Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
For Matthew O'Connor, forestry was never just a career — it was a calling. Reporting from Montgomery County, John Holcomb sits down with the Georgia Forestry Commission's Georgia Forester of the Year to hear the story behind the honor and the lifelong passion that drives it.
O'Connor's roots in forestry run deep. He grew up on a tree farm working alongside his father, studied forestry at the University of Georgia, and joined the Georgia Forestry Commission straight out of college — a path he says has been nothing but rewarding. Over the years, he has worked his way up through the ranks, building lasting relationships with private landowners across the state and helping ensure Georgia's forests remain healthy, productive, and well-managed for generations to come.
But O'Connor's work has taken on added urgency in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which left widespread devastation across Georgia's forestland. He describes recovery as a many-year effort — with significant acreage still in need of cleanup and reforestation. The Georgia Forestry Commission continues working alongside landowners hit hardest by the storm, helping them salvage, replant, and chart a path forward.
For O'Connor, the most rewarding part of the job isn't the recognition — it's the relationships. Getting to serve the community he grew up in, working alongside neighbors he's known his whole life, and carrying forward a legacy of good forest stewardship is what gets him out the door every morning.
🌾 Subscribe for weekly Georgia agriculture and forestry news — only on The Farm Monitor.
For Matthew O'Connor, forestry was never just a career — it was a calling. Reporting from Montgomery County, John Holcomb sits down with the Georgia Forestry Commission's Georgia Forester of the Year to hear the story behind the honor and the lifelong passion that drives it.
O'Connor's roots in forestry run deep. He grew up on a tree farm working alongside his father, studied forestry at the University of Georgia, and joined the Georgia Forestry Commission straight out of college — a path he says has been nothing but rewarding. Over the years, he has worked his way up through the ranks, building lasting relationships with private landowners across the state and helping ensure Georgia's forests remain healthy, productive, and well-managed for generations to come.
But O'Connor's work has taken on added urgency in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which left widespread devastation across Georgia's forestland. He describes recovery as a many-year effort — with significant acreage still in need of cleanup and reforestation. The Georgia Forestry Commission continues working alongside landowners hit hardest by the storm, helping them salvage, replant, and chart a path forward.
For O'Connor, the most rewarding part of the job isn't the recognition — it's the relationships. Getting to serve the community he grew up in, working alongside neighbors he's known his whole life, and carrying forward a legacy of good forest stewardship is what gets him out the door every morning.
🌾 Subscribe for weekly Georgia agriculture and forestry news — only on The Farm Monitor.
