How did you become interested in working for the Forest Service and when did you start work for the FS?
It seems I’ve always had an interest in the outdoors. In the 1960s, Lassie ended up with a Forest Ranger. At that point, at about 10 years of age, I knew what I wanted to do for a living. I originally worked for the Soil Conservation Service as a range conservationist. My first job with the Forest Service was as a biological technician with the Rocky Mountain Forest & Range Experimental Station in Tempe, AZ. My last job was as a Range Program Manager for the Nebraska National Forests & Grasslands in Chadron, NE. I retired on Dec. 31, 2016.
What are some of your best memories of your Forest Service career?
One of my best memories was when I heard from a young rangeland management specialist who told me it was because of my mentoring that she felt prepared to take on a higher-level range position.
What is your position with the Forest Service ACES Program?
I am a Rangeland Management Specialist under the ACES Program.
What made you interested in coming back to the Forest Service in the FS ACES Program with NEW Solutions?
It was an opportunity to spend time in the field doing range-related work. I got into the range discipline to work outdoors, but as I moved up in the organization, I spent increasingly more time in the office.
What do you like to do when you are not working?
I presently own 10 Australian Shepherds that keep me busy. I train them to work livestock and sometimes compete in stockdog trials, working cattle, sheep, goats, and ducks.
If you could invite eight of the people you most admire to an imaginary supper, who would they be? (for example: someone dead or alive; famous or infamous; celebrity or next door neighbor, etc.)
First on my list is my wife of 35 years, who has been very supportive of me throughout my career. I would invite my Grandpa Roy who was very instrumental in fostering a love for the outdoors in me. Chris LeDoux would be on the list, because I love his music. Jane Darnell, presently R1 Deputy Regional Forester, would be invited because she is probably the best supervisor I had in my career. A couple of rangeland management specialists that have mentored me during my career and been very supportive, Bob Mountain and Floyd Reed. I think I would have to round out the guest list with Gifford Pinchot and Teddy Roosevelt.
