Times Observer photo by Heather Cathcart-Norris The dedication and ribbon cutting of the Heather Wilcox Education Center at the Conservation District building.

“A momentous occasion means that it is of great importance or significance, especially in its bearing on the future; and this is a momentous event,” is how Barry VanOrd, WCCD board president, began the dedication of the Heather Wilcox Education Center.

With the support of family, friends, co-workers, peers, and government officials, the dedication of a project that started for the Conservation District in 2002 has finally come to fruition.

“You know what they say, good things come to people who wait and wait and wait,” VanOrd said.

The land on Hatch Run was purchased in 2002 with the intention of providing the Warren County Conservation District with a place for offices and educational programs.

Despite unforeseen delays, including financial and labor constraints, Heather Wilcox, the long-time district manager, remained dedicated to overseeing the project’s progress for years.

Wilcox never saw the culmination of years of effort as she passed away unexpectedly in 2023.

Heather’s career at the Warren County Conservation District spanned over two decades, during which she transitioned from an agricultural technician to the district director in 2006.

The WCCD’s mission is to “improve the environmental quality of Warren County by promoting the wise use, enhancement, and understanding of natural resources.”

At the dedication, state Sen. Scott Hutchison, House Rep.. Kathy Rapp and county Commissioner Dan Glotz presented Wilcox’s family with citations – all of which characterized Wilcox as a kind, caring, and generous person who loved farming, animals, her community and family, and lifelong learning.