Spring 2024 13 BETTINA RING RECOGNIZED WITH VFA DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Virginia State Forester Rob Farrell presented VFA’s Distinguished Service Award to Bettina Ring. Bettina Ring was recognized with Virginia Forestry Association’s 2024 Distinguished Service Award during the 2024 Virginia Forestry Summit in Charlottesville, Va. VFA’s Distinguished Service Award gives public recognition to individuals, groups, associations, and/ or companies and corporations who make a significant, continuing, and lasting contribution to the conservation of Virginia’s forest resources and/or the enhancement of Virginia’s forest-based community. Ring, who is the Virginia State Director for The Nature Conservancy, has held numerous leadership positions at the state and national level including serving as the 7th—and first female—State Forester of Virginia. She was then appointed as the first female Secretary of Forestry and Agriculture in the Northam administration. Bettina has served in leadership roles in multiple national organizations, including her recent election as vice president of the Society of American Foresters. Throughout her career, Bettina has earned national recognition as a leader in the natural resources field. One of Bettina’s earliest accomplishments was her role in the creation of the Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute (VNRLI). This professional development program provides skills for environmental conflict negotiation, and the Virginia Dept. of Forestry is a founding sponsor. VNRLI has provided an opportunity to share message about forestry with environmental and conservation professionals from across the state every year for over 20 years. Farrell noted in his presentation, “When our agency needed to build a stronger network of supporters to advocate for forestry, we could not have found anyone better suited than Bettina. Bettina’s great strength is her ability to build relationships, and her ability to establish strong relationships has an enduring effect on forestry in Virginia.” As Virginia State Forester, Ring developed relationships with government leaders that resulted in substantial and critical new funding for firefighting equipment and the restoration of full funding for the Reforestation of Timberland (RT) program, both of which continue to this day. She also built strong relationships with environmental and conservation organizations. Under her leadership VDOF and Virginia Cooperative Extension developed the award-winning Generation NEXT Legacy Planning Program. During her tenure, Virginia passed Heirs Property legislation and entered into a Shared Stewardship agreement and the Good Neighbor authority with the U.S. Forest Service. “Forestry in Virginia continues to benefit from Bettina’s work and her influence,” Farrell concluded. “And she isn’t done yet!” “Bettina’s great strength is her ability to build relationships, and her ability to establish strong relationships has an enduring effect on forestry in Virginia.”
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