Team Member Group: Staff

Born in the coastal town of San Pedro, California, Sal grew up in the city. At 12, he moved to Tennessee and later attended the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He started college as a Civil Engineer but quickly switched over to Forestry having grown to love the mountains and all things nature. While in college he began to appreciate the complexity of various ecosystems and their dependence on fire. Having graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry, focusing on Restoration and Conservation he immediately went on to pursue his passion for fire. Sal traveled back to his home state to work on a fire crew in Whitethorn, California. After spending the summer fighting fires and getting lost in the Coastal Redwoods, he began to miss the Appalachian Mountains and wanted to return. In the spring of 2024, Sal found EcoForesters and has since made WNC his home. Outside of work, Sal enjoys running further and faster than he should, watching Star Wars, building Legos, eating, and relaxing.

Mia grew up on Louisiana’s coastline, and because of the environmental challenges affecting her home, she developed a deep interest in ecology. She worked as a ranch  hand and trail guide during high school and college, which only encouraged her  longing for a life spent outdoors. She graduated from the University of Louisiana  with her B.S. in Biology, concentrating in Marine Biology, Ecology, and Evolution.  An internship with the Yellowstone Native Fish Conservation Program pushed her to pursue aquatic fieldwork after graduation, so she secured a position tagging  salmon in Northern Idaho. Shortly afterward, the South called her home, and she  began anew in forestry conservation as an EcoForesters restoration technician. In her  leisure time, she enjoys music, creative writing, hiking, kayaking, and cuddling with her cat, Binx.

EcoForesters is lucky to have a gang of dogs to brighten our office! Skipper, Lilah, Lola, and Blue (and sometimes more!) work hard to welcome everyone that comes into the office. Mostly they are just looking for treats, but either way, they make us all feel loved and have a positive impact on the EcoForester’s community. We know they support our mission because one of all their favorite activities outside of the office is going for hikes in the woods!

Max was born and raised in Gainesville, Florida and spent his youth swimming in springs and enjoying the outdoors as a Boy Scout. After earning a BS in Biology from the University of Tampa, he began his career in natural resources management as an SCA NNIS intern at the Huron-Manistee National Forest in Michigan. This sent him down the path of a career in forestry and he field crew positions in Michigan and Illinois before finding EcoForesters and moving to Asheville in July of 2023. Max is a lover of nature, from wetlands to prairies to mountains, and enjoys hiking and exploring Western NC. Max is also a huge nerd! He spends his free time as a connoisseur of board games, a collector of Legos and comic books, and an avid Dungeon Master.  

Jordan grew up in eastern Pennsylvania where he watched the open space he spent most of his childhood in get swallowed up by housing developments and urban sprawl. This observation made an impact on him and sparked a desire to protect natural resources. He continued developing a love for the outdoors through activities such as hiking, gardening, fishing, and scouting. These interests led him to pursue an education in Natural Resource Management. After graduating from The State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry he worked for multiple forestry and agricultural programs including The New York State Department of Conservation, The University of Idaho’s Inter- Mountain Forest Tree nutrition Co-op, and Washington State University Puyallup Research and Extension Center. His love for discovering how natural communities function, and the effects management can have on these communities, is continuously exercised here in the southern Appalachian forests.

Bobby grew up in the piedmont of NC, working as a farm hand and landscaper throughout high school. He earned a B.S. in Environmental Studies from UNC Asheville in 2021, developing a passion for all things plants and ecology. After graduating, Bobby worked at Mellow Marsh Farm native plant nursery, gaining skills in native plant propagation and identification. This experience instilled in him the importance of native plants as the foundation for biodiversity conservation, leading to his interest in invasive plant management and forest restoration. In his free time, Bobby enjoys hiking, playing music, and learning about the natural world—you can never be bored when you’re outdoors.