Project CENTRL Honors Richard with Distinguished Leadership Award

Duncan's Richard Lunt, left, receives the Distinguished Leadership Award from the Alumni Association of Project CENTRL.  Presenting the award is Lunt's son, Jarom, a recent Project CENTRL graduate.

PHOENIX — Richard G. Lunt, of Duncan, was awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award for lifetime achievement from the Alumni Association of Project CENTRL.

Each year, the alumni association honors someone who has made outstanding achievements in both agriculture and community service to receive this award. This award was given Friday, June 17, at the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, as part of the graduation ceremony for Class XXIV from Project CENTRL.

On the national level, Lunt has served on the National Livestock and Meat boards, National Cattleman’s Beef Association, United States Forest Service Resource Advisory Council, the Bureau of Land Management Resource Advisory Council and the National Association of Counties.

On the state level, he has served on the Arizona Beef Council, Arizona Department of Agriculture Advisory Council, Arizona County Supervisors Association, Arizona Association of County Officials, Arizona Electric Power Cooperative, Sierra Southwest Cooperative and Southwest Transmission.

Locally, Lunt has served as Greenlee County Supervisor, on the Duncan Valley Electric Cooperative Board, Boy Scouts of America Scoutmaster, Little League umpire, Duncan PRIDE Society, Greenlee County Extension Board and Greenlee County Junior Livestock Association.

The alumni chair, Bill Brandau of Safford, announced the award. The award was presented to Richard, a graduate of Project CENTRL Class V, by his son, Jarom Lunt, who graduated that evening from Class XXIV.

Project CENTRL inspires a life-long journey of Rural Arizona Leadership. With more than 600 graduates since beginning in 1983, Project CENTRL’s impact on rural Arizona is significant and substantial as participants hold many leadership positions around the state.