PictureJOHNNY SABO
Q: Forestry is foundational to Georgia — economically, environmentally and culturally. What’s at stake right now for the people and places we serve?

SABO: “The answer to that question really changed overnight with Hurricane Helene. When we look at any major hurricane like that — any major land disturbance — we all of a sudden face a threat of land conversion. And with so much debris on the ground, there’s the risk of immense fuel loading and catastrophic wildfires. We also know that we’re looking at new and emerging markets, foreign competition. So there are a lot of different factors that are stressing the industry.”

PETTY: “Forests are remarkably important to both the state of Georgia as well as the nation. We’re in the center of the wood basket of the world. Keeping forests on the landscape is extremely important for fiber security. [Forestry is] the only industry that produces a net environmental benefit — in terms of clean water, wildlife and all the things that we recognize as being part of the quality of life in the Southeast.”

LOWRIMORE: “We think about what’s at risk — the 140,000 jobs, the $42 billion economic impact that it brings to our state and the vital role that forestry plays in our rural communities. All of that, for us, is what’s at stake. At the Association, our priority is advocating for smart policy ​that protects those communities, the people within them, and the forestry industry as a whole.”
Q: In your first year of leadership, what changes or strategies have you prioritized to strengthen your organization’s impact?

SABO: “For us, it starts with communication. What I’ve found is there are a lot of people who don’t really know who the Georgia Forestry Commission is or the role we play. That’s one priority we’re really starting to ramp up — our communication efforts around who we are, what we do and why the Georgia Forestry Commission is relevant and needed.”
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PETTY: “We’re undergoing a pretty aggressive series of faculty searches that I think are forward-looking — in areas like precision forestry, artificial intelligence, biomaterials and the next generation of wood-based materials. My job as dean is to come in and try to effect change for the future.”
PictureTIM LOWRIMORE
LOWRIMORE: “We’ve focused squarely on advocacy, membership recruitment and engagement since I joined the team last year. And communication — we do that, I believe, as well as any trade association. But we’ve got to keep our foot on the gas.”

Q: What lessons in leadership have you learned in your new role?

PETTY: “My strengths are relational. I’m most comfortable building relationships and building teams to do whatever the hard work is at the moment — and looking forward. As I’ve transitioned to being administrative and into a dean’s role, really not much changes. I really, really care about the Warnell School. I see this as a window of opportunity for me to contribute to securing the future of Warnell and securing the future of forestry in the state of Georgia.”

SABO: “Something my team’s heard me say often is, ‘Let’s use a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.’ How do we make small changes — small tweaks to improve our process. There’s always a time for a sledgehammer if we need it, but I feel like we create more meaningful change when we make those small tweaks and we engage people.”

LOWRIMORE: “We’re a small organization. We can take on a lot, and we’re not afraid of that. But how do we manage that? How do we continue ​to do all that we can do to make sure Georgia recognizes the value of our working forests and the industry that those working in forestry support?

That’s what motivates me every day when I wake up — thinking about how important forestry is in our state, and how unique it is for all three of us to be able to play the roles that we play.”
PictureDR. TODD PETTY
Q: What does authentic collaboration look like — and how can it shape the future of Georgia forestry?

SABO: “What we’re always seeking is synergy. How do we take our combined knowledge and expertise and make something greater than any one of us can produce? I think that’s where we have a whole lot of overlap and collaboration.”

PETTY: “We collaborate by amplifying each other’s message. I authentically can amplify that message because I know it’s an important one.

​Other states are a bit envious of the relationships that exist between the university program, the state agency and the state trade association. That relationship leads to collaboration.”

LOWRIMORE: “For us, it’s about alignment and increasing awareness. Hurricane Helene — the great response that our state leadership gave to that — a lot of that success can be attributed to the role that all three of our organizations played in educating policy and decision makers on what the impacts were to the communities that were impacted.”

Q: What’s your call to action?

PETTY: “Go out and learn more about how dynamic forestry in the state is, and don’t forget about Warnell. There’s no better place to learn and work than Warnell.

​SABO: “You can control your actions. You can get involved. You can learn more about forestry. Get engaged. Why not forestry?”

​LOWRIMORE: “We recognize that forestry means a lot to a lot of different people. There’s not a day that we wake up that we don’t go to work trying to make that situation better and sustainable for all of Georgia’s families that are dependent on Georgia forestry.” ■

John Casey is a strategic communications professional who supports clients through the art of storytelling. In his downtime, John can be found hunting and fishing on his family’s centennial farm in Northwest Georgia.