John Beal discovered Dogwood Alliance shortly after moving to Atlanta in 1997.

“I was at Music Midtown, trying to find a shortcut from one stage to another when I wandered down a small side path where nonprofits had booths. I saw Dogwood’s information, and I felt an instant kinship. I liked their progressive approach. I stopped. I chatted. I joined.”

Since then, John has been an invaluable volunteer, first as a member of the Fundraising Committee, then joining the board in 2006 and finally becoming chair in 2010.

“I’ve learned a lot about the challenges of leading a small organization like Dogwood. The ratio of our effectiveness to budget has always impressed me. I feel like even the smallest contribution really does make a big impact on our forests.”

Dubbed “John the Baker” years ago while living in Boulder, Colorado, John is an avid cyclist and fundraiser and a former tennis coach at his alma mater, the University of Massachusetts. He’s also tended bar at Atlanta’s historic East Lake Golf Club for nearly 15 years and organizes the Decatur Green Fest every year that benefits Dogwood Alliance.

“Dogwood means a lot to me and being actively involved is something I really want to do,” he explains, noting the importance of providing vigilant protection for forests in this part of the country. “Dogwood creates meaningful opportunities for people to engage in strategies that are transformative. We’ve made huge progress transforming the paper industry, though there is still a lot of work to be done. Large-scale use of forests for bioenergy could reverse that progress and create an even bigger disaster on the landscape. Dogwood’s voice in the debate regarding a clean energy future is critical right now, and it’s a key time for raising awareness about Dogwood, its successes and the importance of its work.”

Thanks, John, for your leadership, passion and dedication to Southern forests!