For the second consecutive year, Georgia Forestry Commission Director Tim Lowrimore has been named to Georgia Trend magazine’s list of the state’s 500 Most Influential Leaders. The magazine’s website describes the “Georgia 500” as a group chosen for their role as prominent economic developers, managers, and trailblazers in the state who have accomplished great strides that positively impact Georgia and their communities. The honors are divided into 20 categories, including education, tourism, banking, and agriculture, which is the group in which Lowrimore was listed.
Tim Lowrimore was appointed to serve as the state forester and director of the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) by Governor Brian Kemp in 2020. He is a registered forester with the Georgia Board of Foresters and has been serving the forestry industry in various roles for more than 20 years.
“It’s a great honor to be named to this list once more,” said Lowrimore. “Georgia has a strong record and reputation of supporting forestry and agribusiness. I’m very proud to work with the dedicated employees of the GFC to keep earning Georgia’s reputation as “Number One Forestry State in the Nation.”
Lowrimore said the biggest challenges currently facing forestry are ensuring that Georgia’s forests continue to be sustainably managed and “doing what we can to proactively protect our forests from catastrophic wildfires and insect and disease outbreaks.”
Looking ahead, Lowrimore said he believes the future of forestry in Georgia is as bright as he’s ever seen. “Our state’s business-friendly climate, infrastructure, and abundant forest resources give us an advantage over other states,” Lowrimore said. He believes Georgia’s forest sector and policy leaders will remain focused on innovation, which will continue to support societal demands for sustainable solutions in construction, aviation, electric vehicle batteries, and other businesses.
Lowrimore is a strong leader for the GFC, embracing the agency’s vision of Healthy and abundant forests that support a robust industry while providing social, environmental and financial benefits to all of Georgia. The GFC team works daily to fulfill its mission to Provide leadership, service and education to protect and conserve Georgia’s forest resources.