Thirty-five years ago, Joel Holtrop embarked on his lifelong dream of serving the U.S. Forest Service, eventually working in a variety of jobs across the United States. Soon, the Deputy Chief of the Forest Service will embark on a new chapter of his life after retiring from the agency in early October.
“It’s not sufficient if I’ve helped accomplish sustaining forests during the length of my career,” Holtrop said. “I’ve only done my job if I’ve set the stage for the generations beyond my career.”
He has worked tirelessly and traveled extensively to positively influence others. Core values, such as having a caring attitude and awareness of how others are affected, are very important to have for any career, he said.
See what else Holtrop has to say in the Forest Service special feature of Faces of the Forest, a bi-weekly feature by the Office of Communication to showcase the people, places, and professions within the agency. Holtrop is just one of the more than 35,000 employees whose work ensures the health of the nation’s 193 million acres of forests and grasslands.
