The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts (PACD) elected a new slate of officers during its annual meeting on July 16, 2025, in Champion, PA. Among those elected was Emil Bove, Director and Board Secretary of the Westmoreland Conservation District, who will now serve as the Association’s President.

The 2025 PACD officers are:

• President: Emil A. Bove, Westmoreland Conservation District
• 1st Vice President: Barb Peace, Indiana County Conservation District
• 2nd Vice President: Thomas F. Herbert, Luzerne Conservation District
• Treasurer: Vince Pennoni, Delaware County Conservation District
• Secretary: Sonia Wasco, Lancaster County Conservation District

Executive Board Members not up for election and continuing to serve their terms:

• North Central Region Director: Dr. Robert Shannon, Centre County Conservation District
• North West Region Director & NACD North East Region Representative: Cliff Lane, McKean County Conservation District
• North East Region Director: Thomas F. Herbert, Luzerne Conservation District
• South East Region Director: Piper Sherburne, Berks County Conservation District
• South West Region Director: Barb Peace, Indiana County Conservation District
• South Central Region Director: Vacant
• NACD Director: Ron Rohall, Westmoreland Conservation District

 

 

Several conservationists were recognized during the awards luncheon on July 17, 2025, at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, PA.

The 2025 PACD honorees are as follows: 

President’s Award

• The Center for Agricultural Conservation Assistance Training at Penn State Extension

Ann Rudd Saxman Conservation District Director Excellence Award

• Earl Brown, Chairman/Public Director, Potter County Conservation District

Conservation District Employee Excellence Award

• David Stoner, Manager, Franklin County Conservation District

Conservation District Employee Service Recognition Awards

30 Years of Service

• James Saltsman, Agriculture Engineering Technical Specialist Level II, Lancaster

35 Years of Service

• Susan Gallagher, Chief Naturalist, Carbon
• Martie Hetherington, Agricultural Project Coordinator, Schuylkill
• Patrick McKinney, Environmental Educator, Schuylkill
• Sylvia Thompson, Assistant District Manager, Wayne

40 Years of Service

• Donna Fisher, District Manager, Blair

Click here to read the entire press release. 

 

 

The Conservation District Trash Challenge pits districts against each other to compete to see who can collect the most trash in the months of April and May.

Westmoreland Conservation District collected 132 bags of trash, 521 tires, with a total of 15,665 pounds of trash collected!

New for this year, the winning district received $500 from Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful.

Pounds of trash and tires collected from other districts included:

Westmoreland 15,665
Washington 11,130
Tioga              10,380
Allegheny      645
Clarion           555
Butler            340
Schuylkill       335
Jefferson       320
Pike                320
Mifflin            200
Lebanon        180

The total pounds of trash and tires reported was 40,070!

PACD is pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 “Home is Where the Habitat Is” statewide poster contest.

The winners and the county conservation district that submitted the posters are:

Category: Kindergarten through First Grade

• Olive Volpe, Blair County Conservation District

Category: Second through Third Grades

• Aiden German, Columbia County Conservation District

Category: Fourth through Sixth Grades

• Cora Petrunak, Lehigh County Conservation District

Category: Seventh through Ninth Grades

• Farrah Leonard, Lehigh County Conservation District

Category: Tenth through Twelfth Grades

• Ella Shultz, Columbia County Conservation District

Each state-level winner will receive $50 and will be submitted for judging in the upcoming national competition this winter. The National Association of Conservation Districts sponsors the national contest. Click here for more information.

Click here to view the individual posters. 

Two sessions and tours were held during the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference on July 16, 2025.

The Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD) – Oven Run – A Restoration Success Story session was led by

Greg Shustrick, Watershed Specialist/Assistant Manager, Somerset Conservation District; Phil Wilson, Conservation Technician, PACD Engineering Assistance Program; Danielle Kalp, P.E., Conservation Engineer, PACD Engineering Assistance Program; and Lenny Lichvar, Bottomlands Conservancy. Attendees learned how cutting-edge treatment systems have dramatically improved water quality in the Stonycreek River watershed.

The Large-Scale Solar in Pennsylvania session was led by Daniel Brockett, Educator, Penn State Extension. Attendees learned about solar leases, environmental considerations, decommissioning, and how conservation districts can support informed landowner decisions.

Thank you to all the speakers for putting together these fun and educational tours!

Click here to read an article about the AMD Tour. 

During the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, PACD released its 2024-25 Annual Report. The report features program highlights, sub-grants awarded to conservation districts, advocacy efforts, and a financial overview.

Click here to view the report. 

The 2025 PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference will take place this week from July 15-17 at Seven Springs Mountain Resort in Champion, Pennsylvania.

The event features:

• Pre-conference activities include golfing, hiking, and biking
• Conservation district funding session
• Immersive experiences on solar production or acid mine drainage
• Awards Luncheon
• State Conservation Commission 80th Anniversary Celebration
• Networking breakfasts
• State Conservation Commission Meeting
• PACD Executive Council Meeting
• Basket raffle

Look for conference highlights, award recipients, and photos from the event in the next issue of Front Page.

Registration is open for the 2025 Management Summit, September 16–18, at the Wyndham Garden Conference Center in State College. The year’s program features sessions on transition and change management, artificial intelligence, financial planning, and influencing decision-makers. All district management staff and partner staff are welcome to attend. Visit Building for Tomorrow for the agenda and registration links.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

Leadership Development is posting a monthly series of short videos in 2025 to share information, promote programming, and encourage discussion on board development topics. The July installment of the series includes information on the district director nominating process.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

Registration is open for the 2025 Management Summit & PreCon, scheduled for September 16–18 at the Wyndham Garden Conference Center in State College.

This year’s program includes:

A PreCon day dedicated to helping emerging leaders navigate transition, uncertainty, and change
A Day 1 Keynote and Manager Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence
A Day 2 workshop on Communicating to Influence

Management Summit is open to all district managers, management staff, and partner staff. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Visit Building for Tomorrow for the Summit agenda, registration link, and room block information.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.