Julie Head Named Chaffin Soil and Water Conservation District Employee of the Year

Each year at the Annual Meeting of the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Districts, three employees from across the Commonwealth are recognized for exemplary contributions toward meeting the goals of the individual Conservation Districts. Julie Head, Education Director, was selected as one of the three Employee of the Year recipients at the Annual Meeting in December 2025.

Employed with the district since 2019, Julie has proven herself a valuable asset during her tenure at the District. Julie conducts educational programs for pre-K through adult in both Accomack and Northampton Counties. Programs cover public school, private school, and homeschool groups. She is also present at many public events with conservation information or the District’s Soils trailer. She focuses on hands’-on learning to help bring science, agriculture, and science to life. She believes that active learning helps to keep students engaged and interested.

Julie has continued to expand her educational skills while at ESSWCD. She has completed training to be a Project Learning Tree, Project WET, and Project Wild Facilitaor. This means that she is able to train others to use these programs in an official capacity. Because of her passion for Agriculture, she also serves as an Agriculture In The Classroom Ambassador program through the Virginia Farm Bureau.

ulie, along with several co-collaborators, have been instrumental in bringing new summer camps to benefit Eastern Shore Students. Adventures in Nature, Ag Camp, Junior Ag Camp, and Seaside Explorers are held each summer at minimal cost to make sure the programs are accessible to Eastern Shore Students. Each of the camps has a seperate focus or age-range, but the goal is fun, hands-on learning with the “wow” factor.

Due to Julie’s efforts, ESSWCD and Northampton 4-H, have been instrumental in bringing back the Eastern Shore Regional Science Fair. The Regional Science Fair had not been held in several years, in part due to COVID. This is a chance for local students to design and implement a science experiment and gain hands-on experience.

Julie and her husband, David, have 4 married children, 2 grandchildren, and two more on the way. Her love for education, agriculture, and science blends seamlessly into her personal life, as she instills in her children and grandchildren the values of stewardship, curiosity, and kindness. Through her actions, she fosters an environment where learning is celebrated and family connections are treasured, further enriching the legacy she builds both within her household and throughout the Eastern Shore community.

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Wayne Creed

Administrator

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