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Indiana District Foresters

District Foresters from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources' Division of Forestry are professionally trained to manage forestland. A District Forester can help you start the management of your forested land by visiting your woods and recommending a best course of action to meet your goals. The foresters administer both state and federal programs that provide technical assistance, property tax incentives, and cost-sharing incentives for sustainable management.

District 1

Elkhart, Marshall, Starke, St. Joseph counties. 

Ben Wilson (bio)
Jasper-Pulaski State Nursery
15508 W 700 N
Medaryville, IN 47957
219-843-4827
bewilson1@dnr.IN.gov

District 2

Cass, Fulton, Kosciusko, Miami, Whitley counties.

Brad Rody (bio)
5400 E Salamonie Forest Road
Lagro, IN 46941
260-782-0430
brody@dnr.IN.gov

District 3

 Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Jay, Lagrange, Noble, Steuben, Wells counties.

Quentin Beahrs (bio)
5400 E Salamonie Forest Road
Lagro, IN 46941
260-782-0430
qbeahrs@dnr.IN.gov

District 4

Hendricks, Parke, Putnam, Vermillion counties.

Lee Eckart (bio)
14619 W State Road 48
Jasonville, IN 47438
812-665-2130
leckart@dnr.IN.gov

District 5

Clay, Green, Sullivan, Vigo counties.

Jeremiah Lemmons (bio)
14619 W State Road 48
Jasonville, IN 47438
812-665-2130
jlemmons@dnr.IN.gov

District 6

Bartholomew, Decatur, Jennings counties.

Ben McKinney (Jennings county) (bio)
Selmier State Forest
905 E. County Road 350 N.
North Vernon, IN 47265
812-346-2286
bmckinney@dnr.IN.gov

Don Duncan (Bartholomew and Decatur counties) (bio)
Selmier State Forest
905 E. County Road 350 N.
North Vernon, IN 47265
812-346-2286
dduncan2@dnr.IN.gov

District 7

Lawrence and Orange counties.

Janet Eger (bio)
14043 Williams Road
Shoals, IN 47581
812-247-2479
FAX: 812-247-2491 (call first)
jeger@dnr.IN.gov

District 8

Clark, Floyd, Jefferson, Scott counties.

Maddie Westbrook (bio)
Clark State Forest
P.O. Box 119
Henryville, IN 47126
812-294-4306
mwestbrook@dnr.IN.gov

District 9

Crawford and Harrison counties.

Abby Hash (bio)
Harrison-Crawford State Forest
7240 Old Forest Road SW
Corydon, IN 47112
812-738-7694
ahash@dnr.IN.gov

District 10

Perry and Spencer counties.

Gretchen Herbaugh (Spencer County) (bio)
Ferdinand-Pike State Forest
6583 E State Road 264
Ferdinand, IN 47532
812-827-2857
gherbaugh@dnr.IN.gov

Abby Hash (Perry County) (bio)
Harrison-Crawford State Forest
7240 Old Forest Road SW
Corydon, IN 47112
(812-738-7694
ahash@dnr.IN.gov

District 11

Daviess, Dubois, Knox, Martin counties.

Travis Dunn (bio)
Ferdinand-Pike State Forest
6583 E State Road 264
Ferdinand, IN 47532
812-827-2857
tdunn@dnr.IN.gov

District 12

Blackford, Delaware, Grant, Huntington, Madison, Wabash counties.

Amanda Smith (bio)
5400 E Salamonie Forest Road
Lagro, IN 46941
260-782-0430
asmith1@dnr.IN.gov

District 13

Boone, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Hamilton, Howard, Montgomery, Tipton, Tippecanoe, Warren counties.

Zach Musser (bio)
Jasper-Pulaski State Nursery
15508 W 700 N
Medaryville, IN 47957
219-843-4827
zmusser@dnr.IN.gov

District 14

Brown, Hancock, Johnson, Marion, Morgan, Shelby counties.

Zack Smith (Brown, Johnson, Marion, Morgan, Shelby counties) (bio)
Division of Forestry
402 W. Washington St., Rm. W296
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-232-4117
zsmith@dnr.IN.gov

Jayson Waterman (Hancock County) (bio)
498 N.W. 18th Street
Richmond, IN 47374
765-935-9415
jwaterman@dnr.IN.gov

District 15

Fayette, Franklin, Henry, Randolph, Rush, Union, Wayne counties.

Jayson Waterman (bio)
498 N.W. 18th Street
Richmond, IN 47374
765-935-9415
jwaterman@dnr.IN.gov

District 16

Gibson, Pike, Posey, Vanderburgh, Warrick counties.

Gretchen Herbaugh (bio)
Ferdinand-Pike State Forest
6583 E State Road 264
Ferdinand, IN 47532
812-827-2857
gherbaugh@dnr.IN.gov

District 17

Dearborn, Ohio, Ripley, Switzerland counties.

Ben McKinney (bio)
905 E County Road 350 N.
North Vernon, IN 47265
812-346-2286
bmckinney@dnr.IN.gov

District 18

Monroe, Owen counties.

Ralph Unversaw (bio)
Owen-Putnam State Forest
2153 Fish Creek Road
Spencer, IN 47460
812-829-2462
runversaw@dnr.IN.gov

District 19

Benton, Lake, Laporte, Jasper, Newton, Porter, Pulaski, White counties.

James Potthoff (bio)
Jasper-Pulaski State Nursery
15508 W 700 N
Medaryville, IN 47957
219-843-4827
jpotthoff@dnr.IN.gov

District 20

Jackson and Washington counties.

Ben McKinney (bio)
Selmier State Forest
905 E. County Road 350 N.
North Vernon, IN 47265
812-346-2286
bmckinney@dnr.IN.gov

District Forester Bios

Quentin Beahrs
Quentin Beahrs Quentin began his career with the Division of Forestry in 2015 as a property forester for Jackson-Washington State Forest. In July of 2018, he transferred to the district forester position for District 3. He graduated from Purdue University in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Forestry. His interests include fishing, hunting, camping and hiking.
 
Don Duncan
Don Duncan Don began his career with the Division of Forestry as a summer student inspecting Classified Forests in 1974. In 1975, after completing a degree in Forest Management from Purdue, he joined the staff full time assisting forest landowners. In 1980 Don became Property Manager at Yellowwood State Forest, a position he held for 14 years. In 1994 he began his Consulting Forestry business and worked in that endeavor 25 years. Don returned to the Division of Forestry 2019 as the District 6 Forester. Travel, hiking, backpacking, grandchildren, and working on his small farm and forest keep him busy.
 
Travis Dunn
Travis DunnTravis began with the Division of Reclamation in fall 2017 as a project manager. In fall 2018 he transferred to the Division of Forestry to become the district forester for District 11. He graduated from Vincennes University in 2012 with an associate’s degree in Forestry/Conservation. He graduated from Purdue University in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree in Forestry. Travis is an avid hunter and enjoys camping, fishing, and spending time with family.
 
Lee Eckart
Lee EckartLee Eckart graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor’s degree in forest management and wildlife management in 1981. He began his career in forestry with the Indiana DNR at Yellowwood State Forest as a resource specialist in 1983. After 15 years with the DNR, he became the forest manager for a private forest industry company. He managed its forest landholdings in Indiana until the spring of 2020. Eckart returned to the DNR as a district forester in September of 2020. He spends his free time woodworking, sawmilling, and spending time with his family.
 
Janet Eger
Janet Eger Janet joined the Division of Forestry in 1978 and has been a district forester since 1993. Previously, she worked on four state forest properties in southwestern Indiana as a resource forester. In addition to her duties as District Forester, she is also the state’s Big Tree program coordinator, a founding member of the White River RC&D Forestry committee, and a board member for the Indiana Forestry Educational Foundation. A member of the Society of American Foresters since 1978, she was elected a Fellow in 2006. She’s a life member of the American Forestry Association and a member of the Indiana Forestry & Woodland Owners Association and the National Arbor Day Foundation. She earned her B.S. degree in forestry from Purdue University in 1978. Her hobbies include gardening, reading, crocheting, and camping.
 
Gretchen Herbaugh
Gretchen Herbaugh Gretchen has been with the Division of Forestry since 1998 spending the first 10 years on State Forest Properties as a Resource Specialist, inventorying, marking and administering timber sales. She then transitioned to CFM in 2008 as an assistant District Forester before assuming her current role as District Forester in 2011 serving, Gibson, Warrick, Pike, Posey and Vanderburgh Counties. Gretchen has a BSF in Forestry from Purdue University with an emphasis in Wildlife Management.
 
Abby Hash
Abby Hash Abby interned as a Timber Technician at Harrison-Crawford State forest in the summer of 2008. In 2010, she worked as an intermittent employee in districts 2 and 12, and also worked on Continuous Forest Inventory plots on private forestland. She graduated with a degree in forestry from Purdue in 2009. Her interests include hiking, backpacking, camping, and bird watching.
 
Jeremiah Lemmons
Jeremiah Lemmons Jeremiah began his work with the Division of Forestry as a timber technician during the summers of 1999 and 2000, then full-time in 2001 as Assistant Property Manager at Jackson-Washington State Forest. In 2003 he moved to southwestern Indiana to assume his current role as District Forester. He is also a trained meeting facilitator and assists the Division of Reclamation. Jeremiah graduated from Purdue University with a degree in forestry and a major in wildlife management in 1999. He has completed the Natural Resources Leadership Institute, and enjoys hunting, camping, fishing, baseball, and grafting fruit and nut trees in his free time.
 
Ben McKinney
Ben McKinney Ben’s career began as a summer intern doing Classified Forest re-inspections in 2001. He then became Assistant Property Manager at Jasper-Pulaski State Nursery later that year. In 2005, he moved to Jackson-Washington State Forest as Resource Specialist, and in 2006 assumed his current position as District Forester. Aside from his principle duties he has trained for wildfire red card certification and has assisted on wildfire suppression assignments in the western U.S., as well as assisting on many prescribed burns on state and federal properties. Ben graduated from Purdue University in 2001. He enjoys spending free time with his family, playing softball and deer hunting.
 
Zach Musser
Zach MusserZach began working with the Division of Forestry in the summer of 2015 as an Intermittent Forester, working on inventory and management guides for Yellowwood and Morgan-Monroe State Forests. After graduating from Purdue University in 2016 with a degree in Forestry, he worked with a Consulting Forester doing active forest management in Southern Indiana. In 2018 he began working as the District Forester for District 13. He enjoys time with family, movies, video games, playing sports, and hunting.
 
James Potthoff
James Potthoff James joined the Division of Forestry in 2006 and has been the District 19 Forester since 2007. Prior to that, he was an Assistant District Forester in District 13. In addition to providing forest management assistance to landowners in District 19, James has also worked with the Arrowhead RC&D Forestry Committee and helps coordinate the forestry portion of the National FFA Convention. He earned his B.S. degree in Forestry from Southern Illinois University. His interests include boating, traveling and canoeing.
 
Brad Rody
Brad Rody Brad began his career with the Division of Forestry in 1991 as a part-time Clerk and Timber Technician. He then worked as a Wildlife Specialist at Salamonie Reservoir for the Division of Reservoirs from 1993 to 1999 before returning to the Division of Forestry as a District Forester. In addition to his usual duties, he has served on numerous committees for the Division, organized wildlife management training, and is active with the Indiana Envirothon Steering Committee. Brad holds a Bachelor’s degree in wildlife science and a Bachelor’s in forestry, both from Purdue University. He is a Certified Forester through the Society of American Foresters and a Certified Wildlife Biologist through The Wildlife Society. His interests and hobbies include involvement in the Environmental Education Association of Indiana, Lions Club, Scouting, 4-H and many outdoor activities.
 
Amanda Smith
Amanda Smith Amanda graduated in 2011 with a double major in Forestry and Wildlife Management from Purdue University. She began her career as a summer intern, completing Classified Forest re-inspections in Harrison and Crawford counties during summer 2011. Her next move was an intermittent resource specialist at Yellowwood and Morgan-Monroe State Forests from May 2012 to September 2013. She then began working as the Resource Specialist / Assistant Property Manager for Ferdinand and Pike State Forests from September 2013 to October 2015. She then moved to become District Forester for Allen, DeKalb, LaGrange, Noble, and Steuben counties on Nov. 1, 2015. On Jan. 1, 2016, she also assumed the responsibilities of property manager for Salamonie River and Frances Slocum State Forests located in Wabash and Miami counties. Amanda enjoys hiking, gardening, reading, and traveling.
 
Zack Smith
Zach Smith Zach began his career with the Division of Forestry in August of 2000 as a Forest Entomologist and assumed his duties as Forest Programs Coordinator in August of 2006. In addition to his current job duties and continuing some duties as a Forest Entomologist, he also coordinates the division’s State Fair exhibit. Zach graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor’s degree in forestry in 1999. His hobbies include camping and fishing.
 
Ralph Unversaw
Ralph Unversaw Ralph began working for the Division of Forestry in 1983 as Resource Specialist at Yellowwood State Forest, and assumed his current role as District Forester for Monroe and Owen counties in 1991. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in forestry from Purdue University in 1983.
 
Jayson Waterman
Jayson WatermanJayson began his career with the Division of Forestry in 1995 as Assistant Property Manager at Martin State Forest. He became District Forester in early 1996. In addition to assisting landowners in his district, he also serves on the Classified Forest & Wildlands committee. Jayson earned his Bachelor's of Science in Forestry from Purdue University in 1992 with emphasis on both forest management and wildlife management, and completed a Masters of Science in Forestry from Purdue in 1994. He enjoys spending free time with his wife and five children.
 
Madeline Westbrook
Madeline Westbrook Maddie began working for the Division of Forestry as an inventory forester in 2015. She then transferred to a district forester position in 2017. She now works with landowners in Clark, Floyd, Jefferson, and Scott counties. She graduated Purdue University in 2013 with a forestry degree. Her interests include camping, fishing and swimming.
 
Ben Wilson
Ben WilsonBen Wilson began his career with the Division of Forestry in September 2020 as the district forester for District 1. Before moving to Indiana, Wilson worked as an intermittent forestry technician for the Iowa DNR at Loess Hills State Forest. He graduated from Iowa State University in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in forestry. His interests include backpacking, kayaking, and fishing.
 

Assistant District Forester Bios

Jennifer Sobecki
Jennifer SobeckiJennifer began her career with the Division of Forestry in August 2004 as an intermittent project coordinator for the Watershed Conservation Through Forestry project. While serving in this capacity, Jennifer also assisted the Best Management Practices program. In 2013, Jennifer began performing Classified Forest re-inspections in Districts 1 and 3, and since 2015 has been assisting in District 1. As of July 2017 Jennifer is serving as assistant district forester/BMP forester. Jennifer earned a bachelor’s in wildlife biology from Murray State University in 1999 and a master’s in aquatic science from Purdue University in 2003. Jennifer enjoys gardening, canning, hiking, camping, reading, quilting and time with her husband, son and daughter.