Gloria James is our newly hired Administrative Assistant at PACD. Gloria, husband Maurice, and their family reside in the City of Harrisburg. She enjoys dancing, live music festivals, gardening, and spending time with her family. She served in the US Air Force Reserve for eight years. Over the past two decades, she’s gained experience in the Administrative, HR, and Customer Service fields in both government and corporate sectors. Her email address is gjames@pacd.org.

The PACD Administrative Assistant is responsible for clerical duties and provides general program support for the office. This is a part-time position reporting to the Executive Director in the Harrisburg, PA office. Salary range: $20-22/hour plus benefits.

Click here for the full announcement. Please apply by e-mail with the subject heading “Administrative Assistant” to jobs@pacd.org. All application materials must be received by 4:30 pm EDT on September 5, 2023.

Indiana County Conservation District Manager Doug Beri presented at the Association of Illinois Soil and Water Conservation Districts’ 75^th Annual Meeting. Doug’s topic was, “Maximizing Total Compensation to Retain and Motivate Talented Employees.” The meeting was held in Springfield, Illinois from July 16 to July 18, 2023.

By: Brenda Shambaugh, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts

Did you know that over one-quarter of all the land in Pennsylvania is farmland? Of the 52,700 farms on this land, 88% are small producers making under $250,000 in gross revenue each year.

Many farmers rely on federal Farm Bill conservation programs to adopt conservation practices. Congress will soon consider a 2023 Farm Bill, which could provide a unique opportunity to focus resources on farms in Pennsylvania, helping to ensure clean water for future generations, reduce pollution, bolster farms to weather climate change, and keep them operating with a profit.

Click here to read the entire op-ed. 

The Franklin County Conservation District (FCCD) recently celebrated the 102nd birthday of Associate Director Sam Worley. Worley served as an FCCD board member for 27 years (1992-2019), after which he was named Associate Director. He has served in various capacities for the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) over the years and continues to be a member of the PACD Ways & Means Committee. His support and concern for conserving natural resources has been, and remains, an invaluable resource to Franklin County.

With sadness, we report the passing of former PACD President MaryAnn Warren on March 15, 2023.

MaryAnn served on the PACD Executive board for five years, serving as 2nd Vice President in 2007, then 1st Vice President in 2009, before leading the Association as President from 2010 to 2012.

MaryAnn was the Commissioner Director on the Susquehanna County Conservation District board starting in 2004. She served as an officer of the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts from 2007 to 2012 and as a member of the State Conservation Commission from 2008 to 2014.

She also served as director/treasurer for the Lackawanna/Susquehanna Behavioral Health/Intellectual Disabilities/Early Intervention program to address the issue of suicide, director/secretary for NEPA Community Health Care, a director/vice-chair for Endless Mountains Resource Conservation and Development, and a director for the Pratt Memorial Library.

MaryAnn was a dedicated public servant and leader. She will be missed.

Click here to read her obituary. 

April 23-29, 2023, will be “Conservation District Week” in Pennsylvania. During this week, district offices will hold conference calls and meetings with legislators. Resources such as letters, a press release, and social media images are available from PACD to promote Conservation District Week.

Conservation District Week materials are available here. 

Thanks to the conservation districts for submitting their 2022 highlights pages. The pages will be sent to all PA General Assembly members in early January.  

Click here to see what other districts have accomplished this year! 

Cliff Lane was recently elected as the North East Region Representative to the National Association of Conservation District’s (NACD) Executive Board. He will take office in early 2023.

“I look forward to representing Pennsylvania and the entire North East in my new role with the national association,” said Lane.

Cliff also serves as the PACD North West Region Director, as well as  Commissioner Director and Secretary/Treasurer for the McKean County Conservation District. He has been a director for McKean County Conservation District since 2004.

Congratulations Cliff!

On November 1, 2022, the Lancaster County Conservation District honored Gerald Heistand for many years of distinguished public service with the district. PACD Executive Director Brenda Shambaugh attended the event.

Gerald joined the conservation district in 1976, working in various departments as the district grew. He also initiated the district’s transition of technology and efficiency. His work has been recognized at the national level, along with state and regional cooperation and assistance.

Best of luck to Gerald in his retirement!