From a nomination letter written by W. Andrew Casey, ACF, CF:
I first met Jeff in 1984, when I was a forestry student at North Carolina State University. We were introduced by a mutual friend, and I soon found myself working on holidays hugging trees while Jeff tallied. That work turned into a summer job and then, following my graduation from NCSU, a full-time position as a forester. While my employment for Jeff only lasted a year or so, our friendship has continued.
We have been competitors for more than 20 years, with our own consulting forestry practices, and for most of that time, our offices have only been a few blocks apart. Even as a competitor, Jeff has always taken time to discuss a silvicultural concern or answer a question about the practical side of running a consulting business.
Jeff has been an active SAF member, both on the chapter and state level. He is a North Carolina Registered Forester, an SAF Certified Forester, and a member of the Association of Consulting Foresters.
Most important, Jeff has been working with private landowners to plan and implement forest management practices for almost 40 years. There is no more effective way to apply good forest management practices than one landowner at a time and one job at a time. For Jeff, that adds up to a whole lot of worn out boots, many thousands of acres of applied forestry, and many private landowners who have not only have well-managed forests, but also a much better understanding of their forests and the practical application of forestry.
