Yesterday during the Leadership Luncheon, U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack provided a keynote address for the session and made an announcement regarding the availability of Inflation Reduction Act funding to support oversubscribed voluntary conservation programs.

“The reality is, we can’t get it done without you. There needs to be a strong partnership between USDA and conservation districts. You’re the trusted source in your communities,” remarked Secretary Vilsack. “Now, for the first time in a long time you’re going to have significant resources to drive adoption, get producers ready to participate in climate-smart markets, and quantify and measure those outcomes. This is the moment for people to understand what you’ve been advocating for a long time – conservation. This is your opportunity.”

Secretary Vilsack spoke to an audience of over 800 conservation professionals during his keynote presentation at the NACD Leadership Luncheon. To read more about Secretary Vilsack's remarks and announcement, visit NACD's newsroom.

The first General Session of the NACD 2023 Annual Meeting opened on Monday, February 13. Immediate Past President Tim Palmer presided over the session, welcoming members, partners, and all attendees to New Orleans. Each state and territory was welcomed with the Parade of States. This procession is our tribute to the 50 states, seven territories, and the District of Columbia in which our conservation districts and state and territory association members serve in year-round. Jim Caldwell provided a Louisiana Welcome, sharing what makes the state a unique place to visit and to work on natural resources management.

NACD President Michael Crowder spoke to attendees about progress the association has made during his presidency. This was followed by NACD CEO Jeremy Peters' address, where he discussed the meeting's theme of "Local Resiliency, National Community" and the opportunities and challenges on the horizon for conservation districts.

Lt. General Russel L. Honoré gave an engaging keynote address, highlighting the the key principles of leadership and the challenges that leaders face in a world of emerging natural resource concerns and natural disasters.

States, districts, and individuals who have made remarkable contributions to NACD and their communities were recognized during the 2023 Leadership Luncheon on Monday, February 13. Attendees heard from Frank Williams, DOMS Committee Chair to induct two new individuals into the NACD Hall of Distinction. Those new inductees are:

After lunch was served, NACD Secretary-Treasurer Gary Blair announced states and territories who achieved 100 percent district participation in Fiscal Year (FY) 2022. He also recognized the top 10 contributing states in FY 2022, with the top 3 states being North Carolina, Indiana, and Alabama.

The 2022 cohort of the National Conservation Foundation's (NCF) Next Generation Leadership Institute (NGLI) also graduated at today's luncheon. The NGLI program prepares cohort to serve as the conservation leaders of the future.

NACD appreciates everything that conservation districts, state and territory associations, and individuals in communities across the nation do to support conservation.

The 2023 National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Live Auction was held on Monday night to support Envirothon, the Next Generation Leadership Institute, and other conservation education programs.

Thank you to all who donated to last night's auction. The success of the auction each is made possible by your contributions.

The auction raised approximately $43,000 in support of NCF's mission. Thank you to all who participated!

Additional information can be found in the programs and meeting app.

Editor's Note: In yesterday's edition, we listed Sarah Blaney having been elected as the ACED South Central Region Representative, Blaney was also elected ACED Vice-President.

During Monday's Leadership Luncheon attendees were able to view the photos and posters that were recognized as winners of this year's contest. The theme for this year's contest was, "Healthy Soils, Healthy Life."

Read more about this year's winners in NACD's newsroom and view the winning posters and videos on NACD's Flickr page.

NACD District Operations and Member Services (DOMS) Committee Chairman Franklin Williams announced the 2023 Friends of NACD District Grant Recipients during yesterday's Leadership Luncheon.

Read about the recipients in NACD's newsroom.

More breakout sessions will be hosted throughout the afternoon today. Check out the meeting app to learn more!

Don't miss the mobile Annual Meeting app hosted by Sched! The app allows you to see the full event schedule, session descriptions, speaker profiles, and more. After you've set up a public profile, you will be able to create a personalized schedule and you can message and network with other attendees right from the app.

To download it, you can scan or click the QR code, or download the Sched app (Apple) (Android) and search NACD to join the event.

Have you been taking photos during the 2023 NACD Annual Meeting? We want to see them!

Email them to us at nacdnews@nacdnet.org, tag us at @NACDConserve, or use #NACD2023 on social media to submit your photos to our Smiling Faces Reel. Some photos will be displayed during Tuesday evening's Appreciation Banquet!

Check out all of our photos from the week here.

The registration desk is open in the Preservation Hall Foyer from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. today. Stop by for questions, tickets, and more!