Archive Record
Metadata
Title |
An Interview with Johnny and Ellen Hodges |
Catalog Number |
2021.074.154 |
Object Name |
Recording, Video |
Scope & Content |
An Interview with Johnny and Ellen Hodges >>Oral history interview with Johnny and Ellen Hodges, Rapid City, SD, October 10, 2023 INTERVIEW SUMMARY Johnny Hodges was born in 1951 in Electra, Texas, and grew up in a working-class family connected to the oil industry. Fascinated by the outdoors, he decided as early as seventh grade to study forestry, eventually earning a degree from Stephen F. Austin State University. His early years in the profession were shaped by the Vietnam War era job market, where veterans had hiring preference, pushing him toward seasonal work with the Bureau of Land Management, private timber companies, and state agencies in Oregon. He eventually joined the U.S. Forest Service in Colorado and later Montana, where he gained extensive experience in timber sales, silviculture, and reforestation. Johnny’s leadership roles grew steadily, culminating in his appointment as Forest Management Group Leader for the Rocky Mountain Region, where he oversaw timber programs, budgets, and policy implementation across multiple forests. His career reflected both technical expertise and adaptability to shifting agency priorities, from heavy timber production to broader ecosystem management. Ellen Hodges was born in 1953 in Helena, Montana, later moving to Oregon. After earning a degree in geology at Oregon State University, she began her career with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including three years in Saudi Arabia, where she worked on water development and construction projects in a challenging cultural environment. Returning to the U.S., she transitioned into the Forest Service, initially focusing on engineering geology before pursuing leadership roles. With a master’s degree in natural resource management, she became Deputy District Ranger in Montana and later District Ranger in both Superior, Montana, and Fort Collins, Colorado. Ellen’s career emphasized balancing technical problem-solving with public engagement, staff management, and navigating the political pressures surrounding timber, fire, and land use in diverse communities. The two met through Forest Service training programs and, after maintaining a long-distance relationship for several years, married in 1993. Their careers often placed them in small, remote towns with limited social support, and they managed the dual-career challenges common among Forest Service couples. Eventually, through support from mentors and supervisors, they secured positions that allowed them to live and work together in Colorado. Their shared journey illustrates the realities of career mobility within the agency, the importance of mentorship, and the sacrifices required to balance professional advancement with family stability. CAREER TIMELINE: ELLEN HODGES >>Field Geologist, Siuslaw NF SO, 1978-1979 >>Forest Geologist, Siuslaw NF SO, 1980-1987 >>USFS Management Training, Colorado State University, 1987-1988 >>Appeals Coordinator, Northern Rocky Mtn Region, 1988-1989 >>Deputy District Ranger, Missoula District, Lolo NF, 1989-1990 >>District Ranger, Superior District, Lolo NF, 1990-1993 >>District Ranger, Canyon Lakes District, Arapaho-Roosevelt NF, 1993-2009 CAREER TIMELINE: JOHNNY HODGES >>Timber Sale Prep & Inventory, San Juan NF, 1978-79 >>Timber Sale Contract Administrator, Kootenai NF, 1979-81 >>Assistant Silviculturist, Kootenai NF, 1981-84 >>District Staff Officer (timber, fire, road maintenance), >>Pike/San Isabel NF, 1984-1989 >>District Ranger, Pike/San Isabel NF, 1989-95 >>Budget Coordinator, Region 2 RO, 1995-2001 >>Forest Management Group Leader, Region 2 RO, 2001-2009 COPY & PASTE LINK BELOW INTO BROWSER TO WATCH INTERVIEW https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fbxiANV5PNX5Irk7ptFjUl9y_ceNFHWc/view?usp=sharing |
Year Range from |
2023 |
Year Range to |
2023 |
People |
Hodges, Ellen Hodges, Johnny |
Subjects |
Siuslaw NF Pike-San Isabel NF Lolo NF Arapaho-Roosevelt NF San Juan NF Kootenai NF |
Search Terms |
Oral History Geology Timber Sales Timber Silviculture Forest Planning Forest Management Forest Service Family |
Catalog date |
2025-08-19 |
Collection |
Oral History |