Podcasts

Season 4 | Our State Foresters | Episode 10

#67 | Work hard at work worth doing

May 30, 2018 | Scott Phillips

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 […]

Season 4 | Our State Foresters | Episode 9

#66 | The work we do is ego-system management, not eco-system management

May 23, 2018 | Brian Cottam

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 […]

Season 4 | Our State Foresters | Episode 8

#65 | I don’t believe in leadership by title; I believe in leadership by influence

May 16, 2018 | Tom Boggus

Tom Boggus is the State Forester of Texas and the Director of Texas A&M Forest Service. He has worked for the State of Texas since 1980, becoming Interim Director in 2008 and being officially appointed State Forester in 2010. One of the events during this time was when Tom led the response team during the […]

Season 4 | Our State Foresters | Episode 7

#64 | Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other

May 9, 2018 | Larry Kotchman

Larry Kotchman has been the State Forester of North Dakota for the last 31 years; he is currently the longest active serving State Forester. In this role, Larry is responsible for the administration of the North Dakota Forest Service, managing the agency’s $15 million budget, and directing statewide forestry services through three leadership teams. On […]

Season 4 | Our State Foresters | Episode 6

#63 | I’m smart enough to know what I don’t know

April 25, 2018 | Barry Cook

Barry Cook is the Director and State Forester of West Virginia, a military veteran, and a seasoned forester with a diverse background. He earned his BS degree in Forest Management from West Virginia University and an Executive MBA from Duke University. Barry began his career as a logging superintendent for Weyerhaeuser, then became a procurement […]

Season 4 | Our State Foresters | Episode 5

#62 | If you aren’t getting flak, you’re not over the target”

April 10, 2018 | Peter Church

Peter Church is the Director of Forest Stewardship for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, where he oversees the agency’s statewide forest conservation program and the implementation of a new strategic direction for the Bureau of Forest Fire Control and Forestry. Peter has over 29 years of experience in a variety of positions, including […]

Season 4 | Our State Foresters | Episode 4

#61 | Leadership is related to ambition, and ambition is born

March 14, 2018 | Larry Biles

State Forester of Kansas Larry Biles has a BS in Forestry from the University of Missouri and an MS in Ornamental Horticulture from Kansas State University. During his career, Larry has held diverse roles in many parts of the profession, including positions with state agencies, the US Forest Service, consulting forestry, and national extension forestry […]

Season 4 | Our State Foresters | Episode 3

#60 | Plan your work and work your plan

February 21, 2018 | Joe Fox

Arkansas State Forester Joe Fox leads the Arkansas Forestry Commission in a position he has held since 2012. Joe is a native of Arkansas and worked a family-owned lumber business for over 20 years at one point. He is also the former President of the Arkansas Forestry Association and former Chair of the Arkansas Forestry […]

Season 4 | Our State Foresters | Episode 2

#59 | You can’t make decisions in a vacuum

February 14, 2018 | Rick Oates

In this episode, you’ll meet Rick Oates, who was appointed the State Forester of Alabama in 2017. In his role, Rick leads the Alabama Forestry Commission, which protects and sustains Alabama’s 23 million acres of forest land and helps educate the public about the importance of forestry to the environment and the economy of the […]

Season 4 | Our State Foresters | Episode 1

#58 | I like folks that don’t think like me!

January 25, 2018 | George Geissler

At the time of this interview, George Geissler was the State Forester of Oklahoma, Director of the Oklahoma Forestry Services Division, veteran fire fighter, and long time member and leader in the Society of American Forester. Today, he is State Forester of Washington. In addition to his unusual pathway into forestry and his diverse career […]