I'm in the process of building an urban forestry department
from the ground up. When I joined the mentorship program,
I had no specific expectations, but I was eager to participate.
I've been incredibly fortunate to be paired with Karla Nagy.
Although our career experiences differ, she has been an invalu-
able sounding board for me. Having someone to confide in who
understands urban forestry has been incredibly helpful.
One area where Karla provided tremendous support was in orga-
nization and prioritization. I found myself overwhelmed, and Karla
gave me the space to talk through my ideas and challenges. By the
end of those calls, I had a clear focus and knew what to prioritize.
One of the key goals Karla helped me with was figuring out how to
develop an Urban Forestry Management Plan. My director had a dif-
ferent focus, and I needed to convey why having this plan in place was
crucial before moving forward with the department. Karla assisted
me in preparing talking points for discussions with management.
This mentorship program has been a fantastic experience, and I highly
recommend it to anyone, regardless of where you are in your career.
—Tammy Rominger (mentee)
ISA Certified Arborist, Urban Forestry Manager,
Cosumnes Community Services District, California
It's hard to identify just one meaningful conversation I've had with
Tammy [Rominger]! I've loved getting to know her and learning
more about the challenges she faces, including and beyond those
of starting up a new urban forestry program. I think what has been
the most meaningful and inspiring has been watching Tammy nav-
igate supervisors, government officials, contractors, emergencies,
budgets—all without wavering from her commitment to caring for
the urban forest in her community. My role at UCFS is to support
our members and urban forestry professionals, and I learn so
much from Tammy about what they are facing on the daily.
—Karla Nagy (mentor)
Program and Education Manager, Urban
and Community Forestry Society
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