New Executive Director Announced
The National Association of Resource Conservation and Development
Councils, INC is pleased to announce our new Executive Director, John Haugen.
Mr. Haugen brings thirty years of Capitol Hill experience in all facets of the
legislative process with particular emphasis on agriculture, energy and the
environment to his new job. Twenty-six of those thirty years on Capitol Hill
were spent working for Congressman Charlie Stenholm (D-TX). The last two years
were spent working for Congressman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA). John has served as
Communications Director and Deputy Chief of Staff/Press Secretary to the House
Committee on Agriculture, which is one of the most bipartisan committees in
Congress. In addition, he brings experience in press and media relations,
leadership and fundraising.
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All
eleven of the Georgia RC&D Councils
earn the Circle of Diamonds designation.
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Five Rivers RC&D Council
Earns Enhanced Membership in
the Circle of Diamonds
The National Association of
Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Councils is
pleased to announce that Five Rivers RC&D Council of
Tecumseh, Nebraska is the first RC&D Council nationwide
to have applied for and earned Enhanced (Tier II)
Membership in the Circle of Diamonds program.
Congratulations, Five Rivers RC&D Council!
The Circle of Diamonds program was introduced in 2003
with a single tier. This year, your National Association
added two additional tiers to give councils the
opportunity to receive recognition for their exceptional
achievements beyond original program requirements. Both
additional tiers call for the institution of exemplary
governance practices and high internal management
standards designed to enhance the performance of
councils and lend them additional credibility in their
communities.
Founded in 1992, Five Rivers RC&D Council serves an
eight-county area in the southeastern corner of Nebraska
through a wide variety of projects, including hazardous
waste and scrap tire collections, weed management,
grassland preservation, and promotion of organic
agriculture.
As
a member of the Circle of Diamonds since 2005, Five
Rivers RC&D Council has already shown its accountability
to the public and commitment to the RC&D mission. With
its membership in the enhanced Circle of Diamonds, it
has demonstrated its ability to go above and beyond in
its pursuit of excellence.
Alan Richard,
President of Five Rivers RC&D Council, said: “We feel
very honored to be the first Council nationwide to be
awarded the Enhanced Level of the Circle of Diamonds.
It is a tribute to the strong team concept that the Five
Rivers RC&D has. The application process allowed us to
take a really good look at our internal processes and
procedures. Knowing that we are operating as recommended
by the National Association of RC&D Councils gives us
great satisfaction.
“It is important
to recognize those that have given us a lot of support
over the years. The twelve Nebraska RC&D’s have always
been encouraged by past RC&D Program Manager, Ken
Noonan, and the now current RC&D Program Manager, Doug
Christensen, to complete their area plans and achieve
the Circle of Diamonds. Because of this, Nebraska was
the first state to have all of its RC&D Councils achieve
the Circle of Diamonds! We express gratitude to every
sponsor of our RC&D as well as those for our past,
present, and future projects. We also appreciate the
leadership of the Nebraska State RC&D Association.”
Scott Kudrna,
Five Rivers RC&D Council former President and current
Nebraska State RC&D Association President, added: “It is
nice to be recognized for the work our council does. We
do not measure our accomplishments by how many awards we
accumulate but rather how much of an impact we make
locally. I am proud to say that regionally the Five
Rivers RC&D Council has consistently demonstrated our
ability to get the job done. Of course our success is a
direct correlation with the various entities we are able
to partner with and developing that working relationship
that serves all of our citizens.”
We
at the National Association heartily congratulate Five
Rivers RC&D Council on its achievement and encourage
other RC&D councils to apply for our enhanced Circle of
Diamonds membership. Information on the program is
available at
http://www.rcdnet.org/circle.php
