Bill Heitman, left, was recognized for his 35 years of service at the Missouri Association of  Soil & Water Conservation Districts’ annual training conference December 2, 2025, at Lake of the Ozarks. Also pictured is MASWCD President David Hutsell, right. (Submitted photo)

There are 114 counties in Missouri and all of them have Soil & Water Conservation Districts, all of which are governed by a board of elected landowners. What you won’t find very often, is a board member who served for over 35 years, but that’s what Bill Heitman has done. Bill joined the board in 1990. When he started, the district was doing approximately one million dollars in cost share a year, providing assistance to landowners who wanted to build terraces to improve on and help conserve their ground. Over time, he has seen the introduction of tile lines to go with the terraces, as well as the addition of many other programs.

Bill represented Atchison County at several National Association of Conservation Districts annual meetings, traveling to New Orleans, San Diego, Nashville, Reno, and many others. He also enjoyed attending the annual state conference every year. He always had a story to tell at the meetings and never hesitated to swing by the office if he was needed.

Bill’s favorite part of being on the board is the comradery toward one good cause. He looked forward to meeting the new board members over the years throughout the state, working with the employees, and speaking with landowners about their projects.

Bill considered retiring before this last term, but is happy he was able to serve for another four years. He has now decided that it is time to pass the torch. Bill said he would miss going to the meetings and learning about what is new in the conservation world. When reminded that they were open meetings and he could attend whenever he wanted, Bill said he was going to take a break from them first.