Forest Technology Instructor, Mr. Mark Hainds will officially retire from the College on February 1, 2021.
Mr. Hainds has been in the field for 26 years - 20 of which were spent at the Auburn University School of Forestry & Wildlife Resources.
Growing up on a farm and the first of his family to go to college, Mr. Hainds knew he wanted a career that 'allowed me to work outside.'
"I was particularly inspired by my father's self-taught knowledge of and appreciation for trees," he said.
When asked his fondest memory during his time at LBW he replied, "I will always remember and cherish being recognized as the “Outstanding Technical Faculty” in 2018."
"And, I will never forget the love and support that my coworkers shared at the birth of my youngest son Dylan, and the death of my oldest son Joseph. You all are family."
He has thoroughly enjoyed working with supervisors, Mary Ann Hudson and Denise Sauls at the College. And, he described the biggest challenge he faced was COVID-19. It has unfortunately limited the ways in which he could drive students to various logging sites, mills, and prescribed burns in the field.
Following retirement, Mr. Hainds plans to continue selling lumber, smoking woods, mushrooms, jams, jellies and preserves every Saturday at the Palafox Market in Pensacola, FL.
He also added, "I am working most nights on my third book, which is a sequel to Border Walk."
"When it’s published, I hope to revisit all the communities, towns, and cities I walked through on my 2,000-mile trek along the US US-Mexico border. After that, I am going to walk all the way around Ireland."