Forest Health Coordinator

Forest Health Coordinator Department: Conservation Programs Reports To: Vice President of Science and Conservation FLSA Status: Exempt Updated: February 18, 2026 SUMMARY: The long-term objective of the Great Lakes Basin Forest Health Collaborative (GLBFHC) is expansion and acceleration of the identification, production and planting of pest-resistant trees to provide improved seed sources for use in forest restoration plantings by both public and private landowners across the Great Lakes basin. The GLBFHC coordinator is responsible for working collaboratively with the U.S. Forest Service to support participatory resistance-breeding activities for tree species that are threatened by insects and diseases (including ash, elm, hemlock and beech) with the long-term goal of restoration in areas of need in the Great Lakes Water Basin. The primary mission of the coordinator is to facilitate expansion of efforts to develop resistance breeding programs in ash, elm, beech and hemlock by serving as a liaison between research and implementation of on the ground breeding programs among a wide array of partners (state and municipalities, NGOs, private landowners, citizen volunteer groups, tribal nations and universities). The coordinator is responsible for raising awareness of resistance breeding and the value it has as a tool to manage damaging invasive pests, recruiting interested partners to participate in all phases of the breeding process, and provide training to partners based on protocols developed and validated through research. The coordinator must understand all phases of a breeding program which include: Monitoring, identifying and reporting potentially resistant trees. Propagation and conservation of such candidate trees. Establishing and maintaining plantings from seed or vegetative propagules for preservation of germplasm for testing field performance of genotypes (which requires data collection) . Selection of parent trees suitable for seed orchard development. Develop protocols as needed for all phases of breeding. In some species protocols are not yet fully optimized by researchers, and some species may require more than one generation of breeding to achieve a sufficient level of resistance. The coordinator is responsible for facilitating the creation of Regional Breeding Networks among Collaborative members that in some cases may require finding new partners or contractors to fill gaps in skillsets or necessary infrastructure to carry out all aspects of a breeding program. The coordinator will work with the breeding networks to identify funding sources, write grants and/or find a partner or FS researcher to consult. Members of a breeding network may play different roles in the breeding process but work together to create a complete pipeline from identifying resistant trees to installing test plantings, to achieve the common goal of developing an improved genetically diverse seed orchard appropriate for restoration plantings in a specific, defined region within the southern Great Lakes Basin. Multiple Regional Breeding Networks will be necessary to cover the range of each species over the long term. Responsibilities include: Communicate with land managers, researchers, nursery managers and restoration specialists to always have current state of knowledge of research & breeding program progress for all species. Arrange to attend in person training when needed to learn new techniques. Identify partners and their interests and capabilities (volunteers, land for plantings, facilities for propagation, seedling production, etc.) through various outreach and education activities. Organize and lead educational meetings, training sessions and workshops as needed Build Regional Breeding Networks consisting of partners with shared interests and long-term mutually beneficial goals (ie improved genetically diverse, regional seed orchard) Facilitate goal setting for Regional Breeding Networks and coordinate with researchers (including the Executive Committee and Technical Assistance Committees when appropriate) for assistance in sourcing rootstock, assistance with vegetative propagation techniques, and planting design for various types of plantings, etc. Goals of Regional Breeding Networks should include one or more of the following types of plantings of propagated trees or seedlings selected as presumably having increased levels of resistance: preservation plantings, research test plantings, restoration plantings, and seed orchards within the Great Lakes Region. Work with Breeding Networks to assist in developing grant proposals and finding funding sources for priority projects, especially those that fill a specific need for establishment of plantings such as fencing and site prep for planting installation. Work with Holden Arboretum Communications staff and the GLBFHC Executive Board to develop communication tools for targeted and general audiences. Interact with citizen science app developers to stay up to date and provide training for partners to use such apps to report candidate resistant trees, and annual monitoring plot data. Review data input from GLBFHC partners and breeding networks annually to update and prioritize candidate trees for scion and/or seed collection. Maintain program database that includes all reports and updates of candidate resistant trees, accessioned resistant trees, clone banks, progeny tests, seed collection, germination rates, seed storage, and monitoring data, etc. Work with partners to develop Material Transfer Agreements or Memorandum of Understanding when appropriate, prior to beginning projects. REQUIRED EXPERIENCE: A minimum of at least five years of professional experience in forest health is required. A master's degree will substitute for two years of experience. A PhD will substitute for five years of experience. Strong candidates for the position will have: (1) academic training in areas such as tree genetics, silviculture, horticulture, plant breeding, restoration ecology, forest pathology or entomology, (2) excellent communication skills (written and oral), (3) experience with outreach, team-building and facilitating multi-partner projects (4) basic understanding of forest tree breeding/tree improvement and (5) interest in participating in interdisciplinary, team-oriented projects to help forest managers restore key species. Ability to publish in peer-reviewed journals is a plus. REQUISITE EDUCATION OR CERTIFICATIONS: Minimum of a bachelor's degree in forestry, horticulture, genetics, entomology, pathology, natural resource management, environmental science or closely related field is required. Graduate degree in a relevant field is preferred. WORKING CONDITIONS: The person hired for this position will work from the offices of either the Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, Ohio or the USFS offices in Delaware, Ohio. However, regardless of the primary work location, occasional travel between the two locations will be needed for coordination with principal scientists. The person will work in both rural and urban forest settings in Ohio, Michigan and other locales. Periodic travel to locations of partnering organizations may be required. SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES: Planning Guided by Science (15 percent) Coordinate with NRS and Holden Arboretum researchers to receive training in setting up monitoring plots, criteria for identifying candidate resistant trees, seed collection, processing, stratification and germination, vegetative propagation techniques in ash species, American elm, American beech and Eastern hemlock Must master these skills for the purpose of training partners. Stay up to date on any modifications or updates to protocols by maintaining an open dialogue with land managers, researchers, nursery managers and restoration specialists and share such changes with Collaborative members and Regional Breeding Networks. Planting and Monitoring (20 percent) Work with members and Regional Partner Networks to establish conservation plantings, test plantings and restoration plantings of ash, elm, hemlock and beech. Communicate regularly with partners to ensure that maintenance practices are performed consistently and at the appropriate time of year and data collection (including reporting potentially resistant trees, annual data collection from monitoring plots, and collection of data from tree plantings) is performed at recommended intervals and in a consistent manner to retain the integrity of the work over long periods of time. Consult with NRS researchers, Executive Committee or Technical Advisory Groups regularly through all phases of development of breeding programs. Prior to the design and establishment of any plantings, facilitate discussions between partner networks and NRS geneticists. Build Partnerships (25 percent) Build working relationships with interested professionals capable of supporting and promoting project work and with government partners whose cooperation is essential. Engage in in public outreach including holding training workshops to region-wide conservation organizations, non-profit groups and private landowners to facilitate monitoring and detection of insects and diseases, monitoring and detection of candidate resistant trees. Communicate with partners and the public by keeping the website updated, sending out quarterly newsletters, giving presentations at stakeholder meetings, and holding outreach events and training workshops. Use these activities and others for networking to identify partners with shared interests and facilitate collaborative networks that can work together to accomplish specific goals. Advocacy & Funding (10 percent) Collaborate with colleagues and partners in preparing funding proposals to help perpetuate activities initiated as part of the Forest Health Collaborative to help ensure the goals of breeding networks are achieved. Include highlights of accomplishments of Collaborative members and Regional Breeding Networks in the GLBFHC quarterly newsletter and other appropriate outlets such as on the GLBFHC website, Holden Arboretum newsletters and blogs, NRS communications outlets, press releases, partner organizations who have their own newsletters, and in presentations for outreach and education. Project Management (30 percent) Attend monthly meetings with the GLBFHC Executive Committee and annual meetings to discuss priorities of the upcoming year. Convene additional meetings with Collaborative members, Regional Breeding Networks as needed that may include members of the Executive Committee and Technical Advisory groups as appropriate. Develop a database (in consultation with Holden Arboretum and NRS personnel) that is compatible with existing databases to ensure preservation of information through any transitions. The database will include, but not be limited to, candidate-resistant tree reports, seed collections & germination rates, inventory of grafts and seedlings, etc. Coordinate with TreeSnap app developers to ensure access to this data from GLBFHC members who use it. Provide annual progress reports to SPTF, NRS and GLRI for grant reporting purposes and assist with preparing annual proposals to request funding renewal. To apply, please send a brief cover letter outlining your background relevant to the project and a current CV detailing how you meet the minimum criteria with three potential references and their contact information to This is a LIMITED TERM (one-year with possible renewal if grant extended) and GRANT FUNDED full-time position. It is subject to continuation based on funding and the employee will be terminated without right of appeal if funds are discontinued or are no longer available. This position is eligible for full-time benefits. Applications must be received by March 31, 2026.