Jocelyn Wilson ’00
Forest Management

Biography

Jocelyn is an experienced forester having worked in the paper and forest products industry for the majority of her career. Her diverse skills include ArcGIS, forest management, sustainability, strategic planning, and natural resources. Jocelyn has a B.S. in Forest Management from Auburn University.

About Jocelyn’s present career:

Currently, I am the Planning & Inventory Manager for Piedmont Timberlands, Weyerhaeuser.  I lead a team whose primary responsibility is maintaining the forest inventory and harvest plans on a land base of 750,000 acres in 4 states.  We also manage the long-term leases, access issues and boundary lines, just to name a few areas of additional responsibility.

I graduated from Auburn 17 years ago in June 2000 with a BS in Forest Management.  I started working for Weyerhaeuser that December and married a fellow Auburn graduate that same month.  We  remained in Alabama for 3 years while my husband completed his MBA, then moved to Baton Rouge, LA.  We made Louisiana our home for 13 years.  All three of our children were born there.  Jack (12), Stella (7) and Harper (3).  After the merger of Weyerhaeuser and Plum Creek, we moved to Athens, GA.  We are enjoying being close to the mountains, where we love to camp and hike when we have spare time.

Alumna Spotlight with Jocelyn

What do you contribute to your success as a woman in a natural resources-based field?

One of my biggest influences is my mother.  She was a single mother, working her way through college in a science related field.  She completed her masters and I watched her excel in her career.  She has been such a great role model of a strong, independent woman who can accomplish anything she sets her mind to.

There have been additional influential mentors and great coworkers who were always willing to answer questions and share their knowledge with me.

What area of your field/industry do you see the most growth potential for women?

I have seen the number of women in leadership positions increase throughout my career and have been inspired watching one woman’s rise from region manager to the first female Southern Timberlands VP and then on to the first female Timberlands Senior VP.

Currently, I think the most growth potential for women in the industry is into leadership positions.  The current work force is facing a high amount of retirements over the next few years.  All facets of business are looking for top notch employees to replace retiring leaders.

In what ways/means do you feel the school could best support its female graduates and students?

By exposing students to successful professionals from industry, government and all other sectors in and outside the classroom.  A mentor program with successful alumni is also a great way for the school to help facilitate student growth and networking.

What advice would you give a new female graduate?

Although this is a male dominated industry, hard work and persistence will open up opportunities. You are stronger than you think and you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.