August 19, 2025 - Jekyll Island, GA – The Georgia Association of Conservation Districts (GACD) held their annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 during their Annual Meeting to honor and award those individuals who have gone above and beyond to further conservation efforts for our state. The awards are Superior Professional Support, District of the Year, Supervisor of the Year, Urban Conservationist of the Year and Conservationist of the Year. Scholarship recipients and special recognitions were also honored.

Conservationist of the Year

Every year, GACD recognizes farmers and landowners that are conducting exemplary conservation work on their land and have demonstrated a strong commitment to soil and water conservation through their land stewardship, outreach and community interactions, and/or education. The recipient of GACD’s 2025 Conservationist of the Year award is Herbert Hodges. Herbert Hodges, an ordained minister who practices what he preaches and shares the good news of his heart, is also a strong conservation advocate who helps connect minority landowners to resources to achieve their conservation goals. Over the years, the Hodges family has hosted many groups to teach climate resilient land management techniques that reduce wildfire risk, sequester carbon emissions, and provide for a healthier and more diverse wildlife population. With assistance from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), longleaf pines were established on his farm in which he has since partnered with National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and NRCS Georgia to transform his farm into a “model farm” and provide mentorship to fellow landowners, specifically minority landowners. He has worked closely with NWF, NRCS, Pine Country RC&D, Georgia Forestry Commission, Ohoopee River Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), The Longleaf Alliance, the GA Heirs Property Law Center, Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, and many other groups to host workshops and to develop a first-of-its kind curriculum titled "Longleaf and the Landowner”, a 3-day Longleaf Academy tailored to the minority landowner experience and history. Mr. Hodges is committed to long-term sustainable forestry and wildlife management for himself, his family, and other landowners in the community and region. He was nominated for this award by the Ohoopee River Conservation District. Congratulations to Herbert Hodges!

Pictured (left to right): Herbert Hodges and Brian Ponder - GACD President

Urban Conservationist of the Year

In 2023, GACD started a new award to recognize urban conservationists for their exemplary work and strong commitment to soil and water conservation through their land stewardship, outreach, community interactions, and education in urban areas of Georgia. The recipient of GACD’s 2025 Urban Conservationist of the Year award is Cory Rayburn.
Cory Rayburn holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Health Science from the University of Georgia and a Master’s in Civil Engineering from Kennesaw State. He has devoted nearly 20 years of his career to the public sector protecting our water resources. He began his career with the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission before moving to municipalities including Roswell, Atlanta, and Johns Creek. His current role is Senior Water Resources Engineer for Jacobs Engineering. He has been a Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor since 2013 and serves as the district’s local expert in Stormwater Management policy and implementation. Cory has been pushing the integration of nature-based solutions to help solve urban runoff challenges for the past 15 years. He has overseen multiple award-winning projects such as Rodney Cook, Sr. Park in Atlanta, and has been a staunch advocate and leader for building resilience into our urban landscapes.
Cory has also embraced and supported Urban Agriculture efforts within Fulton County and led the conservation district’s effort to apply for and receive two Urban and Community Conservation Grants from the National Association of Conservation Districts – one in 2017 and one that wrapped up this year. Both grants focused on building out the much needed urban agriculture infrastructure within Low-Income, Low Access food areas in Fulton County. These grants helped to convert underutilized Georgia Power utility easements into urban farms through partnerships with the City of Atlanta’s Office of Sustainability, the AgLanta program, Groundworks Atlanta, and Core2Globe.
As a strong steward of the environment who believes in sharing collaborative ideas and solutions, Cory has presented in over 180 conferences, workshops, peer exchanges, webinars and tours related to improving Georgia’s water resources. He also represented Georgia’s 40 Soil and Water Conservation Districts on the Governor’s Stakeholder Advisory Board for 8 years. Fulton County Soil and Water Conservation District Chairman said of Cory: “His expertise and project management skills have been instrumental in helping the district achieve our goals. The conservation district and the community are grateful for his efforts.” Congratulations to GACD’s 2025 Urban Conservationist of the Year, Cory Rayburn!

Pictured (left to right): Brian Ponder - GACD President and Cory Rayburn

District of the Year

The District of the Year award was established by GACD and the Tennessee Valley Authority in 2001 to recognize the Conservation District in Georgia which best plans, implements, and reports a conservation program in a given year. GACD is excited to recognize the Blue Ridge Mountain Conservation District as the 2025 District of the Year. The Blue Ridge Mountain Conservation District has been a consistent leader in the community by actively promoting conservation to local producers and students. The past two years, they have hosted “Georgia Beef Day”, a community event, to provide agricultural and natural resource conservation educational and agency offerings at the Union County Farmers Market with attendance of about 5000 people. There were more than 20 supporting agencies to answer questions and provide support to the community. The district cooked and served free hamburgers provided by local beef producers. They provide further support to schools by awarding the Olin Hughes Memorial Scholarship to enrolled college students and supporting FFA Chapters, support student attendance of the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop and provide a bus for student travel to the workshop. Through partnership with Natural Resources Conservation Service and UGA Extension, and the Chestatee-Chattahoochee RC&D, the District has recently opened the Butternut Creek Trail which highlights local historical facts and native plant species. They have also been a part of updating the grounds of the Herbert Reece Historical Farm with native species and markers for educational purposes. They also provide other educational opportunities and workshops as needed. The District holds their monthly meeting and farm tour every July providing District Supervisors local educational opportunities. They also participate in GACD’s Feral Swine Control program and offer trapping services to landowners throughout the county. GACD’s State winning photo for 2024 was taken by Jennifer Holloway of Hiawassee, Ga. Congratulations to GACD’s 2025 District of the Year, Blue Ridge Mountain!

Pictured (left to right):Dr. John Kay, Ann Stanley, Wayne Swanson, Frank Riley, and Brian Ponder - GACD President.

Supervisor of the Year

In appreciation of District Supervisors’ commitment to the protection of Georgia’s natural resources, GACD presents a Supervisor of the Year award annually at Annual Meeting. The award recognizes exemplary achievements, leadership, and service to GACD, NACD, and local communities. This year, Deetra Poindexter, District Supervisor for the Clayton County Conservation District, is the 2025 Supervisor of the Year. Born and raised in Atlanta, Deetra majored in Early Childhood Education in college and received an Honorary Doctorate from The Global International Alliance University in May 2022. She received this honor for making a difference in her community and the lives of youth for over 30 years. She has served in the U.S. Army Reserve since 1989. Deetra is a very active district supervisor and engages her community in natural resource conservation. She plays a vital role in the district’s education and outreach programs as the point of contact with the local school district. She spends much of her free time attending and orchestrating various school events including college and career fairs, STEM nights, and agriculture field days. She is instrumental in promoting and coordinating the annual poster contest, and ensures students and educators are aware of programs such as the Natural Resource Conservation Workshop. Teaching students about conserving our soil and water resources brings a fresh perspective to urban Clayton County. Deetra’s passion for getting youth involved with their community, and the source of their food production, shows readily through her commitment and tireless efforts. Her community involvement is outstanding. She planned and hosted an “All Growers Meet and Greet” where she gathered community gardeners, local restaurant owners, and farmers for the purpose of building relationships and informing the community about resources available to them through the conservation district and various partner agencies. She and the district exhibit annually at the local Wetlands Festival and other community events. Deetra is a team player and coordinates all of her efforts with her fellow district supervisors and enjoys working together towards healthy soil and clean water in Clayton County. Deetra is very actively involved with GACD and other partner agencies. Thank You and congratulations to Deetra Poindexter for her dedicated service!

Superior Professional Support

Each year, GACD presents an award to an individual recognized as providing superior support to Soil and Water Conservation Districts in Georgia. This year the GACD Superior Professional Support recipient is Jennifer Standridge with the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission. Jennifer is the GSWCC, Region II Manager providing support to 10 Conservation Districts. She provides administrative assistance and technical support and works closely with supporting agencies to provide conservation education through district events, workshops, and field days. She seeks out grant funding for District project support. She is responsible for sending out meeting and public forum notices, monthly meeting minutes, managing budgets, keeping plans of work updated, yearly annual reports and audits, and manages social media for those districts who participate. Jennifer is certified to provide Water Quality Testing and provides this service as needed. She recommends new ideas for district involvement and even enters local parades in District’s honor. She provides technical assistance for landowners and homeowners, site visits for complaint follow-up, reviews Erosion & Sediment plans and coordinates training with Local Issuing Authorities. Jennifer has been instrumental in the success of the Natural Resources Conservation Workshop (NRCW) at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and the Envirothon Competition for many years. She is involved in making the Small Farm Conference a success and a no cost event for Georgians to attend. She provides assistance to the Districts with student scholarship opportunities they provide. Jennifer has provided over 20 years of professional service to GSWCC and the Districts she works with. She received nominations from Broad River, Lincoln County and Oconee River Conservation Districts, which lends support to her dedication. Thank you and congratulations to Jennifer Standridge for her dedicated service!

GACD Names Annual 2025 Award Recipients

GACD | The Voice of Conservation in Georgia

PO Box 1134, Ringgold, GA 30736 | 833-411-4223 | info@gacd.us