Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Diane Dealey Neill. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Diane, thanks for joining us today. So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?

We all can think back to experiences that made an impact on our careers, whether they happened in school, an early-career job, or in our personal life. I’ll bet that for anyone reading this, those memories don’t involve reading a book or completing a worksheet. Some of my most valuable educational experiences happened in the field. My graduate degree program involved trips all over California to talk to farmers about growing crops using Integrated Pest Management. I then applied that knowledge in a production agriculture job and, after about a year, felt I could detect the nuances in the field that made me a good crop scout.

After several years of educating students about natural resource conservation and without a degree in forestry, I started the Forestry Challenge program in 2003. I have learned so much over the years and approach teaching forestry with the perspective of a recent learner. My time in the field working alongside forestry professionals from all over California is helping me qualify for the Registered Professional Forester exam in about a year.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have a passion for the forest and come from a long lineage of people who worked in the woods. Closest to me is my Dad, who received two forestry degrees from the University of California at Berkeley and worked in forest management for his entire 45-year career. He is one of the state’s first Registered Professional Foresters and still has his license today at age 89.

When I was getting ready to go to college, the forestry products industry was in a major slump, and Dad discouraged me from pursuing that path. This is guidance he regrets to this day! I enjoyed my years working in production agriculture and for a conservation district, but when I took a break to have children and it was time to get back into a career, I decided to pursue my passion of forestry education.

The first several years were challenging and the program didn’t grow fast, but persistence pays off. The program has grown from one event a year with 60 to 70 students to 6 events each year with over 600. One of my volunteers pointed out to the students after an event a few years back “the power of one”, noting what I’ve built with a good idea and hard work. One of the nicest things a forester once said to me is that I’m making a bigger contribution to the profession doing what I’m doing than if I had gone to forestry school and then out to the woods to work as a forester.

Our organization has grown into a non-profit corporation with 5 employees who plan and conduct 4-day forestry camps for high school students. We take students through the scientific method in the forest, teaching them how to measure trees to quantify the forest, interpret the data, and report their findings and recommendations. In the past few years we’ve added an emphasis on career exploration and many of our participants have gone on to pursue an education and career in forestry, natural resources, or logging. But what I’m most proud of is that, because of the Forestry Challenge, over 5,000 young Californians are now more aware of the science behind active forest management and the hard work professional foresters do every day to protect this precious resource.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When I started the Forestry Challenge, I was under the umbrella of another non-profit. They made my life easy in some ways, fundraising, contracting for facilities, and paying me a modest but steady hourly rate. When the economic downturn happened in 2009, they let me know they were no longer able to pay me and expected me to go away quietly, leaving my program to them. Their mistake was that they didn’t know me well and didn’t understand my passion for the program I created. Our parting conversation ended with me saying “This is my baby and I’m taking it with me”.

The next day I started the process of securing a servicemark on my intellectual property and I put $200 in a new bank account and said a prayer. I went without pay for a year. The following year I grossed $2,000. Granted, I was able to do this with another income in the household, but eventually, I was able to pay myself a decent salary. The motto “never give up” is one I circle back to frequently.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Hard work and integrity are highly valued qualities in the world of forestry and logging. The fact that I am female in a male-dominated world is noteworthy. I am treated with respect and validity because I make a point of learning and knowing the science and I don’t have a chip on my shoulder because I’m female. I never try to be “one of the guys” but I also don’t expect special accommodations. I advise the female students in the program to just be who they are and not be hyper-sensitive to what might be considered deferential treatment. At the end of the day, all you have is your reputation so work to make it solid.

Contact Info:

• Website: forestrychallenge.org

Image Credits
All images are credited to Dan Cullinane.