Matthew Brooks

Matt Brooks, District Manager in Florence, Wisconsin, started his career in 2008. He has a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Michigan Technological University, and he is a Registered Forester in Michigan. Matt is a member of the Society of American Foresters, the Association of Consulting Foresters, and an American Tree Farm Certified Inspector. Lastly, he was awarded the Michigan SAF Forester of the Year award in 2022.

Why did you pursue a career in forestry? I have always had a passion for being outdoors. Some of my fondest memories as a child were exploring local woodlots where I grew up and recognizing the connections between plants, water, animals, and people. I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do coming out of high school, but I knew I wanted to be outdoors. The degree I was pursuing didn’t meet my expectations, and I fortunately stumbled into a Forestry program. I had seen some logging activity, but didn’t understand that there was a career path in forestry. Once I enrolled in Forestry at Michigan Tech, I never looked back and couldn’t be happier with my decision.

What do you like the most about your role with AFM? My favorite part is the people I get to work with. My current role allows me to have regular communication with a lot of people at varying levels. I get the opportunity to understand what is important to others and some of the challenges they face, while in most cases, we are working towards the same or similar goals.