Fort Valley State University

Tim Beard, a 1988 Fort Valley State University graduate, has come a long way since beginning his career 20 years ago as a soil conservation technician for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a U.S. Department of Agriculture agency.

The native of Harlem, Ga., was recently promoted to the NRCS Financial Assistance Programs Division. He’s been named the branch chief of Environmental Improvement Programs. NRCS provides funding to landowners and ranchers across the nation. In his new position, he oversees the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) and the Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) program which offer incentive payments and cost-shares to implement conservation practices.

“I am responsible for the largest financial assistance program [EQIP] in the agency,” Beard said. “EQIP has now become a billion dollar cost-share program, so it’s a large responsibility. But, I’m up for the challenge.”

“It’s just a good experience to be able to work here in D.C., and be able to manage several different programs for the entire country.”

The NRCS provides products and services that enable people to be good stewards of the nation’s soil, water, and related natural resources on non-federal lands.

“We tend to think of ourselves as a helpful agency that provides technical expertise to the private landowners of this country who are responsible for most of our land. We work directly with private landowners to conserve our natural resources,” Beard said.

Beard, 44, said his nurturing experience and educational training at Fort Valley State’s College of Agriculture, Home Economics and Allied Programs have contributed to his success.

“Fort Valley has been the foundation for my career and a lot of other things that I’ve done in life,” said Beard, who majored in agricultural engineering technology. “My degree was somewhat technical, which made it easier to come into a technical agency and hit the ground running. The classroom setting at Fort Valley had already exposed me to several work related activities.”