Joel Hambright is a 1994 graduate of Texas A&M University with a BS in Forest Management. Since graduation Joel has worked for the Texas A&M Forest Service and is currently based out of Huntsville where he serves as the Regional Forester for SE Texas. As Regional Forester, Joel oversees the delivery of both Forest Resource Protection and Forest Resource Development programs in a 15-county area consisting of 8 field offices and 43 personnel. These programs include responsibilities in wildfire suppression/mitigation, capacity building, landowner technical assistance and much more.
Joel has been married to his wife Amy for 30 wonderful years. They have three children - Nathan, Gabriel, and Laney ages 21, 21, and 14 – all adopted from Russia. In 2018 Joel was awarded the Texas A&M Agrilife Vice Chancellor’s Award in Excellence for Public Service in Forestry and was recently named a Fellow through the Society of American Foresters. He has been a member of the Society of American Foresters since 1993 and has served as the Professional Recognition Chair for the Texas Chapter for over 20 years. Joel enjoys working in his yard, playing golf, helping others, and spending time with his family. He loves his local church where he serves as a deacon and regularly participates in “Bridge”, a local homeless ministry.