August 7, 2023, Savannah, Ga— Dan Bennett of Walton County was inducted into the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) Southeast Region Hall of Fame at their Southeast Hall of Fame Luncheon in conjunction with the Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) Annual Meeting held in Savannah, Ga on August 7.
The Southeast Region Conservation Hall of Fame annually recognizes and honors individuals from the Southeast Region of the United States who have had a significant impact or influence on natural resources conservation practice or partnerships at the local, state, territory, regional or national levels.
Dan Bennett has been a District Supervisor for the Walton County Conservation District since 1996. He has served as the District Chair since 2010.
Dan was born in Selina, Kansas. Soon after his birth, Dan’s family moved to Sherman, New York, where he was raised. He began his Agricultural Education career at a two-year Agricultural College in New York. He transferred to the University of Georgia in 1977. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Education and a master’s degree in Agricultural Mechanics. Dan began his career in 1980 by teaching Agriculture. He then took a position at Walton Electric Membership Corporation(EMC) and has worked there for 35 years. He began as a member service representative and then became a commercial representative. During this time, he was awarded the very first US award for customer service from Walmart. Dan then became the Director of Corporate Affairs for Walton EMC.
Dan has been a dedicated District Supervisor and a true leader in Walton County. He has been devoted to promoting stewardship, agriculture, and conservation in the community. Under Dan’s leadership, the Walton County Conservation District has been awarded District of the Year by GACD. He has been instrumental in the success of GACD and has served in several leadership roles including President, Secretary/ Treasurer and most recently as Emeritus. He has been previously awarded GACD District Supervisor of the Year and is a member of GACD’s Hall of Fame.
Pictured: Steven Meeks - NACD Southeast Region Chair and Dan Bennett.
The mission of GACD is to advocate for the conservation of Georgia’s natural resources by providing organization, leadership and a unified strategic direction to the Conservation Districts of the state. For more information on GACD or to explore opportunities on how you can support our efforts, please visit us online at www.gacd.us or on Facebook @GACDConserve.