CEO Transition and Selection Update · CEO Transition and Selection Update ... feedback from all staff across the Institute as well as separate CEO and CFO interviews. This summary

NOVEMBER 2018

© Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE)

SHARE YOUR NEWS!

If you would like to contribute to future issues of PIRE News, please send your stories and/or announcements to [email protected]

COMMENTS & SUGGESTIONS

Feedback on PIRE News articles and format is vital to the editorial staff in planning future issues. If you have any questions or comments please email [email protected]

FROM THE BOARD 2

CEO Transition and Selection Update

In the service of helping shape the vison of the new PIRE CEO, the Board—under the guidance of the Governance Committee (Karen Friend, Al Stein-Seroussi, and Pebbles Fagan), along with assistance from the Board Chair (Dick Clayton), other PIRE Board Staff Directors (Bob Saltz and Matt Courser), and the Corporate Secretary (Mary Gordon)—held discussion groups with all PIRE staff.

SPOTLIGHT 4

Center Director Transition Planned for Chapel Hill

National Whole Health Peer Facilitator Recognition Day

ANNOUNCEMENTS 16

2018 South Carolina Tree Farmer of the Year

AWARDS 12

PUBLICATIONS 8

FROM THE BOARD

CEO Transition and Selection Update

In the service of helping shape the vison of the new PIRE CEO, the Board—under the guidance of the Governance Committee (Karen Friend, Al Stein-Seroussi, and Pebbles Fagan), along with assistance from the Board Chair (Dick Clayton), other PIRE Board Staff Directors (Bob Saltz and Matt Courser), and the Corporate Secretary (Mary Gordon)—held discussion groups with all PIRE staff. More specifically, multiple discussion groups were held with staff at all Centers, the Central Business Office, and the Center Directors. Feedback was also solicited from a SharePoint site to which all staff had access, via both a forum and anonymous submissions.

In addition, separate interviews were conducted with our CEO Bernie Murphy and CFO Gary Klig. Because of their leadership roles, it was felt that their feedback might yield somewhat different and equally important perspectives on visions of a new CEO. All meetings had a facilitator and note taker (occasionally, one person served both roles).

From this mountain of collected data, the Governance Committee, with the assistance of our Board Chair, crafted an initial report of themes that cut across the various interviews so that we could understand the feedback we had received. Some showed consensus opinions; others divergent. From this initial report, we then wrote a narrative that mapped interviewee perspectives into sections with the following headings: “internal communication,” “external communication,” “management,” and “other.” The report included feedback from all staff across the Institute as well as separate CEO and CFO interviews.

This summary report is being prepared for the Board of Directors meeting in Louisville, December 4-5, 2018. Based on this report, the three Governance Committee members will develop a set of recommendations. Board members will be asked to create their own recommendations for discussion at the in-person meeting.

The recommendations will then be used by the Board in their Tuesday work session to create a new CEO job description. The next step in the process at the work session will be the forming of a search committee, chaired by Dick Clayton. Dr. Clayton is preparing a recruitment and search plan that will be shared, discussed, and finalized at the work session. As the plan is finalized it will be shared with staff in the January edition of PIRE News.

2PIRE News - November 2018

An important part of the recruitment process will be to tap into the resources within PIRE. To that end, once the job description is complete and the process finalized, staff will be asked to reach out to their professional organizations, affiliated institutions, and colleagues to share that the PIRE search has begun. Materials should be ready in early January.

We will continue to update everyone as this exciting process continues.


Martha Waller

SPOTLIGHT

Center Director Transition Planned for Chapel Hill

by Bob Flewelling and Martha Waller

Although PIRE has maintained an office in Chapel Hill since 1987, it was not until the year 2000 that the Chapel Hill Center was officially established, with Chris Ringwaltbeing named as our first Center Director (CD). In those early years of the Center’s existence, staff met to hammer out a structure and operational guidelines for Center management. These included, in particular, the formation of a Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) to guide the overall operation of the Center, the articulation of the “servant-leader” role of the CD within our Center management structure, and our Center’s policy regarding CD eligibility and turnover. The consensus of the PAC was to establish the practice of Center Director rotation every 3 to 5 years, similar to what is done in many university departments. Reasons for this included:

• It gives others the opportunity to direct a Center and interact with the corporate office and otherCDs.

• It spreads the burden of the CD role among senior staff.• It reduces the risk of a CD imposing too much of his or her own agenda and direction on the Center.

The guidelines call for the CD to serve a 3-year term, with an optional 2-year extension. The first 15 years of the Center included 5-year terms by Chris Ringwalt, Bob Flewelling, and Al Stein-Seroussi. Bob stepped back into the role for a second time in January 2016, but with the intent to serve only for 3 years. That time has now come, and the Chapel Hill Center is very pleased to announce that Martha Waller will become our fourth CD, starting January 1, 2019.

For Bob, the experience of serving in this role has been rewarding, challenging, and frustrating at times, but most of all it has been a gateway to interacting and working with an amazing group of individuals with whom he otherwise would not have had the pleasure of knowing nearly so well. And fortunately for Bob and all the Chapel Hill CDs so far, they have benefited every step of the way from the steady presence, experience, and tireless support of their assiduous Site Administrator, Janet Jester.

Martha Waller has been with PIRE since 2003. She began working at PIRE while a graduate student at the University of North Carolina (UNC) coming to PIRE with Denise Hallfors and her HIV in Young Adulthood: Pathways and Prevention grant. Once she graduated, she stayed with PIRE and continued to work on grants using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) and won an NIAAA R03 to examine the association between alcohol outlet density and intimate partner violence. Around the same time, she was offered the opportunity to lead the evaluation efforts with New Mexico’s Office of Substance Abuse Prevention to evaluate their substance abuse prevention block grant and their Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant (SPF SIG) grant. This also meant that she was able to visit some of her old stomping grounds and get to know the amazing folks at the Behavioral Health Research Center of the Southwest (BHRCS). She has worked with New Mexico since 2007 on a number


of Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)-funded grants that have existed over the years and on smaller grants from Indian Health Services and the National Center for Responsible Gaming. Recently she has started to dip her feet into the NIH world again submitting an R21 proposal to NIDA to examine an innovative approach to opioid overdose prevention.

While her career path has had a few twists and turns, she’s enjoyed the opportunities it has provided to work with many talented PIRE researchers and staff across centers on a number of different research topics, making her rather eclectic in her skills and interests. She looks forward to becoming CD if only because it’s an opportunity to learn new skills and meet new people. Also, knowing that there are three previous Chapel Hill CDs still around, and Janet Jester as well, means that there’s always someone to turn to for advice. It also doesn’t hurt that Chapel Hill staff are some of the best ever, but she may be a wee bit biased.


David Rychener

SPOTLIGHT

National Whole Health Peer Facilitator Recognition Day

by Ann Mason

The Whole Health Peer Facilitator program is part of the Veterans Health Administration Whole Health Education contract with PIRE. David Rychener is the Principle Investigator and one of the prime architects responsible for the development and implementation of this task. This program was recently recognized by Robert Wilkie, United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, for its contribution to helping Veterans. Below is the announcement of this day of recognition from Dr. Tracy Gaudet, Executive Director, National Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation.

Well done, David and the PIRE Team!

Recognition Day Announcement from Dr. Tracy Gaudet:

Today is Whole Health Peer Facilitator Day!

Secretary Wilkie has designated November 14, 2018, as National Whole Health Peer Facilitator Recognition Day as part of Veterans Month.

First, if you are currently serving as a Whole Health Peer Facilitator—“Thank You!” You already know that the partnership and connection that you have with your peers is a unique two-way gift that is advancing the transformation of health care in VA. You are using your relational skills and training to assist other Veterans to explore their mission, aspirations, and purpose and to identify personal goals in support of what matters most to them. We honor your commitment to support your peers through their Whole Health journey!

If you have completed the training but are not yet serving as a Whole Health Peer Facilitator, now is the time to begin! Reach out to your facility’s Introduction to Whole Health coordinator and offer to get started. If you are serving in a volunteer capacity, please enroll with your Voluntary Service so that your contributions can be formally recognized.

Finally, if you are an employee reading this, please identify and recognize the Whole Health Peer Facilitators at your facility—today, or any time during Veterans Month. VHA currently has more than 1,200 Whole Health Peer Facilitators nationwide bringing this innovative approach to care to their fellow Veterans. Learn more about Whole Health and Whole Health Peer Facilitator training and contact your local VA Medical Center to get involved.


Thanks, again, for all that you do in service of Veterans every day!

Tracy W. Gaudet, M.D. Executive Director National Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural TransformationVeterans Health Administration

More Praise for the VA Whole Health Coaching Program:


PUBLICATIONS

July – September 2018

Afolabi, M.O., Rennie, S., Hallfors, D.D., Kline, T., Zeitz, S., Odongo, F.S., Amek, N.O., Luseno, W.K., 2018 An adapted instrument to assess informed consent comprehension among youth and parents in rural western Kenya: A validation study BMJ Open, 8 (7), doi: DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-021613 Impact Factor: 2.413ABSTRACT

Bachynski, K. E., Swedler, D. I., 2018 Assessing exposure time and concussion risk American Journal Of Public Health, 108 (7), e12. doi: DOI: 10.2105/ajph.2018.304442 Impact Factor: 4.38

Foney, D.M., Ashley, O.S., 2018 Interviewing: What to expect and how to prepare Impact Factor: N/A

George, M., Holder, R., Shamblen, S., Holder, H.D., 2018 Impact of Alcohol Compliance Checks on Underage Alcohol-Involved Crashes: Test of a State-wide Enforcement program in South Carolina 2006-2016 Impact Factor: N/A

Gilbertson, A., Kelly, E.P., Rennie, S., Henderson, G., Kuruc, J., Tucker, J.D., 2018 Indirect Benefits in HIV Cure Clinical Research: A Qualitative Analysis AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses, doi: doi.org/10.1089/aid.2017.0224 Impact Factor: 1.935ABSTRACT

Gilder, D., Geisler, Jennifer A., Luna, J.A., Calac, D., Monti, P., Spillane, N., Lee, J., Moore, R., Ehlers, C., 2017 A pilot randomized trial of Motivational Interviewing compared to Psycho-Education for reducing and preventing underage drinking in American Indian adolescents Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 82 (1), 74-81. doi: DOI: Impact Factor: 2.602ABSTRACT


Gorman, D., Ponicki, W.R., Zheng, Q., Han, D., Gruenewald, P., Gaidus, A., 2018 Violent crime redistribution in a city following a substantial increase in the number of off-sale alcohol outlets: A Bayesian analysis Drug and Alcohol Review, 37 (3), 348-355. doi: DOI: 10.1111/dar.12636 Impact Factor: 2.855ABSTRACT

Gunderson, Lara, Willging, Cathleen E, Jaramillo, Elise T, Green, Amy, Fettes, Danielle, Hecht, Debra, Aarons, Gregory A, 2018 The good coach: implementation and sustainment factors that affect coaching as evidence-based intervention fidelity support Journal of Children's Services, 13(1), 1-17. doi: DOI: 10.1108/JCS-09-2017-0043 Impact Factor: N/AABSTRACT

Jin, Z., Chang, H.H., Ponicki, W.R., Gaidus, A., Waller, L.A., Morrison, C., Gruenewald, P., 2018 Longitudinal impacts of two causal drivers of alcohol demand on outlet concentrations within community settings: Population size and income effects Spatial and Spatio-temporal Epidemiology, 2721-28. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sste.2018.07.003 Impact Factor: N/AABSTRACT

Lipperman-Kreda, Sharon, Grube, Joel W., 2018 Impacts of Marijuana Commercialization on Adolescents' Marijuana Beliefs, Use, and Co-use With Other Substances The Journal Of Adolescent Health: Official Publication Of The Society For Adolescent Medicine, 63 (1), 5-6. doi: DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.05.003 Impact Factor: 4.098

Lipton, R., Ponicki, W.R., Gruenewald, P., Gaidus, A., 2018 Space-time analysis of alcohol outlets and related motor vehicle crashes: Associations at city and census block-group levels Alcoholism,Clinical And Experimental Research, 42 (6), 1113-1121. doi: doi: 10.1111/acer.13758 Impact Factor: 3.183ABSTRACT

Miller, T., GBD Healthcare Access and Quality Collaborators, 2018 Measuring performance on the Healthcare Access and Quality Index for 195 countries and territories and selected subnational locations: A systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016 The Lancet, 391(10136), 2236-2271. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30994-2 Impact Factor: 53.25ABSTRACT

Miller, T., U. S. Burden of Disease Collaborators, 2018 The state of US health, 1990-2016: Burden of diseases, injuries, and risk factors among US states JAMA, 319 (14), 1444-1472. doi: DOI: 10.1001/jama.2018.0158 Impact Factor: 47.7ABSTRACT

Naumann, R. B., Marshall, S. W., Lund, J. L., Gottfredson, N. C., Ringwalt, C. L., Skinner, A. C., 2018 Evaluating short- and long-term impacts of a Medicaid "lock-in" program on opioid and


benzodiazepine prescriptions dispensed to beneficiaries Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 182112-119. doi: DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.10.001 Impact Factor: 3.322ABSTRACT

Ringwalt, C., Sanford, C., Dasgupta, N., Alexandridis, A., McCort, A., Proescholdbell, S., Sachdeva, N., Mack, K., 2018 Community Readiness to Prevent Opioid Overdose Health Promotion Practice, 19(5), 747-755. doi: DOI: 10.1177/1524839918756887

ABSTRACT

Sa, Jaesin, Russell, Marcia, Weintruab, Miranda Ritterman, Seo, Dong-Chul, Chaput, Jean-Philippe, Habib, Mohammad, 2018 Gender and Racial/Ethnic Differences in the Association Between Alcohol Drinking Patterns and Body Mass Index-the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2010 Journal Of Racial And Ethnic Health Disparities, doi: DOI: 10.1007/s40615-018-0525-7 Impact Factor: N/AABSTRACT

Scherer, Michael, Canham, Sarah, Voas, Robert B., Furr-Holden, C. Debra, 2018 Intercorrelation of alcohol and other drug use disorders among a national sample of drivers Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 50 (2), 143-150. doi: DOI: 10.1080/02791072.2017.1366605 Impact Factor: 1.667ABSTRACT

Schweinhart, A., Clayton, J., 2018 Reversing the Trends toward Shorter Lives and Poorer Health for US Women: A Call for Innovative Interdisciplinary Research. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 151796. doi: doi: 10.3390/ijerph15091796 Impact Factor: 2.145ABSTRACT

Shamblen, Stephen, Gluck, Andrew, Wubbenhorst, William, Collins, David, 2018 The Economic Benefits of Marriage and Family Strengthening Programs Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 39 (3), 386-404. doi: DOI: 10.1007/s10834-018-9565-8 Impact Factor: .924ABSTRACT

Shea, M. T., Lambert, J., Reddy, M. K., Presseau, C., Sevin, E., Stout, R. L., 2018 Treatment of trauma related anger in operation enduring freedom, operation Iraqi freedom, and operation New Dawn veterans: Rationale and study protocol Contemporary Clinical Trials Communications, 1226-31. doi: DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2018.08.011 Impact Factor: 2.658ABSTRACT

Thomas, Sue, Treffers, Ryan, Berglas, Nancy F., Drabble, Laurie, Roberts, Sarah C. M., 2018 Drug use during pregnancy policies in the United States from 1970 to 2016 Contemporary Drug Problems, doi: DOI: 10.1177/0091450918790790 Impact Factor: N/AABSTRACT


Wang-Schweig, M., Miller, B., 2018 Examining the interdependence of parent-adolescent acculturation gaps on acculturation-based conflict: Using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, doi: doi:10.1007/s10964-018-0948-9 Impact Factor: 3.247ABSTRACT

Zamanian, R.T., Hedlin, H., Gruenewald, P., Wilson, D.M., Segal, J.I., Jorden, M., Kudelko, K., Liu, J., Hsi, A., Rupp, A., Sweatt, A.J., Tuder, R., Berry, G.J., Rabinovitch, M., Doyle, R.L., de Jesus Perez, V., Kawut, S.M., 2018 Features and outcomes of methamphetamine associated pulmonary arterial hypertension American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care, 197 (6), 788-8000. doi: doi: 10.1164/rccm.201705-0943OC Impact Factor: 15.239ABSTRACT

Zonfrillo, Mark R., Spicer, Rebecca S., Lawrence, Bruce A., Miller, Ted R., 2018 Incidence and costs of injuries to children and adults in the United States Injury Epidemiology, 5 (1), 37. doi: 10.1186/s40621-018-0167-6 Impact Factor: N/AABSTRACT


AWARDS

September – October 2018

The following list includes awards for which funding was confirmed in the months of September and October 2018. If there are any discrepancies in the information provided, please advise Katie Carr at [email protected].

Key: POP – Period of Performance # First Award Recipient NEW

Activity Desciption Center Type Prime/Sub Title

Client (Source

of Funds)

PI IDPOP Start POP End

Total Funding

September 2018

NEW Albuquerque Grant Prime

Enhancing Primary Care Services for Diverse Sexual and Gender Minority Populations

NIMHD Willging 921 9/12/2018 4/30/2019 228k

NEW Louisville Contract SubAnalytic Support Center (ASC)

Westat Shamblen 922 9/14/2018 9/13/2019 402k

NEW Louisville Contract Sub

Planning and Evaluation Services Enhancement for Ohio's UMADAOP Federation (Mansfield Pilot)

Ohio University

Courser 923 7/1/2018 6/30/2019 25k

NEW Calverton Contract Prime

Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) Loss Estimates for WISQARS Cost of Injury Reports

CDC Lawrence 924 9/30/2018 9/29/2019 99k

NEW Louisville Grant Prime

Rural Communities Opioid Response (Planning)

HRSA Courser 925 9/30/2018 9/29/2019 200k

Continuation/ Renewal

Providence Contract Sub Project REACH: Preventing Postpartum Depression in

Woman & Infants Hospital

Stout 623.02 5/1/2018 10/31/2018 2k


Adolescent Mothers

Training Agreement

Calverton Contract SubSpecial Training and Technical Assistance

ND Behavioral Health, 12/3-12/7, 2018

Moore, A. 909.03 12/3/2018 12/7/2018 9.5k

Training Agreement

CPHII Contract SubSpecial Training and Technical Assistance

SUNY Buffalo, NY-10/17/18

Moore, A. 630.09 10/17/2018 10/17/2018 2k


Berkeley Contract Sub

A Multidimensional Community-Based Strategy for Preventing Underage Drinking

Oregon Research Institute

Grube 756 7/1/2018 6/30/2019 130k


Providence Contract Sub

AUD Brief Interventions: Testing the Comparability Hypothesis and Purported MoBC

Rutgers University

Stout 761 8/1/2018 7/31/2019 42k


Chapel Hill Contract Sub

Grant Evaluation Services for the Strategic Prevention Framework Partnerhip for Success (SPF PFS) Significant Prevention Resulting in New Generations (SPRING) Grant

Little Traverse Bay Band (LTBB)

Grabarek 771 9/30/2018 9/30/2019 46k


Chapel Hill Contract Sub

Epidemiologist Services for the Strategic Prevention Framework Partnership for Success (SPF PFS) Significant Prevention Resulting in New Generations (SPRING) Grant


Hanley 772 9/30/2018 9/30/2019 45k


Louisville HBSA Contract

Sub Continuous quality

Ohio University

Courser 791 7/1/2018 6/30/2019 50k


improvement (CQI) for Ohio’s Problem Gambling Prevention Services

Continuation Renewal

Calverton Contract Sub

Suicide risk reduction in the year following jail release: the SPIRIT Trial (Suicide Prevention for at-Risk Individuals in Transition)

Michigan State University

Miller, T. 810 7/1/2018 6/30/2019 40k


Louisville Contract Sub

Work Attributes Toward Career in Health (WATCH) in Central Pennsylvania Counties

CSIU Courser 821 9/30/2018 9/29/2019 85k


Chapel Hill HBSA Contract

Prime

Web-based Software Application for Alcohol Enforcement Teams

SC Dept-Alc & Other Drugs

Stein-Seroussi

841 7/1/2018 6/30/2019 28k


Chapel Hill Grant SubSPRING SPF Rx Program (Epidemiology)


Hanley 865 9/1/2018 8/31/2019 40k


Chapel Hill Grant SubSPRING SPF Rx Program Evaluation


Grabarek 868 9/1/2018 8/31/2019 40k



Alabama Department of Mental Health Program Evaluation Services

Alabama Dept of Mental Health

Atwood 895 10/1/2018 9/30/2019 182k



Ohio - Collective Impact Statewide Evaluation

Ohio University

Courser 898 5/1/2018 4/30/2019 95k

Modification Albuquerque Contract SubState of New Mexico SPF Rx Evaluation

Bernalillo County CHC

Lilliott 900 7/1/2018 6/30/2019

No funding or POP change.


October 2018

NEW Lousiville Contract SubSexual Risk Avoidance

Social Capital Valuations, LLC

Shamblen 926 10/1/2018 9/30/2020 32k

NEW Berkeley Contract Sub

Influences of In-Person Social Networks, Digital Social Networks, and Neighborhoods on Adolescent Alcohol Consumption

Columbia University

Byrnes 927 9/1/2018 8/31/2019 12k

NEW Berkeley Contract SubTribal Opioid Response

Indian Health Council

Moore, R 928 10/1/2018 9/30/2019 4k

NEW LouisvilleHBSA Contract

Prime

Evaluation Services for the NCFL Louisville Vocabulary Initiative - Media Campaign Evaluation

National Center for Families Learning

Scarbrough 929 9/1/2018 8/31/2019 45k


LouisvilleHBSA Contract

Prime

Popular Opinion Leaders Model for the Building Resiliency in Campus Community (BRICC) Coalition

University of Louisville

Thompson 615 10/9/2018 12/31/2018 20k

Modification Berkeley Contract Sub

Reducing Availability and Misuse of Prescription Drugs on California Reservations


Moore, R. 710 9/1/2018 12/31/2018 23k


Louisville Contract SubEnhancing Community Connections

COPES Collins 819 9/30/2018 9/30/2019 34k


Berkeley Contract SubSAMHSA Native Connections Grant


Moore, R 860 10/1/2018 9/30/2019 34k


Calverton Contract Sub Optimizing Tobacco Dependence Treatment in the

Yale University

Miller, T 861 7/1/2016 6/30/2018 7k

Emergency Department


Dr. Knowlton Johnson

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2018 SOUTH CAROLINA TREE FARMER OF THE YEAR

Dr. Knowlton W. Johnson Award Acceptance Remarks

Thank you, Mr. Chairman,

This is a treasured award! In 2008, I returned to the South [Asheville, N.C.], after 45 years engaging in six different careers, living in 10 states, and working, hiking, and cycling in 30 countries. This adventure began in forestry as a Clemson graduate in 1964. Shortly after arriving in Asheville, I decided to take on the challenge of transforming my parents row crops and chicken farm into the Johnson Experiment Forest in the Teals Mill community of Chesterfield county. They had past-on about 20 years earlier and the farm lay idle for about 30 years. It has taken me 10 years to create a 227-acre experimental forest.

I have had help from lots of folks with much more knowledge and experience in forestry and wildlife management than I. First and foremost, I would like to thank my forest consultant [Cory Flowers and his father, Billy] whom I hook up with in 2009. They supported my goals and provided valuable input in my first management plan. Cory, who nominated me for this award, has continued to provide needed guidance as we have embarked on this ten-year journey. Equally important is the assistance of Jack Hurst who is my local forest manager and Charles Babb, former NRCS coordinator in Chesterfield County and now with the County’s Sandhills Longleaf Pine Partnership Coordinator. They have been so responsive and supportive in helping me implement new forestry practices as demonstration projects for local forest land owners. Some projects have succeeded, and some are still a “work in progress”.

Equally important to my success is Dr. Pat Layton [Director of the Clemson Wood Utilization and Design] and Dr. Tom Strake [Clemson forestry professor] who were two of my early mentors. They have stuck with me since the beginning of my journey. Another mentor has been Dr. Walt McPhail [2012 National Tree Farmer of the Year] who I call on from time to time for advice and guidance. My hat also goes off to the S.C. Forestry Association and the Forestry Commission in taking the lead in


developing an impressive network of S.C. tree farmers whom I have called upon from time to time. I am impressed and honored to be a member of this network.

Finally, special recognition goes to my late wife, Dr. Jillian Johnson, who died 19 months ago. She provided me support and encouragement throughout the journey. She was from Seattle, Washington, but fell in love with the South, especially our tree farm. As one of her final requests, she asked that her ashes be buried under her favorite live oak tree on the farm. Jack Hurst and I placed a foot marker entitled, “May the Forest be with You”. The Pee Dee Land Trust that holds a conservation easement on the tree farm had provided me earlier with a beautiful blue bird house for establishing the first easement in Chesterfield county. It was mounted as her head stone. Jill was an International birder.

Again, thanks for the award.


Documents

CEO Transition and Selection Update · CEO Transition and Selection Update ... feedback from all staff across the Institute as well as separate CEO and CFO interviews. This summary