2005 – Elwood Leslie
Professional Management
Elwood Leslie set a course for the Westmoreland Conservation District that has remained relevant for more than three decades. As the first full-time employee hired to lead the young organization, Elwood created and built the core conservation programs the District continues to be best known for – erosion and sediment control, stormwater management, and education. During Elwood’s tenure (1970-1984), many of the major conservation initiatives we now take for granted first took shape, including the Clean Streams Act and the Jacobs Creek Flood Control Project. Elwood also helped to launch several local watershed associations, and he created one of the first Environmental Information Centers in the region. With his genial style and tireless energy, Elwood was a very effective ambassador for conservation. He often was invited to speak at national conferences, and is even credited with helping to organize a conservation district in the western US. Under his guidance, the Westmoreland Conservation District won its first Goodyear award, recognizing it as the best conservation district in the nation (1977).