A special thanks to this group of Urban Forest Strike Team professionals for making the module videos for the Team Leader and Task Specialist Refresher courses possible.
Seth Hawkins
Community Forester and Strike Team Leader, Georgia Forestry Commission
Seth has served as a Task Specialist on 6 UFST deployments, and most recently served as the Team Leader for the UFST deployment to Mobile, AL following Hurricane Sally. He has been with the Georgia Forestry Commission for 6 years where we works with communities to maintain sustainable community forests through community advocacy, public education, and policy assistance.
Will Liner
Urban Forestry Program Manager, Florida Forest Service
Will is an ISA Certified Arborist, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified and an ASBRF Alabama Registered Forester. His duties with the Florida Forest Service include managing the Urban and Community Forestry program, leading Florida’s Urban Forest Strike Team efforts, administering the Arbor Day Foundation recognition programs in Florida, providing communities and citizens with technical assistance, and overseeing urban forestry grants and projects.
Stephen Lloyd
CFA Coordinator, Regions 3 & 4, Florida Forest Service
Lara Johnson
In that capacity, she helps communities and organizations fulfill their community forestry goals, manages Virginia’s Tree City USA Program and coordinates educational workshops and roundtables across the state. Lara holds dual degrees in Policy and Planning and Environmental Science from Virginia Tech and a master’s degree in Forestry from Virginia Tech. She has served as a task specialist or GIS specialist for four UFST deployments.
Frances Waite
Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator, South Carolina Forestry Commission
Primarily, Frances collaborates with municipalities and counties helping to access and enjoy their urban forest, provides technical assistance with tree selection, proper planting and selection of nursery stock. She has written grants over the past several years that help planners with green infrastructure mapping, modeling, and planning for connectivity at the local and regional landscape scale. Her most recent project involves providing information on how to incorporate green infrastructure and forestry into comprehensive plans.
Beattra Wilson
Assistant Director for Cooperative Forestry, the U.S. Forest Service
Beattra Wilson studied urban forestry at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In 2020, she became the assistant director for the Urban and Community Forestry Program. Beattra has had what she describes as a “unicorn of a career” in urban forestry. Beattra encourages young people to explore a career in urban forestry when they are ready. Urban and Community Forestry Program offers an academy for HBCU students to advocate for their communities’ greenspace.
