Thank You for Rising with Us in 2021!

January 31, 2022

Dear SAF Members, 

As we step into all that awaits us in 2022, I would like to offer my profound thanks to our members and staff. Last year we set out to improve on our membership recruitment and retention. On July 29, 2021, we initiated the “Together We Rise” campaign for all SAF to put energy towards increasing our overall number of members. Many of you shared your stories and experiences with former members and those who had never connected to SAF. We started at a place of 9,000 members with a goal of ending the year with a 4% increase equaling 9,366 members. We have finalized our records for 2021 and ended the year at 9,368 members!

Our path forward on SAF’s membership is something in which we all take part and pride. Our effort to recruit and retain members means something a little different to everyone. I feel strongly that our membership represents much more than a number. Each member represents another professional who looks to have their voice magnified by SAF, who is grateful to receive an accredited degree, who found a job opportunity through our career center, who published in one our journals, who developed leadership skills on a committee, who reached a local community through a Forester’s Fund Grant, and the list goes on. As we strive to continue our momentum in 2022, know that each of you are more than a number to SAF, you are the drivers of the greatest good, for the largest number, over the long run!

One of the more famous sayings from my time fighting and overseeing wildfires is, “it’s not a sprint, it’s a marathon.” That holds true for our membership and recruitment efforts. Congratulations on a great 2021 and I am excited to see what we can accomplish this year!

TGIF—Thank Goodness I’m a Forester!

Terry T. Baker
Chief Executive Officer
Society of American Foresters