Alumni named new director of forest properties
Robert S. Davis of Owasco will now take charge of the 25,000 acres of forest property overseen by the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, as part of his new position.
‘The college has a responsibility for (the property) both in terms of research, stewardship, conservation,’ said Cornelius Murphy, the ESF president.
Davis was announced as the new director of forest properties for the college and will begin his duties next Wednesday.
‘These kinds of responsibilities are some of the fundamental responsibilities of the director of forest property – to assure that those properties are managed and sustainable in an appropriate manner,’ Murphy said.
Davis owns Sustainable Forestry Advisors, LLC in Skaneateles, N.Y., and has served as a senior forester with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, according to the release.
He also currently serves as treasurer of the New York Society of American Foresters, area chair of New York Tree Farm, Inc. and he is a member of the finance committee of ESF’s Ranger School Alumni Association.
‘Certainly, (Davis) had experience in the area of consulting,’ Murphy said. ‘He had been a consulting forester, he had the right academic background certainly in the area of forestry and I think he presented an appropriate vision as to how our forested property should be best managed.’
Davis holds an associate degree in applied science in forest technology from ESF’s Ranger School in Wanakena, N.Y., a bachelor’s degree in forest resource management and a master of science in silviculture from ESF and he is a Society of American Foresters certified forester, according to an ESF press release.
Davis could not be reached for comment for this article.
A search committee, consisting of representatives from a student base, administration, faculty and staff, narrowed down prospective candidates for the position.
‘I think there may have been more than 30 people,’ Murphy said.
All of the prospective candidates were invited to campus for a daylong interview. After the meetings, a final candidate was recommended to the administration, he said.
With Davis’ new position, Murphy is already making plans for the future.
‘I think we have put together some of our management forestry-based property plans, and I think one of the very first things he’s going to do is review those plans and probably make recommendations as to how those can further be enhanced,’ he said.
Published on February 26, 2008 at 12:00 pm
