Industry expert Joe Parsons begins April 1 The Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business at the University of Georgia will soon welcome a new industry expert into the fold. Joe Parsons (BSFR ’81, MBA ’82), senior wood procurement manager at Graphic Packaging International’s Macon paperboard mill, has been named associate director for the center, which is housed in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. Parsons will begin the position April 1. In this new role, Parsons will take on administrative responsibilities for the Langdale Center as its current director, Bob Izlar, nears retirement. Parsons will also assist in teaching forest business courses and work with the dean and the school’s director of development on private giving efforts. “I’m honored to be selected for this position,” said Parsons. “I’m proud to come back to my alma mater and work with the Langdale Center. There is not another forestry business program that rises to the level of what we have here at Warnell.” Parsons is no stranger to Warnell’s classrooms, though. Last spring he and fellow alumnus Kim Lloyd served as substantial guest lecturers in Warnell’s wood procurement class. They have returned this spring as well. He brings nearly 40 years of experience in the wood products industry to the classroom, and he says he hopes students will reap the benefits. “I’ve been impressed with the high quality of students at Warnell,” he added. “I’m excited to bring my experience back to our students. My hope is that they will be better prepared when they enter the workforce.” Parsons has held several leadership positions for state forestry associations during his career, including serving as the chair of the board of the Georgia forestry Association in 2015. “We are excited to have Joe join our team and share his expertise with the next generation of forestry professionals,” said W. Dale Greene, dean of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. “He brings a wealth of industry knowledge, which is a key foundation of the Langdale Center’s program.”
