Branching Out at the 2024 Society of American Foresters National Convention

Some of the employees who attended SAF this year. Back row left to right: Rebecca Sheridan, nursery scientist based in Centralia, Washington; Will Lehning, harvesting forester based in New Hampshire; Eric Sucre, production forestry program manager based in Eugene, Oregon; Bob Purnell, tree improvement manager based in North Carolina; Michelle Metcalf, EMS manager based in Castle Rock, Washington; Blair Owen, planning/roads forester based in Vanceboro, North Carolina; Caitlin Garza, recruiting coordinator based in Texas; Jon Cherico, silviculture research specialist based in Eugene; YaVonda Johnson, senior HR business partner based in Mississippi; Jonathan Metz, forester based in Longview, Washington; and Rachael Rich, HR business partner based in Longview. Front row left to right: Jeff Lamberg, forester based in Corvallis, Oregon, and Kyleigh Gill, Oregon PR manager.

More than 1,200 forestry professionals from across the United States gathered in Loveland, Colorado, in mid-September for the 2024 Society of American Foresters National Conference. With a theme of "The Resources We Manage," the conference included field tours, networking events, professional development sessions and more.

This year, a team of 10 employees staffed a Weyerhaeuser booth on the expo floor, where they were able to meet and connect with students, future interns and job candidates, and thought leaders in the forestry space.

Our employees participated in field tours in Colorado and Wyoming focused on forest management, nursery technology and watershed collaboration. Back at the booth, they shared branded giveaways and information on our operations, and our team had many conversations with students about the benefits of our internship program and with professionals looking for a career change.

Our team also attended presentations from experts on technology and innovation, forest carbon projects and wildlife, in addition to participating in networking events. Michelle Metcalf, Western Timberlands EMS manager, represented private forest land management at the Diversity Scholars networking event, which aimed to create networking opportunities and create a knowledge exchange between professionals and academic institutions.

"The convention served as a fantastic platform to share our story with professionals and students from across the country," Michelle says. "For me, one of the highlights was talking with students and young professionals about Weyerhaeuser and the forestry profession. I hoped to inspire them by sharing my career journey and illustrating how I integrate our core values into my daily work."

Next year's conference will take place Oct. 23 to 27, 2025, in Hartford, Connecticut.