The Irrigation Association announced the recipients of its 2026 awards, celebrating contributions in education, innovation and industry achievement.
Industry Achievement Award: Steve Hoveln
Steve Hoveln has been named the recipient of the 2026 Industry Achievement Award, the IA’s highest honor recognizing an individual whose career demonstrates outstanding contributions to the advancement of the irrigation industry. This award is being presented posthumously.
Hoveln dedicated more than four decades to advancing the irrigation industry through innovation, mentorship and service. Beginning his career in landscape irrigation contracting before moving into distribution and ultimately joining Hunter Industries, Hoveln helped shape rotor and valve technologies that improved durability, usability and water efficiency. Beyond product development, he was widely recognized for mentoring others, supporting industry initiatives and applying his expertise through humanitarian efforts, leaving a lasting legacy of technical excellence and service.
Innovator Award: Abed Masarwa
Abed Masarwa has been named the recipient of the 2026 Innovator Award. The IA’s Innovator Award honors individuals who have made significant, tangible contributions to the irrigation industry through innovative work that advances the industry and works to improve the wise use of water resources.
Masarwa has helped advance irrigation technology through his leadership in product development at Orbia Netafim. With a background in mechanical engineering, Masarwa has focused on transforming field challenges into practical, high-performing solutions for growers. His work on innovations such as Orion PC and the UniRam Hybrid Dripline has supported improved irrigation efficiency, labor savings and system performance. Through close collaboration with growers, field teams and partners, he continues to guide technologies that strengthen precision irrigation.
Excellence in Education Award: José Chávez, PhD
José Chávez, PhD, is the recipient of the 2026 Excellence in Education Award. This award recognizes an outstanding educator who has a commitment to not only elevating the level of education but also promoting the field of irrigation as a viable and sustainable career to students.
Chávez has made a significant impact on irrigation education through teaching, research and outreach at Colorado State University. He has developed and modernized graduate courses in irrigation water management, systems design and drainage engineering, integrating real-world data, advanced technologies and conservation-focused practices. Through mentorship, Extension work, international training and industry engagement, Chávez has helped prepare students, scholars and professionals to address complex water management challenges through both technical expertise and practical application.
Vanguard Award
The IA’s Vanguard Award honors an innovative project in the irrigation industry. In 2026, Vanguard Award recipients were selected for both the agriculture and landscape irrigation sectors.
Vanguard Award – Landscape: Frontier Family Park Project
The Frontier Family Park Project, recipient of the 2026 IA Vanguard Award – Landscape, exemplifies innovative irrigation design and collaboration at scale. Led by J2 Design in partnership with the Town of Queen Creek, Arizona, and supported by design subconsultants, contractors and manufacturers, the 85-acre project integrated smart controls, multipoint flow monitoring and a high-capacity pump station to balance efficiency, performance and long-term sustainability. Since its completion in 2024, the system has demonstrated strong operational performance and stands as a model for resilient, efficient irrigation solutions in large municipal landscapes.
In addition to J2 Design and the Town of Queen Creek, this project included the following partners: Munro Companies, Hunter Industries, HydroPoint Data Systems (Baseline), Leemco Piping Solutions, Hunter Contracting, and SiteWorks.
Vanguard Award – Agriculture: Precision Irrigation Access Program
The Precision Irrigation Access Program is a collaborative initiative led by Netafim, Orbia Precision Agriculture that helps accelerate irrigation modernization in water-stressed regions. The program connects growers with corporate cost-share funding to support adoption of advanced precision irrigation technologies that optimize water, fertilizer, labor and natural resources. Since its public launch in 2024, it has advanced modernization across thousands of acres while supporting data-backed water savings, standardized reporting and scalable investment in long-term water resilience.
Additional corporate partners for this project include Keurig Dr Pepper; Swire Coca-Cola, USA; Chipotle; PepsiCo; Gilead Sciences, Inc.; General Mills; Niagara Cares; and Meta, as well as others. The project also included the following implementation partners: Kilimo, BEF, LimnoTech, Blue Diamond Growers, Earth Finance, California Water Resilience Initiative and The Water Resilience Coalition, DLL, Central Irrigation, Water Right LLC, Landmark Irrigation Inc., TriEst Ag Group, Alsco Geyer, Waterford Irrigation, Watson Ag, and NutraDrip, as well as others.
All recipients will be honored at the 2026 Irrigation Show and Education Week in Las Vegas, Dec. 7–10.
Register for the Irrigation Show and Education Week
Registration and housing for the 2026 Irrigation Show and Education Week, Dec. 7–10 in Las Vegas, are open. Exhibitors and attendees can go online to register and book housing. Show registration gives you access to the exhibit floor, select industry education opportunities, and other social and networking events.
The Irrigation Association has partnered with Connections Housing to offer discounted hotel rates for the 2026 Irrigation Show. All hotels are conveniently located near the convention center. Attendees should book their room through Connections Housing for access to exclusive discounts. Go to irrigationshow.org for more information and to register and book housing.
Irrigation Association celebrates 2026 scholarship winners
The Irrigation Association named eight recipients of the 2026 Anthony W. “Tony” LaFetra Scholarship Program, sponsored by Rain Bird. These annual awards are given to college students studying and pursuing careers in the irrigation field.
The scholarships, ranging from $2,500 to $5,000, were awarded to students who have shown a passion and interest in sustainability, stewardship and use of water, and the essential contributions irrigated landscapes and irrigated agriculture have in improving quality of life through a reliable global food supply and vital green spaces.
Learn more about some of the scholarship winners at irrigationandlighting.org.
