Outstanding District Employee of the Year Josh Joseph with fellow Peoria County SWCD employee Karla Smith at the Illinois Soil & Water Conservation District Employee Association winter training conference.
The Illinois Soil & Water Conservation District Employee Association honored Josh Joseph of the Peoria County Soil & Water Conservation District with this year’s Outstanding District Employee of the Year at the association’s winter training conference Dec. 4 in Springfield.
Josh has been with the Peoria SWCD for 25 years and some very nice words were shared about his outstanding work:
Josh has a passion for both conservation and people. With his extensive knowledge of conservation planning and conservation practices, he can work with producers and landowners to develop site specific recommendations that meet their needs and the needs of the land.
Due to his efforts, tens of thousands of tons of soil have been conserved in Peoria County. He has job approval authority for several practices including waterways, terraces and grade stabilization structures and has been instrumental in training new Natural Resources Conservation Service technicians and soil conservationists. He is always willing to lend a hand to new employees, take them out on jobs with him and teach them different aspects of his job. Josh is also willing to listen and learn new ways to do things with the ever-changing technology.
His passion for people can be clearly seen in the relationships he develops with producers, landowners and coworkers. Josh has a talent for connecting with people, communicating complex programs and conservation alternatives with customers in an easy and understandable matter. People like to come in and talk with him.
It is also seen in the interactions he has with different groups and organizations within the county. For example, the work he does with the Ag in the Classroom program and the Career Spark event touches thousands of young people.
He also works with other organizations such as the Peoria County Farm Bureau, Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, Rotary Club and Kickapoo Creek Watershed group.
Some fun facts . . .
- Josh worked closely with NRCS to edit and narrate the Illinois NRCS Conservation Under Construction videos.
- He enjoys taking on leadership roles in construction – some examples are overseeing the construction of the Peoria SWCD office building, serving on the building committee at church and observing contractors in the building of waterways, terraces or grade stabilization structures.
- Josh has sung for many years in church and community choirs.
- Conservation and serving his community run in his blood as his father used to be the RC in Mercer County. As a child he and his sister would tag along with their dad to many SWCD events and have a lot of fond memories from those events.
2024 Service Award honorees
45 years
Steve Bracey – Logan County
35 Years
Brad Tarr – Jasper County
Jeff Blackorby – Jersey County
30 years
Thad Eshleman – Iroquois County
Jewel Brooks – White County
C.R. Smith – Clay & Wayne County
25 Years
Sharon Matson – Henry County
Josh Joseph – Peoria County
Melissa Cauble – Montgomery Count
Rob Clark – Tazewell County
15 Years
Sondra Baker – Dewitt County
Kristie Cooley – Lawrence County
Jancie Kessler – Clay County
10 Years
Karla Smith – Peoria County
5 years
Thomas Kreher – Monroe & St Clair Counties
Crystal Sauder – Kankakee County
Brett Irwin – McLean County
Joseph Gates – Rock Island County
Jeff Woodyatt – DeKalb County
Julie Kerr Chumbley – Piatt County
Thanks to the ISWCDEA’s outgoing leaders Sarah Earles of Ford SWCD and Becky Taylor of Livingston SWCD for reporting. Photo courtesy of Josh Joseph.
