Ailey, GA |
For Matthew O’Connor, becoming a forester was never simply a career choice — it was a lifelong passion rooted in family, community, and stewardship. That dedication has now earned him one of the highest honors in his field: Georgia Forester of the Year from the Georgia Forestry Commission.
“I grew up around forestry. I grew up on a tree farm working with my dad, so I’ve been in forestry pretty much all my life,” O’Connor said. “When I went to the University of Georgia, I learned they had a really good forestry program. I got into the school, graduated with a forestry degree, and then had the privilege of coming to work with the Georgia Forestry Commission straight out of college. I’ve been here since, and I’ve just worked my way up to the position I’m in now.”
As O’Connor explains, the role of a forester extends well beyond simply managing timber. It’s about building lasting relationships with landowners, promoting responsible stewardship, and ensuring Georgia’s forests remain healthy and productive for generations to come.
“As a forester with the Georgia Forestry Commission, we work with private landowners across the state — and that could be anywhere from getting trees planted back all the way to that final harvest,” O’Connor said. “We get to spend a lot of time with our private landowners, with federal partners, through various programs, and just trying to continue to foster good stewardship of our forests and help them be productive and healthy throughout the state.”
While that work is important year-round, it has taken on added urgency in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, as foresters across Georgia continue helping landowners navigate the long recovery from the storm’s devastation.
“There’s still a long road to recovery. There are a lot of sites that still have a lot of debris on them that have not been reforested yet — this is a many-year recovery effort,” O’Connor said. “While a lot of sites have been salvaged, cleaned up, and are getting planted back right now, there’s still a lot of acreage that still needs to be cleaned up and reforested and get back into productive forestry. That’s where the Georgia Forestry Commission is continuing to serve our landowners, trying to help all those in the path of the hurricane get back on their feet and hopefully back in the right direction.”
For O’Connor, the most rewarding part of the job isn’t the recognition — it’s the opportunity to serve the people and places he’s known his entire life.
“My favorite part of the job is just getting out and meeting private landowners and being able to serve them. I get to work in an area I grew up in — with people I grew up going to church with, or saw at the local store,” he said. “Being able to serve my community and continue to foster good forest management throughout this area is really rewarding. Trying to help others, serve others, be a blessing unto others — that’s what I really get the most out of, and trying to help continue this legacy of good forestry throughout this area.”
For the Georgia Forestry Commission, O’Connor represents exactly the kind of forester the state’s landowners depend on — someone who brings not just expertise, but genuine care for the land and the people who call it home.