Terry Baker is a passionate and long-time SAF member, a seasoned leader, and a powerful advocate for forestry. His entire career has been intertwined with SAF (since 2002); in fact, Terry credits SAF with helping to develop him as a professional and he is paying it forward by mentoring students and young professionals.

Baker has a reputation for being a leader who values relationships, a leader who listens, and a leader who takes action. He has experience in building partnerships and strategic alliances to leverage outcomes and is expanding relationships with key partners and stakeholders to strengthen SAF’s voice and advance the profession as well as the members.
 
He has been involved in a number of external communication efforts to raise the profile of forestry and foresters. He was filmed for Colorado’s segment of America’s Forests with Chuck Leavell and interviewed for Tom Davidson’s young leader’s podcast series. Terry is working with Tom to develop a Leadership in Nature podcast series that focused on professionals of color.

Terry has worked for the USDA Forest Service as a forester, supervisory forester, District Ranger, and Deputy Forest Supervisor, in Florida, Oregon, Nebraska, Arizona, and Colorado, respectively. He has a Master of Forestry from Yale University (2007), a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources and Conservation from the University of Florida (2004), and a Bachelor of Arts in Agricultural Sciences from Florida A&M University (2004).

Baker believes that SAF has a powerful role to play in helping the public understand the valuable role that forestry professionals play in the sustainability of our nation’s forests, our local communities, and state’s economies.

A professor at Michigan Technological University and SAF Certified Forester, Bal joins Rebecca Bernard who will be shifting into the Immediate Past President seat, and Bettina Ring who is the current Vice President, taking over the President seat in 2025.  

Bal has been an SAF member since 2003 and has volunteered and held many roles within SAF Governance. She served as a board member from 2020-2023 and earned the SAF Fellow recognition in 2023.  

“I’ve had many titles in my various roles, but always describe myself as a forester, first and foremost. I am passionate about forestry education as the foundation of our field, across all the disciplines inherent to promoting healthy, productive, sustainable forests. As a 20-plus year SAF member, being able to recruit and advocate for a diverse range of students and young professionals as successful, future leaders in our field has been inspirational and motivational for me to continue my work and collaborate across forest sectors,” Bal said. 

Bettina Ring assumed her role as state director of The Nature Conservancy in Virginia in April 2023. Based at the chapter's headquarters in Charlottesville, she comes to TNC from a long and distinguished career in conservation and public service. Her decades of leadership, proven management skills and passion for TNC's mission will propel the organization to deliver on its ambitious goals for people and nature. 

She was elected the Vice President of Society of American Foresters in 2024. She is the acting president of 2025, and will be immediate past president in 2026.