Priznar, van Wagtendonk appointed to GWS Board

In early January, Frank J. Priznar, president and CEO of PRIZIM, Inc., a sustainability services firm, and Jan W. van Wagtendonk, who recently retired from a distinguished career as a park-focused fire ecologist, accepted appointments to the GWS Board of Directors. The two assume their duties immediately.

Priznar founded PRIZIM (www.prizim-inc.com) in 1996.  The nationally recognized company has helped clients reduce pollution, conserve energy, increase worker safety, and protect wildlife and natural areas.  Priznar's professional and personal commitment to environmental stewardship has been recognized by several awards in business leadership.

Priznar said his invitation to join the Board of Directors at the George Wright Society was a wonderful surprise. Priznar shares GWS’s commitment to fostering excellence in natural and cultural resource management, protection, research and education.

“To be associated with the George Wright Society is an incredible honor. I look forward to helping the organization achieve their mission, which is now more critical than ever,” Priznar said.

Van Wagtendonk trained in forestry and range management before earning a PhD in wildland resource science with a specialty in fire ecology from the University of California at Berkeley.  From 1972 through 1993 he was employed as a research scientist with the National Park Service at Yosemite National Park.  From 1994 through 2008, van Wagtendonk was a research scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey at Yosemite.  His areas of research have included prescriptions for burning in wildland ecosystems, recreational impacts in wilderness, the application of geographic information systems to resources management, and the role of fire in Sierra Nevada ecosystems.

Van Wagtendonk has written over 100 publications, including book chapters, peer reviewed journal articles, and technical reports; and he was a co-editor of the book Fire in California’s Ecosystems. He has received the National Park Service Director’s Award for Research in Natural resources in 1995, the Forest Service Chief Forester’s Excellence in Wilderness Stewardship Research Award in 2002, the Department of the Interior Meritorious Service Award in 2003, and the George Melendez Wright Award from the George Wright Society in 2005.

"I am happy to accept the Society's invitation to join the Board," van Wagtendonk said.  "I look forward to being active in efforts to improve the use of scientific information in park management, and seeing that parks avail themselves of the best available peer-review science."

David Harmon, the GWS executive director, welcomed the two new directors on behalf of the Board.  "We are excited to have Frank and Jan join the Board," Harmon said.  "They bring important skills and areas of expertise that will augment those of existing Board members, and will help us as we work toward expanding the Society's operations and programs.."  "The GWS is poised to go to a new level of service to our members and the parks professional community," Harmon added, "and Frank and Jan will definitely help us get there."