Willamette National Forest Receives National Partnership Award
By Cathy Neuman
In January, the Willamette National Forest Partnership Council (WPC) was presented with the National Forest Service Partnership Award for FY 2008. This prestigious award is given each year by the National Forest Service Partnership Council to honor and recognize effective labor-management relations and partnerships. The recipient is chosen by top level management and National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) union representatives. As the winning recipient, the WPC was also given a $20,000 grant to further develop and continue collaborative working relationships.
Over the past several years, the WPC has made succession planning and early career development a major focus area for labor and management. This collaborative effort was designed to assist in the forest’s effort to recruit, develop, and sustain a skilled and diverse workforce to meet the technical, professional, and leadership needs of the future. It also aimed to foster a work environment in support of this purpose and the desire for the Forest Service to be an employer of choice.
The WPC has worked in true partnership to develop and implement training, developmental programs, and action plans to address these important issues. Their efforts have resulted in improved recruitment and development of new employees and have improved the morale and sense of empowerment on the forest. They have also provided long-term employees the opportunity to participate in the development and mentoring of early career employees and have provided a strong foundation for new employees on the forest.
In addition, the programs have provided management with some innovative new perspectives by bringing early career employees into the decision-making framework and providing avenues for these employees to communicate their needs and ideas.
The WPC plans to use part of their $20,000 award funds to host a “Wellness Day” later this year for the entire Willamette National Forest. The rest of the award money will be used to provide communication training to forest employees at each unit. This training will further enhance the forest’s ability to foster a supportive and engaged organization.
WPC members include: Scott Fitzwilliams, Tony Farque, Bev McCulley, Mary Allison, Nikki Swanson, Jon Belcher, Jearldine Ledgerwood, Jerry VanDyne, and Sonja Weber. Regional Forester, Mary Wagner, commented that she is extremely proud of their accomplishments and the recognition is well deserved.
An inscribed plaque outlining their successes was presented to the members and Chief Gail Kimbell issued a congratulatory announcement. Each member of the WPC also received an engraved silver tray memorializing their significant contributions.
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