Texas A&M Forest Service Employees Honored at Bell County Expo Center

Hundreds of Texas A&M Forest Service employees convened Tuesday at the Bell County Expo Center for their annual personnel meeting.

The meeting recognized those who made significant contributions to the agency’s efforts over the past year.

During the awards ceremony, Director Tom Boggus praised the agency’s over 400 employees for their continued service and support of the agency’s mission — with special emphasis on their dedication to building strong partnerships and the capacity of others.

“Everything we do in this agency is about building capacity, which comes from dedication and commitment without regard of who gets the credit,” Boggus said.

The annual gathering allowed employees from across the state to come together and reflect on the previous year’s accomplishments while enjoying comradeship.

This year’s special guest speakers were former directors, Bruce Miles (1981–96) and James B. Hull (1996–2008).

Miles recounted his time with the agency sharing several memorable moments. One in particular was when he had the opportunity to escort then Governor George W. Bush through a town that had recently been devastated by a wildfire. He said he was proud of the governor’s commitment to letting the public know what he’d seen and heard from those affected by the wildfire. Miles emphasized his popular saying “Eighty-five percent of being successful is just showing up.”

He was followed by Hull who spoke accolades of the agency’s commitment to build capacity and the future of the agency.

“For those of you who have been hired in the past six years since I’ve retired I want to give you a special ‘thank you,’” Hull said. “You are the folks who are carrying on accomplishing the dreams and visions we’ve put in place through the years. It’s in your hands, thank you so much.”

Boggus echoed those thoughts by closing out the meeting saying “Because of the people I see in this room, I know the best is yet to come for this agency.”

Forty-seven employees were recognized for five or more years of service. Associate Director Mark Stanford in College Station received an award for 35 years of service with the agency.

Additional awards were issued to the following Texas A&M Forest Service employees:

Director’s Award for Support Staff

Field :
Regional Office Associate Michele Gonzales, Austin

Gonzales is recognized for her professionalism and the positive image she projects to the public. She excels at managing a diverse, geographically-challenged office and a wide scope of responsibilities.

Professional :
Chief Response Training Coordinator Chris Angerer, College Station

Angerer possesses an exceptional resume of recent accomplishments for improving and growing the agency’s training programs and exceptional leadership.

Office :
Business Associate Gwendolyn “Suzy” Cossey, College Station

Cossey demonstrated exceptional support and enthusiasm for the agency’s communications and marketing objectives, providing well-thought-out and innovative improvements for the benefit of our fire department customers.

Director’s Award for Team Effort
Red-Cockaded Woodpecker Translocation Team: Resource Specialists Mike Adams, Conroe; Mike Borski, Conroe; David Ivy, Smithville; John Settlocker, Woodville; and Raymond Uballe, Conroe; District Forester John Warner, Conroe; and Biologist Donna Work, Lufkin.

This team represents the finest efforts by the agency in its traditional mission of caring for the state’s forests. Their performance as a team above normal duties and innovative approach to problem solving ranked them above competition.

Director’s Award for Technical Forestry
Geospatial Systems Coordinator Curt Stripling, College Station

Stripling’s efforts and leadership behind the development of risk assessment portal tools, and the breadth of the project’s impact across the southern states made him a standout choice in this category.

Charles Krenek Award for Resource Specialist
Resource Specialist Fred Luecke, Smithville

Luecke stood out with contributions well above expectations of his title. A trailblazer in aviation support to wildfire suppression, his commitment to the mission had a high impact on the agency.

D.A. “Andy” Anderson I&E Award
Arson Dog Team: Dozer with Law Enforcement Investigator Kevin Pierce, Lufkin; Tracker with Law Enforcement Investigator Jarred Lemmon, Linden; Web Developer Brian Hecht, College Station; Information Technology Administrator Jeremy Lang, College Station; and Conservation Education Coordinator Leslie Kessner, College Station.

The team’s outstanding efforts to educate Texans on forest resource protection resulted in their nomination for this award. They received high scores in public education, awareness and activities.

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Texas A&M Forest Service Contacts:

Jessica Jackson, Communications Specialist
979-458-6619, [email protected]