News Release from the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts
Four SWCD Staff Receive Employee of the Year Honors
 Four Soil and Water Conservation District staff were honored recently as District Employees of the Year for their outstanding service to landowners, the public at large, and the conservation community. The recognition took place last week at the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation District's Annual Conference. The Conservation Awards Banquet was held at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown as part of the conference on Tuesday, January 15.
Caption: Indiana District Employee Association President Sharon Watson, far left, presents the Employee of the Year awards to (from the left): Jan Stout, Miami County SWCD, Multi-task; Harvey Nix, Porter County SWCD, Technical; Bonnie Bittner, Vanderburgh SWCD; Administrative / Secretarial; and Don Emmert, Tippecanoe County SWCD, Educational
Selection of the 2007 District Employee of the Year recipients was based on service to the public, willingness to participate “above and beyond the call of duty,” professional ethics, attitude towards responsibility, dedication to the principles of natural resource conservation, and measurable accomplishments. Letters of support and each District’s last annual report also was requested and reviewed. The award is presented in four categories:
- Administrative/Secretarial,
- Educational,
- Technical, and
- Multi-task.
Each of the four recipients received an award from the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and a plaque from the Indiana District Employees Association.
The 2007 District Employee of the Year recipient in the administrative/secretarial category is Bonnie Bittner, Vanderburgh County.
Bonnie has never been able to say "no" to challenges set forth by the SWCD and office staff. She works hard to insure a seamless structure to be presented to the general public as they work through answers to their natural resources. She has never been afraid to get dirty in the involvement of SWCD projects such as water monitoring, hosting a tillage demonstration plot or cosponsoring a soils judging contest.
The District employee honored in the Technical category for 2007 is Harvey Nix, Porter County.
This year marks 25 years of service Harvey has given to the Soil and Water Conservation Districts including the people of Porter County and other counties. During those 25 years, he has brought to Porter County a total of $150,000 in funds for repairs dealing with floods. The Drainage Board used his assistance in engineering and field work to repair over two miles of levies in the county. He has designed 83 ponds for individuals, seeded hundreds of acres in filter-strips, hundred of acres of trees and has personally worked with 21,132 people in regards to water problems, ponds, wildlife habitat, building issues and disputes between landowners.
The 2007 District employee of the year in the Educational category is Don Emmert, Tippecanoe County.
Don is the Tippecanoe County Partnership for Water Quality SWCD Educator. He takes the position very seriously and makes every effort to provide the necessary programs to fulfill the Phase II requirements and goals of the SWCD Long Range Plan. He prepares an education budget and develops an annual plan of work designed to meet the requirements of both the partnership and SWCD. He works cooperatively with diverse individuals, groups, and organizations to address the natural resource conservation education needs of the community.
The 2007 District employee of the year in the Multi-task category is Jan Stout, Miami County.
Jan's extra effort is very critical to Miami County's success. She utilizes volunteers for many of the educational field days, including the annual tree sale. Jan is well received within the Miami County community and continues to strive to provide excellent customer service to both internal and external customers. She has developed a solid partnership with NRCS. She is directly responsible for the SWCD / NRCS office contacting and supporting approximately 5,600 people with technical assistance in fiscal year 2007 for the various programs offered. Jan strives to run the office in a very professional and proficient manner. She is always looking for ways to improve herself, as well as the office.
For additional information on the Indiana District Employees Association, visit their Web site. For other IASWCD conference releases and photos, click here for news from the IASWCD.
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