Keeping the foundation sound

Excerpt

Traveling west for me usually involves fly-fishing, but this July I had something else to look forward to in Spokane, Washington—the Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) international conference. July 26–30, men and women from across North America and the world gathered to learn, teach, share, and rejuvenate. As executive director of the Society, our annual conference is an epic week of conversations, meetings, and sometimes crisis management. Rejuvenation definitely doesn't mean rest. Even though I may be exhausted, I still feel rejuvenated as the conference comes to a close. There is tremendous value in stepping away from your day-today responsibilities, being around intelligent and creative people, and revitalizing that part of yourself that drew you to conservation as your profession.

Participants at the Soil and Water Conservation Society's conference have similar experiences. They see the significance of what the Society is doing—bringing together the practical with the new and exploratory. SWCS's strength is its diversity. We bring together professionals in soil and water conservation—scientists, practitioners, researchers, administrators, and policymakers—highly knowledgeable, well educated, and active in their fields. I enjoy seeing award …