Posted: 11/09/2020
The Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC) is pleased to announce Dana McReynolds Stone as the new Director of the Forest Management Division, effective November 16. A registered forester in the state of Alabama with more than 25 years of experience in the fields of forest management and protection, Stone has served in a variety of positions within the agency since 1999. Her extensive experience in managing multiple grants also makes her an ideal candidate for this new role.
For the past 15 years, Stone has served as the AFC Forest Health Coordinator. Her responsibilities included identifying harmful forest pests and making recommendations to the state’s forest landowners to help manage or eradicate forest insects, diseases, and non-native invasive plants. In 2004 and 2005, Dana held the position of geographic information systems (GIS) mapping forester. For the four years before that, she was an outreach forester for the agency, working with minority and limited resource landowners of the state to provide forest management advice.
Prior to joining the AFC in January of 1999, Stone was employed as an agricultural assistant with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. She previously worked (from 1994 to 1998) at Mead Coated Board (WestRock) as a research technician and a geographic information systems (GIS) technician.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Dana lived most of her primary years in St. Louis, Missouri. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College and a master’s degree in Forestry from Auburn University. She and her husband, Timothy Stone, reside in Montgomery with one child, Toryn.
As AFC Forest Management Division Director, Mrs. Stone will oversee the implementation of various program areas including Forest Stewardship, Forest Legacy, Landowner Assistance, Urban and Community Forestry, State Lands, Forest Inventory & Analysis and Economic Development, Threatened & Endangered Species, and Best Management Practices for Water Quality.