Tera King is a Forester for Northwest Management, a forest land, and environmental management consulting firm based in Idaho, Montana, and Washington. Tera earned her B.S. in Forest Resources from the University of Idaho, in 2003. She also completed her MBA at Norwich University in Vermont, in 2013. On the show, Tera discusses why she went back to school to complete her MBA nearly 10 years later and some of the important skills young forestry professionals need to have in order to be a more prepared professional.
Key Takeaways:
[1:15] A quick intro about Tera’s background.
[2:25] How did Tera first get started in forestry?
[4:40] Tera had some work experience in college; how did that help her land a job in forestry?
[5:45] What other piece of advice can Tera give young forestry professionals who are about to enter the workforce?
[7:05] How did Tera first get started at Northwest Management?
[8:15] What’s it like working for Northwest Management?
[9:15] Why did Tera go back to school for her MBA?
[12:25] What are some of the challenges young professionals today face?
[13:20] There are a lot of social issues now in the forestry industry and we need good communicators to help discuss some of these issues.
[15:45] What kinds of people do Tera and her team look for when they’re about to hire?
[17:55] Your company can teach you anything, but they can’t teach you how to have a good work ethic and a good attitude.
[21:30] What kind of mentors has Tera had along the way?
[27:00] What’s required from a leadership standpoint when you reach different levels, or different positions, of a job?
[32:25] Sometimes technology fails and we need to know how to use the ‘old school’ methods to get the right information. Relying too heavily on your GPS will get you lost!
[37:50] What is Tera most proud of in her career?
[42:40] There is going to be change in the industry, whether we like it or not! Things will always be changing and you’re going to have to get used to that.
[48:00] Tom’s Leadership Tip of the Week!
Mentioned in This Episode:
Adam Foehringer has a B.S. in forest management and a minor in geographic information systems. Adam worked for the school forester manager while in college and also interned for the Kingwood Forestry Services. Now, he works for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. On the show, Adam offers his advice for those who would like to enter into the forestry profession. He also believes established foresters need to get out of their comfort zone and give a helping hand to the younger guys out there. It would do the profession good!
Key Takeaways:
[1:10] A quick intro about Adam’s background.
[2:45] How did Adam first get started in forestry?
[3:55] How did Adam discover and learn about geographic information systems?
[9:00] Adam offers tips on how you can get your first job.
[10:40] What’s Adam’s favorite part about being in this field?
[13:05] What kind of leadership roles has Adam had and what did he learn from those experiences?
[22:20] What resources has Adam used over the years to help himself grow career-wise?
[25:10] What can the forestry profession do to attract young professionals?
[29:15] What can older foresters do to make the profession better?
[34:45] Adam really likes the movie 300 for its leadership lessons.
[40:00] Tom’s Leadership Tip of the Week!
Mentioned in This Episode:
The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done,
by Peter F. Drucker
Warren Kruger is a Field Forester with the Bureau of Land Management, in the Roseburg, Oregon district. Warren is also the 2017 State Chair of the Oregon Society of American Foresters. Warren has a very diverse career and first got started volunteering for the Peace Corps. Through his experience, Warren firmly believes that life becomes easy when you love the work you do. Warren discusses some of the lessons he’s learned while volunteering for the Peace Corps, leadership lessons you can learn from the Hot Shot Fire Crew, and more!
Key Takeaways:
[:40] A quick intro about Warren’s background.
[1:50] How did Warren first get started in forestry?
[8:00] As our society becomes much more urbanized, more and more people have no idea what people in forestry, natural resources, and agriculture do.
[8:35] What was it like volunteering for the Peace Corps and what kind of lessons did Warren learn from it?
[14:45] What is Warren up to in Roseburg, Oregon right now?
[23:25] Warren’s career path is very diverse. What advice does Warren have for the young adults out there who are interested in getting their career started?
[25:45] Warren loves what he does. When he comes home after a hard day’s work, he still has energy because he doesn’t feel like he’s been working all day.
[32:35] What has Warren learned about good and bad leadership?
[39:45] What advice does Warren have for young professionals entering into the field?
[48:45] Warren is currently reading the book We Were Soldiers Once and Young.
[54:45] Tom’s Leadership Tip of the Week!
Mentioned in This Episode:
We Were Soldiers Once and Young, by Hal Moore and Joseph L. Galloway
Terry Baker is the Deputy Forest Supervisor for the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland in Colorado. On the show, Terry discusses a tough challenge he had to face when he had an angry community of over 100 people against what the forest service was doing. It was his job to help calm and educate these people on why, and how, the community would benefit. Terry also discusses how he was recruited into forestry and why he fell in love with it.
Key Takeaways:
[:45] A quick intro about Terry’s background.
[2:25] How did Terry first get started in forestry?
[8:25] What did Terry do during his internship?
[11:20] What was Terry’s university experience like?
[19:40] What does Terry’s mother think about all of this? At first, she wasn’t too sure about it.
[21:40] Not many people are really truly exposed to forestry and what it entails. And for most parents, they want their children to become doctors, lawyers, etc, but not foresters.
[24:25] What kind of places/states has Terry worked in?
[35:00] What did Terry learn about when he worked on the Goose Project in Oregon?
[49:10] Terry discusses what kind of characteristics make for a good leader.
[55:25] Terry recommends every forester read The 8 Greatest Mistakes New Managers Make, which was written by your host Tom!
[1:07:10] Tom’s Leadership Tip of the Week!
Mentioned in This Episode:
“The Use of the National Forests,” by Gifford Pinchot