Laurie Schoonhoven is the new national Forest Stewardship Program manager in the U.S. Forest Service Washington Office - Cooperative Forestry Area. Ms. Schoonhoven assumes the role after serving as Sustainability Specialist for two years, where she primarily focused on increasing synergy among internal and external sustainability efforts, engaging new partners, and promoting program integration across landscapes.

Schoonhoven brings over 20 years of collaborative and conservation leadership to the position. Her skills include identifying and evaluating local, regional, and national forest trends aimed at developing and carrying out policies and practices that promote long-term landscape restoration across all lands.

In previous positions, Schoonhoven managed federal grants; convened and coordinated diverse project teams; worked to integrate efforts with local, state, and federal resource programs; and assessed and implemented program delivery across public and private ownerships and jurisdictions. She also provided leadership for the design and implementation of a new Technical Service Provider training initiative (a significant Natural Resources Conservation Service program policy) on a regional and national scale. Ms. Schoonhoven holds a Masters of Science degree in Forest Resources from the Pennsylvania State University.

View the original article in Forest Matters Stewardship News, Winter 2016 Edition