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News from the IASWCD
For release: Thursday, January 9, 2014
State Conservation Organization Elects Officers for 2014
Four county Soil and Water Conservation District supervisors were elected to lead the Indiana Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (IASWCD) for 2014. The election took place at the conclusion of the Annual Business Meeting elected today. The four conservationists will provide leadership to the Association for the next 12 months.
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Scott Ham, left, chair of the State Soil Conservation Board, administered the oath of office to the 2014 IASWCD officers. From the left: Jamie Scott, secretary, Kosciusko County SWCD; Jeff Meinders, president, Ripley County SWCD; and Mike Starkey, treasurer, Hendricks County SWCD. Not pictured is Paul Cummings, vice president, Owen County SWCD. High resolution photo available from Google here. |
Jeff Meinders, a small business owner and cattle producer, was re-elected as the IASWCD president. Meinders, a lifelong resident of Milan, has served as a supervisor for the Ripley County Soil and Water Conservation District, and previously served on the IASWCD board as a director and officer. His family farming operation consists of registered Simmental cows, corn, soybeans, wheat and hay. He also operates a construction and excavating company. He and his wife, Leah, have two sons.
Paul Cummings, a supervisor from Owen County, was re-elected vice president. Cummings graduated from DePauw University bachelor's degree. He received his master's in environmental science from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Cummings has worked in the renewable energy field since 2006. Currently, he works for Hoosier Energy as a renewable energy analyst. He assisted on the development of the Meadow Lake Wind Farm in White County Indiana and the Timber Road Wind Farm in Paulding County Ohio, just East of Fort Wayne. Cummings lives with his wife, Dana, two sons, PJ and Owen, and daughter, Susan, in a cabin in the woods in the hills of Owen County. He previously served as IASWCD secretary.
Mike Starkey is the new IASWCD treasurer. He and his wife, Karen, and children, Nick and Ceciley, are longtime residents of Brownsburg in Hendricks County. Their family farm is now in its sixth generation. He is a graduate of University of Indianapolis with a bachelor of science degree in accounting and business administration. Starkey has been a no-till farmer for many years and shares his experience by hosting no-till and cover crop workshops several times annually. He has been a supervisor for the Hendricks County SWCD for over 14 years and previously served as a regional director for the IASWCD four years.
Jamie Scott, Kosciusko County SWCD, was re-elected IASWCD secretary. Scott is active on his family grain farm that utilizes numerous conservation practices. In 2008, they received the Conservation Legacy Award from the American Soybean Association. He also works with farmers promoting the use of cover crops. Scott also serves as one of 12 Conservation Cropping Systems Initiative farmers showcasing cover crops and soil health applications on his Kosciusko County farm. Scott previously served the IASWCD board as treasurer.
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