Dr. Dale Greene, professor of Forest Operations at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, has been elected by fellow board members to serve as Chair of the Georgia State Board of Registration for Foresters for the year 2007.

The State Board of Registration for Foresters is one of the most important regulating institutions for the $25 Billion forestry and forest product industry in Georgia. The forestry professionals who serve on this board are responsible for developing and administering the state exam that must be passed before a trained forester can receive their official state license to operate as a registered forester in Georgia.

“Dr. Greene has served honorably and effectively on this board for several years now and I think it is only natural that he be selected to serve in this leadership position for the next year,” stated Bob Izlar, Director of the Center for Forest Business at the Warnell School and former Executive Vice-President of the Georgia Forestry Association for thirteen years. “He is certainly qualified, and dedicated to making sure Georgia’s registered foresters practice with the utmost professionalism.”

It is especially fitting that a member of the Warnell School faculty serve on this board, and a year as Chair, as the entire concept of testing foresters and registering them to practice in the state of Georgia was originated in 1951 by longtime Warnell School faculty member Archie Patterson. Through his leadership, Dr. Patterson was able to convince the state forestry community that it was in their best interest to practice under professional guidelines to ensure public safety, and that only those who can meet a high-caliber standard of work can receive license to market themselves as a “registered forester” in the state of Georgia.