Ms. Salley Cooks (left), chairperson of the Edgefield County School District; Hugh Bland,
Hugh Smith and Dr. Mary Rice Crenshaw, Superintendent of the Edgefield County Schools.
BLAND RECEIVES STATE CONSERVATION AWARD
COLUMBIA, SC…Hugh Bland of Edgefield, Agricultural Education Instructor and FFA advisor at the Strom Thurmond Technology Center, has been named recipient of the prestigious State Conservation Education Merit Award by the SC Chapter of the Soil and Water Society of America. The presentation of the award was made to Mr. Bland at a recent meeting of the Edgefield County School Board by Hugh Smith, president-elect of the Society.
In his presentation, Mr. Smith said, “Mr. Bland had been selected for this award because of his outstanding dedication in promoting and encouraging conservation education and inspiring young adults to pursue careers in the field of soil and water conservation.”
According to Mr. Smith, the Soil and Water Conservation of America is a non-profit scientific and educational organization that serves as an advocate for conservation professionals and science-based conservation practices, programs and policy. Membership in the organization comes from nearly every academic discipline and many different public, private and non-profit institutions.
Mr. Bland was nominated for the award by John W. Parris, retired executive director of the SC Land Resources Commission and a past president of the Society, who currently serves as the state director of public affairs for Agricultural Education in South Carolina.