Tina J. Terrell

Tina J. Terrell completed the B.S. in Forest Science at Penn State in 1987.

Tina's career with the USDA Forest Service began prior to graduation. In summer 1985 she was a co-op student (as part of the Student Career Experience Program - SCEP) and worked with the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) staff at the Northeastern Experiment Station in Broomall, Pennsylvania. Since then, Tina has worked in four Forest Service regions: Alabama (Southern Region), Arizona (Southwestern Region), Alaska (Alaskan Region), and California (Pacific Southwest Region), and in three deputy chief areas as well as in the Chief's Office.

Tina's various positions in the agency include being a small sales officer, inventory forester, and deputy district ranger on several units in the agency. Her first position as a line officer managing a large district office (over 600,000 acres with 30+ employees) was district ranger on the Tonto National Forest in Arizona. She also was forest supervisor of the Cleveland National Forest for 2 ½ years and the Sequoia National Forest for four years; both forests are in California. Tina also worked 2 ½ years as the Tuskegee University Forestry/Natural Resources Liaison and four years in the Washington Office as a legislative affairs specialist. In these roles, Tina developed complex land management plans for two national forests; identified and created new relationships and collaborative engagements with stakeholders; helped to establish the Giant Sequoia National Monument Association and land management plan; and initiated partnerships with recreational and non-profit organizations that foster community engagement on a national forest.

Tina has served in different senior executive positions at the Forest Service national headquarters in Washington, DC. She was the acting Associate Deputy Chief for Business Operations for two years, overseeing several staffs in the agency including Acquisition Management, the Office of Regulatory and Management Services, the Office of Safety and Occupational Health, the Office of Emergency Services, and the Office of Homeland Security. Since December 2018, Tina has been serving as the acting Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest System managing the agency's regulatory agenda. This entails managing a team to develop, write, and implement new rules and regulations pertaining to vegetation clearance under utility lines, managing locatable minerals, and the implementation of revised systems for cellular services across various national forests to improve telecommunication coverage in rural areas.

Tina was the National Director in the Job Corps National Office from July 2013 to January 2017. She also was an assistant director in the Job Corps National Office for two years. As National Director, she worked in coordination with the Department of Labor (DOL) in the management and oversight of 25 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (JCCCC). The mission of the JCCCC is to provide educational, social, and vocational training to at-risk youth (ages 16 to 24) in the United States. The JCCCC serve 5,000 youth in 17 states. Under Tina's leadership, the JCCCC program improved its performance as identified in the DOL's Outcome Measurement System. Tina was instrumental in transforming the JCCCC program by reducing more than 300 permanent positions (including reduced budgets in four years totaling more than $40M dollars) and establishing systems that have enhanced the efficiency and effectiveness of JCCCC's management operations.

In addition, Tina expanded opportunities for Job Corps students to learn about and obtain careers in natural resources. Due to Tina's leadership, all JCCCC have a fire trade, fire crew, or fire camp crew established at the center. Also, as a result of her vision, the JCCCC established three natural resources training programs: a wilderness training program; an engineering training program that includes making entrance/exit signs for national forests; and a historic preservation training program that includes working on restoring historic buildings, lookout towers, stables, or wooden fences/rock walls.

In 2016, the JCCCC won the Chief's Wilderness Partnership award. In 2017 the JCCCC fire program won the 2017 Project of the Year award from The Corps Network, which is a non-profit organization composed of 130 service and conservation corps dedicated to service, conservation, and youth engagement. A crowning achievement of the JCCCC program occurred late in 2017 when the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service recognized the work accomplished by Job Corps students. At the December 7, 2017, Chief's Honor Awards ceremony, JCCCC was recognized with two special awards: "Excelling as a High-Performing Agency" and "Fostering Volunteerism and Service." The awards acknowledged the JCCCC for its role in accomplishing project outcomes in support of the agency's national priorities and FY2015-2020 Strategic Plan.

Tina is passionate about educating young people to pursue a career in natural resources and she has received leader/legend awards for related efforts. Tina is an honorary Fellow in the Society of American Foresters and a Legend awardee of MANRRS (the National Society for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences). Tina was a founding member of MANRRS when she was a sophomore at Penn State in 1985. In the early 2000s, Tina annually visited Dr. Bowersox's Silviculture class as a guest lecturer to talk about the Forest Service and values of diversity in the workforce.

Tina is featured in one of the Leadership Nature podcasts, https://goo.gl/LcQ4d7. In this interview she describes her life's challenges and successes including the impact and value of her experiences at Penn State.

Tina's passion for nature and the environment, mentoring and coaching youth, service, and commitment to be the best you can be is second to only one thing - Penn State pride. These passions developed when Tina was 2 ½ years old. Her first mentor and continued source of inspiration is her mother who introduced her to Penn State, her beloved alma mater, football, and that first day when she fell in love with the glory of Penn State. Tina knew watching Penn State football that State College and Penn State University were her destiny. From grade school to high school, Tina had one goal and one commitment - to graduate from Penn State. Penn State was Tina's first journey, but she did not stop there. Her second journey has been her Forest Service career and serving others. Tina did not know growing up in a big city like Philadelphia that she would be working and enjoying the great outdoors. She did not see many role models who looked like her, who saw an opportunity to obtain a forestry degree being urban, female, and African-American. Tina knew she could be a trailblazer and set the mark for herself and others. This is what drives her to help others find their passion and their career path to success. Tina is embarking on her third journey which is traveling down the road less traveled. This journey is just beginning as a senior executive, yet Tina is up for the challenge. Winston Churchill once said, "Living is what you get…Life is what you give." Tina's passion for achieving her goals and helping others to achieve theirs is what keeps her grounded and thankful for the blessings she has received. WE ARE PENN STATE!