Longtime Georgia Forestry Association and Foundation leader and communicator Matt Hestad has been promoted to serve as Sr. Vice President. In his new role, Matt will manage the operations and administration of the Foundation, advancing our goals across the Foundation’s three program areas: Education & Leadership, Environmental Sustainability, and Economic Competitiveness. He will also continue to provide strategic guidance and management for the Association’s communications and engagement efforts.
Since 2019, Matt has served as the Vice President of Engagement for the Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) and Foundation (GFF). In this role, he was responsible for all internal and external communications, marketing, brand management, and engagement efforts for GFA and GFF focused on promoting Georgia’s $41.3 billion forestry sector. Matt has been part of the GFA team since 2011 when he served as Communications Intern. Prior to joining GFA full-time in 2019, Matt worked for seven years with HL Strategy, an Atlanta-based communications consultancy. There he led the development and execution of communications strategies and campaigns for a variety of clients in the non-profit, natural resources, and manufacturing sectors.
“I have been honored to work with our staff and volunteer leaders to grow the Foundation’s brand since we embarked upon the development of a new mission and vision in 2016,” said Hestad. “I am proud of the work that we have done in growing our impact and driving a greater cultural awareness of working forests in Georgia. I am thankful for the opportunity to continue serving Georgia’s forestry community in this new role, and I look forward to continuing to develop strategic, meaningful initiatives that will keep Georgia the #1 Forestry State in the Nation.”
Matt brings a deep personal connection to the forestry community. Growing up in his family’s cattle and horse training business instilled in him a passion for Georgia’s rural communities and a profound respect for the forestry community’s leadership and dedication to environmental stewardship.
Matt received a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Communications from the University of Georgia and an associate degree from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. He is also a 2021 graduate of UGA’s Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry and a 2018 graduate of Leadership Newton. Matt and his wife Bianca and son Boomer reside in Covington, Georgia.
You can connect with Matt at matt@gfagrow.org or on LinkedIn here. For more information about the Georgia Forestry Foundation and our initiatives, visit our website.
