Podcasts

October 31, 2018

#110 – Season 5 – Julius Tillery – “Successful people do the things that unsuccessful people are not willing to do ”

By Tom Davidson

Julius Tillery is the North Carolina State Coordinator for the Black Family Land Trust and a fifth-generation farmer who helps other farmers in rural communities succeed in their businesses. He is a valued resource, advocate and supporter of local farmers, and he practices what he preaches on his family farm while also running a successful […]

October 24, 2018

#109 – Season 5 – Jamahl Butler – “My activism is being accessible and creating safe spaces to have difficult conversations”

By Tom Davidson

Currently District Ranger of the Angeles Gateway Ranger District, Nicholas Jamahl Butler has experienced nearly the entire range of natural resource management in his career. In addition to being a land manager, people manager, silviculturalist, communicator and educator, Jamahl’s focus has long been on ecological restoration and conservation. On today’s show, Jamahl dives into the […]

October 17, 2018

#108 – Season 5 – Stephanie Freeman – “Why can’t I have big dreams like everyone else?”

By Tom Davidson

Dr. Stephanie Freeman is the GIS Coordinator for the U.S. Forest Service. Her professional education includes a BS in Ornamental Horticulture from University of Illinois, an MS in Forestry from NC State University, a Master of Professional Studies, Agriculture and Horticulture from Cornell University, and a PhD in Plant and Soil Science from Alabama A&M. […]

October 10, 2018

#107 – Season 5 – Kimpton Cooper – “Sometimes we have to let go of the past so that we can move into the future”

By Tom Davidson

Kimpton Cooper is an accomplished forester and forestry leader, and he currently serves as the District Ranger on the Angelina Sabine Ranger District in East Texas. Kimpton earned his forestry degree by attending Tuskegee University and Mississippi State University and then going on to earn his Masters of Environmental Management at Yale University, with a […]

September 25, 2018

#105 – Season 5 – Sam Cook – “Get out of your box and go find some people of color to talk to about the profession”

By Tom Davidson

Sam Cook joins us once again on the Leadership Nature podcast for the Professionals of Color in Forestry and Natural Resources Season! Sam is the Executive Director of Forest Assets at North Carolina State University’s College of Natural Resources and Vice President for the Natural Resources Foundation Board. Sam has experience in nearly every aspect […]

September 12, 2018

#103 – Season 5 – Leslie Weldon – “The simplest form of being a leader is having a positive influence on others”

By Tom Davidson

Today’s episode features Leslie A. C. Weldon, Deputy Chief for National Forest Systems with the USDA Forest Service. In this role, she is the executive responsible for national policy oversight and direction for Natural Resource programs, currently managing 193 million acres of National Forests and Grasslands. Leslie always wanted to get into forestry and credits […]

September 5, 2018

#102 – Season 5 – Vince Keeler – “Learning to be comfortable being uncomfortable”

By Tom Davidson

In this episode, the podcast welcomes back Vince Keeler’s who appeared once before in the Young Professionals Season. Since the last time we spoke, Vince has taken on a new position as the District Ranger on the Chickasawhay District in the Mississippi National Forest for the U.S. Forest Service. On today’s show, Vince discusses his […]

August 29, 2018

#101 – Season 5 – Travis Perry – “If you don’t see yourself as a leader, you’ll probably never be one”

By Tom Davidson

Travis Perry is a Forester and currently Territory Manager for Weyerhaeuser Company. He was introduced to his career as a young teenager in high school by attending a Natural Resources Careers Camp sponsored by Westvaco in South Carolina. Travis went on to finish his BS in Forest Resources Management at Clemson University, then his MBA […]

August 8, 2018

#98, S5|E9: Dr. Zakiya Leggett – “To be a good leader, you have to show that you can be a good follower”

By Tom Davidson

Dr. Zakiya Leggett is a professor at North Carolina State University and College of Natural Resources. She currently teaches Introduction to Environmental Science and serves as the campus Director for the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars program, which helps undergraduate students who are interested in research experiences in conservation issues as well as encouraging diversity in […]

August 1, 2018

S5|E8: Ron Smith – “Do your best; the rest falls on me”

By Tom Davidson

Ron Smith is a forester, teacher, pastor and leader, currently serving as Director of Forestry and Natural Resources for Tuskegee University. Prior to this, Ron had a distinguished 30+ year career with the US Forest Service, including Forester, District Ranger, and Administration Staff Officer to name a few positions. His professional preparation includes a BS […]

July 25, 2018

S5|E7: Alton Perry – “Being in this profession has allowed a country boy like me to go to places I never dreamed of”

By Tom Davidson

Alton Perry is the Program Manager for Roanoke Electric Cooperative’s Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project. In this role, Alton assists forest landowners with a focus on assisting African American landowners to use their woodlands as a means of increasing family wealth and legacy. In doing so, he not only helps landowners and their families […]

July 18, 2018

S5|E6: Stacy Nelson – “We’ve got a planet to take care of, and it’s not just one group of people who are going to save it”

By Tom Davidson

Dr. Stacy Nelson is a professor in the College of Natural Resource’s Center for Geospatial Analytics at NC State University. Prior to this, Stacy was a NASA Graduate Research Fellow at the John C. Stennis Space Center and an Adjunct Professor for the Department of Math and Science at Lansing Community College. Stacy holds a […]

July 11, 2018

S5|E5: Dale Threatt-Taylor – “Don’t let anyone make you the gazelle; I choose to be the lion!”

By Tom Davidson

Dale Threatt-Taylor is the District Director of the Wake Soil and Water Conservation District in Wake County, North Carolina. She is responsible for implementing the strategic goals of her Board of Supervisors, as well as working in alignment of the District goals with the Wake County Board of Commissioners work goals. She is known as […]

July 3, 2018

S5|E4: Tony Cheng – “Leadership is a verb; it’s a constant state of becoming, not something you arrive at”

By Tom Davidson

Tony Cheng is Professor of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship and the Director of the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute (CFRI) at Colorado State University. The mission of CFRI is to translate science into actionable knowledge to address forest restoration and wildfire risk mitigation. Tony has a Ph.D. in Forestry from Oregon State University, a M.S. in […]

June 27, 2018

S5|E3: Alex Harvey – “You can’t be bogged down in this moment, this day or this hour; this is about a legacy”

By Tom Davidson

Alex Harvey is a forestry consultant, a Registered Professional Forester in Mississippi and Alabama, a USDA Technical Service Provider, a Wildlife Biologist, and President of Legacy Land Management, LLC, in Longbeach, Mississippi. A graduate of Mississippi State University’s College of Forest Resources and Wildlife, Alex began his professional career with the Florida Division of Forestry […]

June 20, 2018

S5|E2: Mavis Gragg – It’s one thing to help people but another thing to empower them

By Tom Davidson

Dr. Mavis Gragg is an attorney who works one-on-one with foresters, families, and many others with a focus on estate planning and administration. In doing so, she helps people maintain and grow their wealth, and she is particularly well-known in the forestry community for her work with heirs’ property landowners. Originally from Black Mountain, North […]

June 12, 2018

S5|E1: Terry Baker – It’s not about inspiring; it’s about building trust

By Tom Davidson

Terry Baker is the Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland in Colorado. This is Terry’s second appearance on the podcast, and he is the first guest on Season Five, which features Professionals of Color in Forestry and Natural Resources. Today’s episode explores Terry’s experiences as a leader, […]

June 6, 2018

S4|E20: Ken Pimlott – You Can’t be Afraid to Act

By Tom Davidson

Chief Ken Pimlott is the Director of CAL FIRE and State Forester of California. Ken began his career as a reserve firefighter with the Contra Costa Fire Protection District and has served in many capacities on his way to becoming Director. For example, prior to his current role, Ken was Deputy Director of Fire Protection […]

May 30, 2018

S4|E19: Scott Phillips – Work Hard at Work Worth Doing

By Tom Davidson

Scott Phillips is the State Forester for the South Carolina Forestry Commission where he brings expertise in forestry, wildlife, and business management. As agency head, Scott provides oversight for all functions of the agency and works with a nine-member board to set agency policy and direction. After earning his BS in forest resources from the […]

May 23, 2018

S4|E18: Brian Cottam – “The work we do is ego-system management, not eco-system management”

By Tom Davidson

Brian Cottam is the Utah State Forester and Director of the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands. He is also responsible for wildfire management on state and private lands and oversees Utah’s sovereign lands. Brian brings a diverse background and wide experience to the role, including government relations, state and local planning, economic […]