ORBIS - Key Persons
Carole is the Administrative Assistant for Bird Forestry in the Shreveport, Louisiana office. She has been working in forestry for over 20 years. Carole enjoys watching the LSU Tigers with Larry, her husband of over 35 years. Carole likes spending quality time with her family and grandchildren whose ages range from 6 years old to 29.
Job Titles:
- Office and Administrative Manager
Grayson Wylie joined Bird Forestry to do two things, make maps and chew gum. And he's all out of gum. Grayson was born and raised in East Texas and went on to graduate with GIS degrees from Louisiana Tech and then Texas A&M a few years later. In his spare time, Grayson enjoys cooking up wallets and belts in his leather lab and making home made pizza for him and his dog Poncho to enjoy. Grayson currently lives in Nacogdoches and has been a part of the Bird Forestry team going on three years.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Principal
- Principal / Forester
Mike Bird graduated from University of Missouri - Columbia in 1975 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management. He worked in the forestry industry for several years as a field forester, harvesting engineer, and procurement/management forester before starting Bird Forestry Services, Inc. in 1979 as a traditional forestry consulting firm offering services to private non-industrial landowners in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. As the Bird Forestry Services business developed, Mike recognized other natural resource opportunities associated with land management, reclamation/restoration, enhancement, and preservation. In 1989 Silva-Tech/South, Inc. was created as a vegetation management and reforestation business. In 1994, Mike cocreated Advanced Ecology, Ltd. (AEL), an environmental consulting firm. Over the last ten years AEL has developed an outstanding reputation in the industry. Evolving from a natural resource background, the AEL team has the ability to solve environmental problems using a common sense approach. Today, Mike is actively involved in both Bird Forestry and Advanced Ecology, serving as CEO for Advanced Ecology, Ltd. and SilvaTech/South, Inc.
Jennie Alvis joined Bird Forestry in 2010 after excitedly returning to her native Shelby County. Jennie received a BBA in Accounting from Sam Houston State University and was licensed as a Texas CPA in 2009. She currently oversees the accounting functions of Bird Forestry and related entities. Jennie states "After working in public accounting and large corporations, I truly enjoy the small family feeling here at Bird Forestry." Jennie resides in Joaquin with her husband John and when not at the office or trying to finish up her never-ending to-do list, she enjoys fishing and woodworking-as well as spoiling her granddaughter.
Lynn Johnson is the oldest son of an East Texas farmer, which led him to get a Bachelor of Computer Science degree at Stephen F. Austin State University in 1989. After graduation, Lynn moved to Houston, Texas, where he worked for big corporations like Enron, Electronic Data Systems, and others. It only took him twenty years to figure out that Houston was not where he needed to be for the sake of his remaining sanity. Nothing less than providence led him back to his hometown of Center, Texas, and employed at Bird Forestry. Lynn has now been using his jack-of-all-trades Information Technology (IT) background to manage the technical resources of the company for over ten years, executing solutions and contributing to the effectiveness and efficiency of all members of Bird's diverse and talented team. Having returned to live on the farm, today Lynn does absolutely no farming, but lots of hunting, fishing, writing, and hosting an occasional poker game.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal / Forester / Realtor
Marsha Howard joined our team in November of 2011 after moving back to Texas to be near family. She graduated in 2006 from the University of Central Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. At Bird Forestry she works in the accounting department doing various accounting functions but most importantly making sure all employees get their paychecks! Although she has no biological children, she has been "mom" to 20 children, 18 through foster care and two stepchildren, one of which she was able to legally adopt earlier this year She loves being a positive influence in their lives and hopes to resume fostering once her and her husband, Tony build their dream home.
Born and raised in Center, Texas, Micah Youngblood joined the Bird Forestry team in 2014 as Administrative Assistant, Center. A certified massage therapist and flamingo enthusiast, Micah was looking for something a little more permanent when the job at Bird opened up. After accepting the position, she's never looked back and loves being a part of such a great group of people. A collector of gnomes and a lover of rocks and chickens, Micah is a small-town girl at heart. She has one son, Guner, and a dog, Zoey, that stays at her mom's house most of the time. She enjoys watching Aggie football, but just not with her over-zealous family.
Nathan Jacks was raised in Longview Texas and went to Stephen F. Austin State University to pursue a degree in Forestry. Nathan joined the Bird Forestry team in June of 2021 after graduating. While in college, Nathan met his wife, Emily, at their church in Nacogdoches. Emily is a First-Grade teacher and a wonderful baker. In their free time, Nathan and Emily enjoy traveling to see family and friends and watching movies on their reclining couch. Nathan also enjoys watching football (Cowboys and Aggies), hockey (Stars), and backpacking with his brother all over the country.
Sheila Evans joined the Advanced Ecology, Ltd. team in 2009 as Project Manager for the Environmental Division, later transitioning as Operations Manager for Mitigation Solutions, USA. Sheila joined the TerraStone Land Company team in 2014 as Office Manager. Sheila assists with the day to day office operations for all companies. Previously she worked in the medical field for 31 years in management positions in Center, Texas and Nacogdoches, Texas. Sheila graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, with a Bachelor of Science degree.
Sheila and her husband, Robert, are avid hot air balloonists, and proud parents of two daughters: Lisa and son-in-law, Ryan, and grandsons, Taylor Zane and Cullen James who live in Rowlett, Texas; and Michelle who lives in Nacogdoches, Texas.