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Last updated on Tuesday, May 5, 2015
(BEDFORD) - Teena Ligman, Public Affairs Specialist at the Hoosier National Forest, is receiving national recognition for her work in natural resources and beyond.
Each year the Organization of Professional Employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture partners with the USDA to recognize public service contributions of a small number of employees. Nominated by her peers, Teena Ligman is one of only twelve recipients nationally, across all of the agencies of the USDA for 2015. Recipients are recognized as employees who exemplify an extraordinary devotion for public service.
Ligman covers public affairs duties for the both the Hoosier National Forest, headquartered in Bedford, and for the Wayne National Forest located in southern Ohio. Those duties include recording the history of the Forest; taking, organizing, and maintaining a photo file of activities and events that occur Forestwide; authoring and reviewing press releases and articles for local media outlets; and producing an annual report of Forest accomplishments.
She maintains the internet pages for both National Forests and responds to inquiries submitting from the website for the Wayne National Forest. She also designs displays and signs for both units interpreting the history and importance of various sites.
Teena is actively involved in most of the public events on the Forest including Fishing Derbies, Adventures with Nature, and Get Outdoors Day, just to list a few.
Mike Chaveas, Hoosier Forest Supervisor said that, "Teena's involvement and dedication to telling our story and promoting the Hoosier with the public is a valuable asset, her passion for what she does is inspiring."
Ligman is co-coordinator for the Forest volunteer program which involves seeking out and placing volunteers, and promoting their accomplishments as well. Thanks to her effort, two Hoosier volunteers have recently been recognized for their efforts at the national level.
Chaveas added, "Under Teena's guidance this program has more than doubled the volunteer work hours on the Hoosier in just two years."
Teena is committed to working with the public. She was instrumental in developing the Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasive Management committee; she is Education and Outreach Committee Chair for the Indiana Historic Pathway and represents the Forest at the Indiana Envirothon each year.
Outside of the Forest Service, Teena volunteers with the American Red Cross, and is on the board of the Lawrence County Emergency Planning Committee.
Unsung Heroes awards recipients will receive their awards from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on May 5th in Washington, D.C. Teena will not be present at the ceremony because she is working the polls today.
"In a perfect illustration of why Teena was selected for the award, upon receiving the invitation to the award ceremony, she responded that she couldn't make it because she committed to work the polls on Election Day," said Chaveas.
Lisa Faulkenberg, Customer Service Representative for the Hoosier who nominated Teena, added that "Teena takes great pride in her position with the Forest Service and I am blessed to have a co-worker with such a positive attitude and fortitude to accomplish her work in a timely, consistent, and well-presented work ethic."
The U.S. Forest Service is one of many agencies administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and manages natural resources on 155 national forests and grasslands to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.
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