GEORGIA – Judy Toppins, forest supervisor of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, is celebrating her one-year mark in the position. Growing up next door to the forest in Gainesville, Ga., she has feel a connection to public lands her entire life. 

Toppins recalls a childhood spent exploring the forest. She used to do her homework at Dukes Creek Falls and her family’s long-term ties to the land include ownership of a historic homestead that was part of some of the first lands incorporated into the forest. 

“I have very deep roots here,” Toppins said. "That makes it really meaningful to be in this leadership position now because I'm so familiar not just with the amazing places on the Forest, but with the incredible people and the communities that we serve. These are my people. This place is my home."

Despite her lifelong love of the forest, Toppins never expected to land so close to home. After graduating as valedictorian of North Hall High School, her first move was to travel to Alaska for a two-week backpacking and canoeing expedition. The experience inspired her to stay and attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks and make a home there for the next decade. 

During and after college, Toppins’ time in Alaska presented a myriad of unique opportunities to get involved with public lands. She worked with reindeer herders on the Seward Peninsula and later worked on a subsistence fish wheel in a remote section of the Yukon River. But she also spent time connecting with communities, both as a teacher and as a children’s advocate in interior Alaska. 

"Working with kids, caring about kids, and caring about families and communities is something that I will always be really passionate about,” Toppins said.

Toppins’ next chapter brought her back to Georgia, where she worked in outreach for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Chattahoochee Forest National Fish Hatchery. She later transitioned to work as an outreach biologist at the USFWS regional office in Atlanta. When she heard of a job posting for a public affairs staff officer position working on the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest, she knew it would be a great fit. 

“What a perfect job,” Toppins remembers thinking. “I get to tell the story of this Forest that means so much to me.” 

As the staff officer for public affairs, Toppins said she prioritized helping others connect with their public lands. She worked to build the forest’s outreach program, focusing on collaboration with youth, educators and underrepresented communities. 

“How important it has been to me in my life to have a connection to public lands – it has brought so much to me in so many ways. Everyone should have that. Everyone deserves that,” Toppins said. “If there are barriers for people, we have an obligation to remove those barriers and create equitable access.”

In her new role, Toppins considers it her job to serve the Forest and the people who care about it, including the Forest Service staff. 

“I am a problem solver and a supporter,” she said. “My role is to help our folks find resources and find the support that we need. I do a lot of listening to extremely talented and knowledgeable public servants, as well as to stakeholders and passionate community members, to help us make solid decisions and then follow through.” 

Toppins said over the course of her career with the Forest Service, she has witnessed significant progress for women across the agency. She reflected on those improvements in observance of Women’s History Month. 

“There are many times when I’m the only woman in the room still, but more often than not, it’s not the case anymore,” Toppins said. “Things have changed greatly. There’s a much greater recognition of some of the obstacles that women have had to overcome… I think it is really helpful.”

Toppins said that women play a valuable role within the Forest Service, and she encouraged young women to embrace their unique strengths when launching their careers.  

“The types of leadership skills that I value the most: Someone who really cares, who has great compassion, who has humility, who is a visionary, who is a problem solver – I see those qualities in women in spades,” Toppins said. “There’s space for you to be your whole, full, authentic self here in the Forest Service today. That’s what we need. That’s what we want at this agency. So, my advice to young women is come work with us and help us make great things happen!”