ASIC to present two awards

Davis joined Rain Bird in 1996 as corporate event planner, developing, planning and managing contractor, specifier and distributor events and trade shows. She also planned and executed special events, including large customer fetes with Rain Bird’s Tournament of Roses Parade entry.

 

Her talent and experience planning events across the U.S. have greatly benefitted the Society, making ASIC conferences more appealing, affordable and accessible, while enabling Society officers to concentrate on critical educational components of the conferences.

 

“When I became ASIC executive director, our annual conference venue had been arranged, but the program hadn’t been developed, there was no banquet site and no other plans had been made,” recalls ASIC member and former executive director Norm Bartlett, with Creative Sensor Technology in Rochester, MA.

 

“Linda volunteered to help. She graciously helped locate a banquet venue, and organized tour events and guided them. I couldn't total up the number of volunteer hours Linda has donated to ASIC over the ensuing years.”

 

The Sam Tobey Lifetime Achievement Award is given to an individual or individuals whose long-term support of the Society’s principles and whose efforts to promote the goals of the Society are deserving of special recognition by his or her peers.

 

“I was completely surprised when notified I would be receiving the Sam Tobey Award,” remarks Davis. “My husband, Rick, and I have always enjoyed a special relationship with ASIC and its members. Rick became a professional member in 1975 and I attended many conferences with him. I feel pretty protective over the next generation of emerging irrigation consultants and will continue to do what I can to advance the Society.”

 

Recent past winners of the Sam Tobey Lifetime Achievement Award include:

- Lynda Wightman

- Jim Barrett

- David Pagano

- Russell D. Mitchell

- Doug and Karen Moore

 

Owner of Wade Water LLC and Buena Vida Farm in Fort Collins, Colo., Dr. Stephen Smith, FASIC is to be presented with the Roy Williams Award. 

 

Smith continues to offer water resource and management consulting services. Specialties include irrigation and water rights engineering, irrigation automation and control (SCADA), and canal modernization.

 

Smith has 40 years of experience in irrigation engineering and water resources, beginning with the launch Aqua Engineerin in 1975. Aqua Engineering was originally created to provide highly specialized irrigation engineering services to a clientele that includes municipal and state agencies, universities and private developers. Prior to 1975, his work on the Colorado State University research faculty included irrigation research and evaluation of irrigation technologies.

 

A native of New Mexico, Smith’s professional experience includes irrigation projects throughout the U.S. and numerous countries in Europe, the Far East and the Middle East. He served on the faculty at Colorado State University where he taught irrigation design for almost 20 years. He is currently the U.S. Head of Delegation to two International Standards Organization (ISO) committees involving irrigation and water reuse.