City Trees

To put it mildly, MFI was a game changer. I arrived in Bowling Green, Ohio in September exhausted and needing direction. I had been the urban forester for a small city for two years in an environment that wasn't a good fit for me. MFI felt like a gulp of fresh air when you've been underwater just a little too long. I hadn't known how starved I was for professional camaraderie, compan- ionship, and acceptance. I felt seen and heard for the first time in a very long time, both as a professional and as a person. The people around me filled me with such wonderful ideas and hope for the future! Through conversations with my peers and an intense week of lessons, I began to think that I AM a leader. In addition to the peer support—including the encouragement to look for a new job, which I've since found and started!—one of my favorite things about MFI was learning about the new technologies and practices people were using in their city forestry programs. I soaked it all in. I thank the entire Teaching Cadre and especially Darren Green for encouragement he gave me that meant the world to me. I thank my fellow MFIers for all the offers of advice and support. During the communications portion of MFI, it was very instructive to show a video of myself on the local news talking about an invasive pest I was dealing with in my previous job, and getting feed- back from everyone about how I could hone those public speaking skills. I really enjoyed hearing Ohio DNR Forester Lola Lewis's fireside chat about her pro- fessional journey and the perseverance it required. I also was fascinated to hear from past MFI grad- uates about long-term goals they've been steadily fulfilling, like shepherding through their city's first urban forest management plan. It was inspiring. Lastly, the importance of mentorship—both giving and receiving it—was driven home at MFI, and reminded me of a mentor, Amy Murray of Davey Resource Group, who has been a bright light for me, and whom I wanted to be sure to thank here. I don't know if I could have recognized my value or the gifts I can share without MFI. A leader empowers new leaders, builds on strengths, communicates, collaborates, admits weakness, and never puts anyone down—in public or private. Thanks to MFI, I'm building my self-confidence and am beginning to recognize the ways in which I have positively affected the people in my professional life. I AM a leader. What we put in is what we get back—in life, in jobs, in relationships. I intend to keep putting positive energy into my work and working relation- ships and practice leadership wherever I go. 14 CityTREES Sarah Hagan on Her MFI Experience Sarah Hagan with her dog, Idgie.

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