Service Award: Ed Crall, 10 Years

May 23, 2012

Ed Crall, Caddo County special projects coordinator for OCC’s Water Quality division, was recognized at the May 2012 Conservation Commission meeting for 10 years of service.

Monty Ramming, OCC/WQ North Canadian River Project coordinator, was recognized for 10 years of service at the May 2012 meeting of the Oklahoma Conservation Commission. From left are George Stunkard, OCC chair; Monty Ramming; and Mike Thralls, OCC executive director.

Ed Crall began working at the OCC as the Fort Cobb Project education coordinator. He worked with four conservation districts in the area to share information, begin Blue Thumb education events, and work with producers to promote conservation practices. His success in that effort led to him being asked to take on the additional duties of coordinating the Stillwater Creek project when the person in that position left to pursue another job. He commuted from his home in Thomas to Stillwater for the last few months of finalizing implementation of that project.

He was then assigned to work on the Sugar Creek FEMA flood repair project, assuring progress in a project calling for cooperation among the Federal Emergency Management Administration, Bureau of Indian Affairs, county commissioners, local conservation districts and landowners.

In spite of challenging tasks assigned to him, Ed said he considers his work at the Commission fondly and appreciates that it’s given him the opportunity to work with many different conservation districts and a wide variety of people. He got to meet T. Boone Pickens and also to get his iPod autographed by the inventor of the Apple computer, Steve Wozniak! Because Ed enjoys his job so much he is frequently asked by his family: “Don’t you feel guilty accepting a paycheck?

Ed is always willing to help and readily volunteers to participate in OCC or other conservation events. He still helps out with Blue Thumb education events and is the first one to volunteer for Ag Day at the Capitol and other events with an opportunity to educate folks about Conservation.

Staff members in OCC’s Water Quality office look forward to Ed’s trips to that office because he frequently brings them the excess eggs produced by his very prolific flock of chickens and because he allows staff to be the evaluators for his experiments into making cheese and soap from goat’s milk.

When Ed’s neighbors have asked about the conservation practices on his own farm which include no-till farming, riparian area exclusion, riparian tree planting, and limited-duration grazing, he just grins and says: “Working for the Conservation Commission has given me the ability to preach what I’ve been trying to practice all along.”