When the month of August ended, the staff at Decatur County Soil and Water said good-bye to District Conservationist Darrell Nicholson. On Monday evening, the company held their annual picnic, which included a farewell to Nicholson and a board meeting.

After the meeting, attendees were invited to gather for hamburgers and hot dogs on the pond at the home of a board member. According to district coordinator Jenna Peck, the group wished to thank Nicholson for his service and let the county know that he will no longer be in the office.

Nicholson recently accepted a promotion to Area Conservationist for Southeast Indiana. Peck noted that the new position will come with some increased responsibility and different duties. As one of four Area Conservationists in the state, Nicholson will be providing supervision and leadership to District Conservationists, Conservation Implementation Team Leaders and area staff in the areas of field operations, program delivery and management functions for the Southeast area, which includes 25 counties.

In 1981, Nicholson began his career as a student trainee in Decatur County. He joined the agency full-time in 1983 as a soil conservationist in Posey County eventually becoming the District Conservationist in 1987. In July of 1991, Nicholson relocated to Decatur County to take over the District Conservationist position, where he has been for the past 17 years. Peck added that Nicholson had helped bring in millions of dollars to help the land owners of Decatur County with their conservation practices.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my 17 years working with land users in Decatur County, helping them ‘help the land,’ and I will miss many folks as I take on my new responsibilities,” Nicholson said. “It has been my privilege to provice assistance and be a part of the stewardship efforts that our land users have committeed time and resources to benefit all of society.”