SAF Welcomes Gene Kodama as New Board President 

January 6, 2021

With the new year, we welcome Gene Kodama as the new president of the SAF Board of Directors. See the press release below for more details. Learn more about the Board of Directors here. 

Former South Carolina State Forester to Lead National Professional Association
 
Washington, DC—On January 1, 2021, Henry E. (Gene) Kodama, RF, CF began his one-year term as president of the Society of American Foresters (SAF). A member since 1975, Kodama has been a long-time champion of SAF and the forestry profession. His outstanding contributions were formally recognized by SAF in 2015 with the Gifford Pinchot Medal and in 2018 by the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Kodama will serve on SAF’s Board of Directors as immediate past president in 2022.

After 10 years of service as the South Carolina State Forester and leadership within the NASF, Kodama retired and is currently president of an LLC that provides land and forestry services. He and his wife Karen are also proud owners and residents of Walnut Bluff, a 67-acre Certified American Tree Farm that is used for growing timber, providing recreation, and educating people about forestry and conservation.

A graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science in forest management and a Master of Forestry, Kodama begin his career working summers for the USDA Forest Service on the Frances Marion National Forest in South Carolina and on the Clemson University Forest as a graduate student. He then held numerous positions in the legacy Westvaco and MeadWestvaco Corporations during his 29 years with the companies—progressing from field forestry to regional management. For four years, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Forest Technology Group, a subsidiary company that delivered forest information technologies and services to natural resources organizations.

Kodama now resides near his hometown of Moncks Corner, South Carolina with his wife. In addition to SAF activities, he is active in local forestry associations, assists with forest and land investments, participates in church activities, builds homes and does repairs for the needy, and enjoys family activities with his first grandson. He is also an avid outdoorsman and particularly enjoys bowhunting. Kodama says he was blessed to find forestry as a career and believes it is an ideal industry because it fulfills economic, environmental, and societal needs.  

Download the Press Release Here.