3 minute read
Partnerships in Forestry: Mississippi
Mississippi Forestry Association
Casey Anderson, Mississippi Forestry Association Executive Director
Happy New Year! Mississippi Forestry Association (MFA) is looking forward to all 2023 will bring, and I am thrilled to have a front-row seat as I serve in my new role as MFA executive director!
Casey Anderson, Mississippi Forestry Association Executive Director
MFA saw several staff changes in 2022, including the announcement of Tedrick Ratcliff stepping down from his role as executive vice president at the end of July. Our staff pulled together to ensure the association ran smoothly during the interim period, and I appreciate the dedication of MFA member and past president, Ellen Dabbs, who served as the association's interim executive vice president from August through the end of November. I officially began my role as executive director on December 1, 2022, and our entire MFA staff and I stand ready to serve our membership well in 2023.
MFA saw a number of successes in 2022, including moving the Professional Logging Manager Program under the banner of MFA and partnering with ForestryWorks to provide workforce development and log truck driver recruitment opportunities to our members. Our association continues looking for new ways to provide benefits and services that help our members succeed daily. I want to expand on my mention of our ForestryWorks partnership.
MFA has long advocated for workforce development in Mississippi, but the partnership with ForestryWorks provides numerous avenues to grow our commitment and efforts. ForestryWorks has a robust catalog of career videos and features that provides a great overview for students and anyone searching for a new career path.
We commonly have calls from members looking to hire new employees, and through our ForestryWorks website, MFA now has a job board open to all MFA members at no additional charge!
We also have access to a log truck driver recruitment program. Logging companies looking for employees can complete a recruitment form where they set specific requirements and list the counties where they work. A separate form allows anyone looking for a job as a driver to share their years of experience, counties where they are willing to work, and current CDL status.
Applicant information is then sent to companies with matching requirements. All of this can be found at www.forestryworks.com/Mississippi.
New partners such as ForestryWorks and long-standing partners such as Forestry Mutual offer many benefits to MFA members, and we see great value in those partnerships. Forestry Mutual shares in MFA's desire to see our members succeed and offer them highly rated insurance options, including workers' compensation, property, inland marine, general liability, and business auto policies.
Our commitment to our members is long-lasting, and so is our partnership with Forestry Mutual. We appreciate their support of the association and look forward to many more years of working together to further the forest and logging industries in Mississippi!
To learn more about the outstanding partnerships Forestry Mutual has with its regional associations and their letters of endorsement, visit www.forestrymutual.com, email us at info@forestrymutual.com, or call 800-849-7788 Today!
