Kate Giannini receives an award from Johnson County Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner and Conservation Districts of Iowa Region 7 Director, Alex Schmidt. (Contributed photo)

A soil and water conservation district commissioner in Washington County has received an award. At the 69th Annual Iowa Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioners Conference in Altoona, Kate Giannini received the Ken Wagner Award. This award is presented annually to an outstanding beginning soil and water conservation district commissioner. Ken Wagner helped develop Iowa’s soil conservation district program and was with the Johnson County district, as well as a member of the State Soil Conservation Committee from 1948 to 1961. Giannini is a commissioner and a water conservation specialist with Johnson County Planning and Zoning.