IECA director steps down

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo.—The International Erosion Control Association (IECA) announced that Executive Director Ben Northcutt will not seek renewal of his contract with the association. He will fulfill the term of his contract, which ends June 30, 2007. Northcutt, who has served as the association’s executive director for 19 years, is leaving the organization to pursue a new opportunity in the field of conference and exposition planning.

"Ben stepped in to lead IECA when we were in our infancy and has successfully brought us through all those years of growth," said Ron Faucher, CPESC, newly elected president of IECA’s board of directors. "He has worked along side many volunteer boards, guiding IECA’s development over the years and helping to make this organization a major player in our industry."

Northcutt’s involvement with IECA began as an invited speaker for the 1984 annual conference in Denver. In 1988, he was hired as executive director at a time when there were about 300 members. Since then, IECA’s membership has grown to more than 3,500, representing nearly 20 fields of professional practice and more than 52 countries. The annual conference, Environmental Connection, attracts 2,500 people and features the largest trade exposition of its kind in the world. During Northcutt’s tenure, regional chapters were developed in the United States and on four continents to help connect members and disseminate information on a local level.

The association has steadily expanded its erosion and sediment control educational opportunities to include a selection of two dozen courses at the annual conference, interactive webinars, a searchable content management system, in-house training, the Muddy Water Blues field demonstration event, and e-mail listserves. Recently, IECA also developed "IECA Trained," an expertise recognition program.