National Association of Conservation Districts

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SIMS TAKES REINS OF NACD AT 61ST ANNUAL MEETING

LOS ANGELES—February 8, 2007—The National Association of Conservation Districts’ new president is Olin Sims, a rancher and conservation leader from McFadden, Wyoming.

Sims was elected to the two-year post by NACD’s Board of Directors here Tuesday. “Our future is bright,” said Sims. The work of members from throughout the country at NACD’s 61st annual meeting here will set the stage for future success, he said. “We’re getting extremely close as an organization to being able to speak with one, powerful voice for conservation, and we’re also getting close to achieving that goal with our partners.”

Work at the annual meeting included developing a clear set of priorities for the organization as it moves toward the 2007 Farm Bill and other conservation challenges.

Other officers elected included first-vice president Steve Robinson, a farmer and business operator from Marysville, Ohio. “I look forward to continuing to work for conservation districts across the country. That’s always been my goal.” Robinson is a row-crop farmer and also operates a construction company. He has installed numerous conservation practices on his farm, which was the site of a wild turkey release by the Ohio wildlife agency last week.

Elected second vice president was Bob Cordova, a rancher and longtime conservation district official from Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Re-elected secretary-treasurer was John Redding of Monroe, Georgia. Redding is a longtime conservation district official and community leader.

President Sims thanked conference attendees for hard work throughout the conference. “I’d like to commend everyone here for coming to this convention with their sleeves rolled up. We had a very ambitious and demanding workload, but folks really responded,” he said.

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The National Association of Conservation Districts is the non-profit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts and 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For almost 70 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. NACD’s website is at www.nacdnet.org.