Forests and the future: ‘The People Side’ explained at Carlton Owen Lecture April 9

STARKVILLE, Miss—Kathryn “Katie” Fernholz, president and CEO of Dovetail Partners, will present Wednesday’s [April 9] 2025 Carlton Owen Lecture, an annual event hosted by Mississippi State’s College of Forest Resources.

Part of the university’s celebration of Earth Month, Fernholz will lead the public lecture “The People Side of Forest Resources,” at 2 p.m. in Thompson Hall’s Tully Auditorium. She will explore the needs and opportunities within the forest and wood products sector, spanning from land ownership to workforce development.

“Addressing the ‘People Side of Forest Resources’ is important because sustainability includes environmental, economic and social outcomes. The forest and wood products sector has been building a track record for ensuring environmental and economic sustainability for more than 70 years—I’ve even been involved in a few of those decades,” Fernholz said. “Today, as communities grow, land passes on to the next generation and we see opportunities for careers in this sector expand—this is the time for us to get to know the people-side better than ever.”

A Minnesota native whose family operates an organic farm, Fernholz has spent her career advancing responsible resource management and environmental stewardship.

“When I was young, my parents made the decision to transition to organic farming and became engaged in research to develop new markets and production opportunities for farmers. My family continues to be involved in this work five decades later. Sustainability is all around us and is the work of multiple generations,” she said. “Most importantly, when we create opportunities for people and the places they love to be in long-term relationships, the paths for responsible management and environmental stewardship become abundantly clear.”

Steve Bullard, associate dean of the College of Forest Resources, said Fernholz exemplifies the leadership the lecture series was designed to spotlight.

“We aim to highlight conservation leadership at the highest levels through this lecture, and Katie Fernholz personifies this goal. She’s an international leader and is widely recognized in many areas of forestry and conservation, with a 25-plus year career focused on sustaining forests through both the economy and ecology associated with these critical resources,” he said.

Fernholz has been with Dovetail Partners, Inc. for nearly 20 years, becoming president and CEO in 2019. She holds a bachelor’s degree in forest resources from the University of Minnesota and serves on multiple advisory boards, leading sustainability initiatives across state, national and international levels.

Established more than 30 years ago by Greenville, South Carolina, resident and 1974 �� graduate Carlton Owen, the �� lecture series focuses on natural resource conservation and leadership.

Learn more about the College of Forest Resources at .

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