The Board of Directors is the policy-making body for the local unit of government. It consists of 5 voting directors and as many associate members as appointed by the chairman.

To be eligible to hold the office of director, a person must be of legal voting age and occupy or own land within Stephenson County.

The board members attend a monthly meeting, participating as valuable team members, and manage the District staff. They prepare annual and long-range plans of work, establish district policies and procedures, promote conservation of the soil, water and related natural resources. They work with landowners in applying erosion control measures, set standards for tolerable soil loss and provide opinions to units of government to the suitability of the natural resources as zoning ordinances are developed or changed.

Board of Directors

Top Row: Bruce Baumgartner, Randy Grunder (Chairman), Craig Hessenius
Middle Row: Barb Klinger (Secretary/Treasurer), Ross Bremmer, Rod Slamp (Associate Board Member)
Bottom Row: Chuck Moen (Associate Board Member), Della Moen (Associate Board Member)

Associate Board Members Not Pictured: John Phillips, Richard Holmes, John Rosenstiel, Steve Frick, Larry Hueneke, David Shockey, Stanley Faulkner, Tom Klemm (Freeport City Council), Shelia Hooper (Stephenson County Board), Niki Keltner (University of IL Extension)

Stephenson SWCD Staff

Staff left to right: Jody Bell (NRCS [State Office] Community Planner), Craig Schroeder (SWCD Resource Conservationist), Lorna Chezem (SWCD Administrative Coordinator), Neal Koeller (NRCS Soil Conservationist), Terry Kerchner (NRCS Soil Conservation Technician), Jim Ritterbusch (NRCS District Conservationist)

Stephenson Soil and Water Conservation District staff and Natural Resource Conservation Staff work as cooperating agencies in the USDA office.