee Excellence Award.
This award is given to a conservation district employee for their outstanding efforts that have furthered the activities and accomplishments of conservation districts on a statewide basis.
Since joining the Washington County Conservation District in 2013, Ulrich has become a respected leader in agricultural conservation whose expertise has benefited communities across Pennsylvania. He has provided leadership to regional and statewide conservation initiatives, helped shape Pennsylvania’s Agricultural Conservation Assistance Program (ACAP), mentored conservation district staff and continually expanded his expertise through professional development.
The Washington County Conservation District also received the Conservation District Trash Champion award, for collecting the most trash during the months of April and May. Washington County Conservation District collected 1,168 tires and 800 trash bags for a total of 30,000 pounds of trash. Westmoreland Conservation District won a runner-up prize for most volunteer hours, putting in 200 hours of hard work.
The Conservation District Employee Service Recognition Awards recognize conservation district employees for their years of dedication to conserving Pennsylvania’s natural resources. Those recognized at the conference include the following:
35 years of service
Jim Coslo, manager, Centre County Conservation District
Debra Dressler, administrative and financial assistant, Juniata County Conservation District
30 years of service
Beth Futrick, ombudsman/grants coordinator, Blair County Conservation District
Jackie Ritko, resource conservation supervisor, Cambria County Conservation District
Tracey Crawford, manager, Crawford County Conservation District
The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts is a nonprofit organization that serves as the collective voice for Pennsylvania’s 66 county conservation districts.
