PA Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding and PACD Director of Communication and Education Shannon Wehinger at the Cornucopia reception.
On April 18, 2017 agricultural organizations gathered in the Capitol’s East Rotunda for the annual “Taste of Pennsylvania” reception. The event showcased Pennsylvania’s agricultural products for the legislators in attendance. The reception is sponsored by the Pennsylvania State Council of Farm Organizations.
Mark your calendars for the 2017 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, which will be held July 12-13, 2017 at the Red Lion Hotel Harrisburg Hershey in Harrisburg, PA. Registration will open in May.
The PACD/SCC Winter Meeting was held in State College January 24-25. During the meeting, sessions were held on Growing Greener III, Farm Bill, Stormwater, and PACD’s On-Call Attorney program. During the Executive Council meeting, a motion was passed to strike the PACD Auxiliary from the Bylaws and a motion was passed to improve the efficiency of the PACD Policy Process. A 50/50 drawing was held with proceeds benefitting the Pennsylvania Envirothon.
PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh attended the 50th anniversary banquet and board meeting of the Blair County Conservation District on October, 20, 2016. Pictured left to right are: Donna Fisher, District Manager; John Morrow, Director; Commissioner Terry Tomassetti; Jim Biddle, Secretary/Treasurer; Blaine Smith, Vice-Chair; Shambaugh; Gary Long, Director; Alan Gearhart, Director; and Chairman Harold Bailey.
The grand prize winning photo from this year’s annual Conservation District Watershed Specialist Photo Contest (above) was submitted by Kelly Williams, Watershed Specialist for the Clearfield County Conservation District. The photo, which Kelly has titled “Reflections”, captures Kelly and her niece monitoring water quality at a treatment site for abandoned mine drainage. Photo used with permission.
McKean County Conservation District (MCCD) directors and staff show Shambaugh the native plant and pollinator garden adjacent to their office building. The garden was funded by a Lumber Heritage Region grant. https://www.lumberheritage.org/grants1.htm Pictured from left to right are: Cliff Lane, County Commissioner and MCCD Board Director; Kerry Fetter, MCCD Board Chairman; Brenda Shambaugh, PACD Executive Director; Bob Wright, MCCD Board Director; and Sandy Thompson, MCCD District Manager.
Welcome our newest PACD Engineering Assistance Program technician, Phillip Wilson! Phillip works out of the Somerset Conservation District office, along with full-time engineer Eric Robertson and part-time technician Phil Gardner. His first day was September 26, 2016.
Phillip has a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a certificate in AutoCAD from the Somerset County Technology Center. He can be reached at pwilson@pacd.org. 
PACD recently created a video explaining conservation districts and the great work they accomplish on a daily basis. The video was created for districts to use to introduce new board members and the public to conservation districts. Please share the video with county commissioners, other elected legislators, and others who are unfamiliar with conservation districts. Click here to view the video.
Attendees of the NACD Executive Director Conference pose in front of the Arkansas River. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh is pictured in the middle row, second from the left.