At the annual meeting of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (VASWCD), held Dec. 4 in Roanoke, Henrico resident Donald O. “Spec” Campen (at right in photo, with grandson Kristopher Burnette) was honored with the 2012 E.C. Compton Meritorious Achievement Award. A former chairman of the Henricopolis Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) in Henrico County, Campen has been involved with the Soil and Water Conservation Districts for 34 years. He has also served as AREA III Chairman of the VASWCD, been a member of the state association’s legislative committee for 24 years, and headed committees involved with Chesapeake Bay corrective efforts.

This is the third time Campen has been honored with the E.C. Compton Award, having won the award previously in 1991 and 2002. Campen was also recently recognized by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service for 23 years of volunteer service with its “Earth Team” programs.