WI SAF Chair Anthony Rynish will give opening remarks and introduce our speakers. We are lucky to have Christine Thomas, Ph.D. and Mike Dombeck, Ph.D. for our keynote address. Here are brief biographies with more information on all they have done for Forestry in their careers. Remember that registration closes one week before the webinar begins.
Christine Thomas
Christine Thomas has promoted the cause of conservation in Wisconsin and the nation through her contributions to higher education, research, natural resource policy, and the advancement of citizen participation in Wisconsin’s rich conservation heritage.
Recognized for her teaching and administrative talents, Thomas served as the Dean of the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP), one of the largest colleges of its kind in the nation.
Throughout her career Thomas has focused on the importance of access to well managed public lands. As member of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board for 11 years (Chair for 3 years), she advanced environmental and natural resource policy affecting outdoor recreation, water and habitat protection and the management of Wisconsin’s wildlife, forests, and parks.
At the national level, she has served on the boards and councils of many conservation organizations and governmental agencies, including the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. She currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the U.S. Interior and U.S. Agriculture Department’s Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council, and on the board of Ducks Unlimited.
Her statewide and national leadership has inspired women studying and working in the conservation profession. To promote the involvement of women in outdoor activities and conservation efforts, in 1991 she helped found the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program, an educational outreach program at UWSP teaching outdoor skills in Wisconsin and many other states.
In recognition of her leadership and contributions to conservation, she has received numerous awards from state and national conservation organizations.
Michael Dombeck
One of the most renowned and respected contemporary conservationists, Mike Dombeck dedicated a quarter of a century to managing federal lands and natural resources in the long-term public interest. Mike is the only person to have ever served as both the Director of the Bureau of Land Management and the Chief of the US Forest Service. His leadership impacted nearly 500 million acres. His legacy is one of steadfast stewardship for the land, and he is most noted for significant efforts toward watershed health and restoration, sustainable forest ecosystem management, sound forest roads and roadless area protection. As the capstone to his life-long career in public service, he was granted the highest award in federal service, the Presidential Rank – Distinguished Executive Award.
Dr. Dombeck is also the recipient of the prestigious Audubon Medal, the Lady Bird Johnson Conservation Award and Ansel Adams Award. He has authored, co-authored, and edited over 200 popular and scholarly publications, including the books: Watershed Restoration: Principles and Practices, From Conquest to Conservation: Our Public Lands Legacy, The Business of the Conservation Nonprofit, and My Healthy Stream.
Dr. Dombeck also served as UW System Fellow and Professor of Global Conservation at the College of Natural Resources at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He writes popular and technical articles, lectures and makes frequent national and international presentations on current environmental, natural resource management, and social issues.
