Abilene NRCS Employee Honored by Texas Section Society for Range Management

Contact: Charles Anderson
NRCS Zone Rangeland Management Specialist

Lee Knox, rangeland management specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Abilene, was the recipient of the Outstanding Young Range Professional Award at the recent meeting of the Texas Section Society for Range Management (TSSRM) in Del Rio, Texas. This award is presented to a TSSRM member who has demonstrated extraordinary potential and promise as a future leader in the range management profession. It is an acknowledgement of past and current accomplishments, as well as an encouragement for continued outstanding performance by young men and women in the early stages of their professional career.

Knox received a B.S. in rangeland ecology & management from Texas A&M in 1996. He received his M.S. in range science from New Mexico State in 1998 with a 4.0 GPA. While in college, he received numerous awards for his academic achievements and for his leadership skills.

He began his professional career as an Extension agent. He coached several 4-H teams including plant, livestock, and range evaluations in Grayson, Kendall, and Kerr counties. He was recognized as the Outstanding Young Extension Agent in 2002. For the past five years he has been employed as a rangeland management specialist with the NRCS in Abilene, Texas. He was selected to be the Conservation Security Program watershed manager for the Upper Colorado watershed in 2004. He will have the responsibility to manage all aspects of that program in a five-county area.

Lee is committed to youth education. He has assisted with the TSSRM Youth Range Workshop since 2001. He uses his personal vacation time to assist with the 4-H Range and Plant ID contests at Texas A&M as a representative of TSSRM. Knox has made numerous presentations on a variety of topics related to range management at local, state, and national conferences and workshops. His passion for the rangeland resource is obvious and impressive. Knox was recently elected as a director of TSSRM and will serve a three-year term from 2007 through 2009.

The TSSRM is a professional organization composed of individuals sharing a common interest in the study, management and rational use of rangelands and related ecosystems. For more information on TSSRM, visit their website at www.tssrm.org.

< Back to Highlights