N.C. Forest Service Warren County Ranger Jim Short named Employee of the Year
For his tireless commitment to the community he serves, N.C. Forest Service (NCFS) Warren County Ranger Jim Short was named N.C. Department of Agriculture’s Employee of the Year for 2024. Short noted that the daily opportunity to support North Carolina citizens is what he finds most fulfilling.
“I get to see the impact our agency makes from the first point of contact until the job is finished,” Short said. “Whether it’s providing recommendations to help someone make informed decisions about the future of their woodlands, helping someone obtain cost share assistance to fund forest management objectives, or protecting someone’s life and property when responding to wildfires.”
Short began his career with the NCFS in 1999 as a smokechaser assigned to Halifax County. Gradually promoted over the next few years, Short became the assistant county ranger in 2002 before taking over as county ranger in 2004. After more than two decades of service in Halifax County, Short assumed the county ranger role for Warren County in August 2023.
There were 88 emergency response situations in 2024 involving wildfires in Warren County, many of which ignited outside of traditional working hours. However, Short and his staff were also tasked with covering forest management and forest protection needs in Halifax County through March 2024. While covering both counties, Short and his staff responded to nearly 130 emergency calls requiring wildfire suppression.
“The people that I get to work with every day are some of the hardest working and most dedicated co-workers that anyone could ask for,” Short added. “Day and night, they work to serve and protect the citizens of our state. I’m proud to be a part of that culture.”
Short continues to embody and symbolize what it truly means to be a public servant every time he puts on the NCFS uniform.
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