Nemec is Oneida County’s new forestry director

Oneida County has a new forestry director, Jill Nemec, after the county board confirmed her hiring during its April 16 meeting.

Nemec’s arrival on the county scene follows the departure of the former forestry director, Paul Fiene, whose last day will be the end of April.

Forestry committee chairman Bob Almekinder praised Fiene for his “many, many years of great service” to the county.

Oneida County human resources director Lisa Charbarneau introduced Nemec to the board and touted the experience she brought to the position.

“She’s been a professional forester for almost 25 years,” Charbarneau said. “She possesses diversified forest management skills, excellent communication skills, a strong knowledge of Wisconsin forest law program, a wide range of experience in public land and private land management, fire management, supervisory experience — those are all the things that we considered when asking Jill to come to work.”

Nemec comes to the county from the state Department of Natural Resources, where she worked as a Forestry Team Leader, a position in which she oversaw the day-to-day work of nine foresters and forestry technicians. 

As part of that work at the DNR, Nemec worked as a county forestry liaison. 

Charbarneau said Nemec has worked in a variety of professional roles, including collaborative efforts with federal, state and local natural resource agencies to develop and implement program goals and objectives. 

Nemec said she was both excited and nervous about coming to a new employer after being in state government for so long. 

“However, I really look forward to being able to work for not only the board but the people of the county and for the resources of the county as well,” Nemec said.

In other actions at the board meeting, supervisors appointed two incumbents defeated in the spring elections to new positions — former supervisors Jim Winkler to the Human Service Center Board as a citizen member with a three-year term to expire April 2027 to fill the expired term of William Korrer Jr.; and Michael Roach to the Human Service Center Board as a citizen member with a -three-year term to expire April 2027 to fill the expired term of Harland Lee.

Richard Moore is the author of “Dark State” and may be reached at richardd3d.substack.com.