MENDOCINO NATIONAL FOREST, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest's new supervisor has been named.

Sherry Tune, who previously was the Monterey District ranger on the Los Padres National Forest, arrived on the forest Feb. 14.

Tune has the distinction of being the first woman selected to serve as forest supervisor for the Mendocino in its 103-year history.

She replaces former Forest Supervisor Tom Contreras, who was detailed to the Angeles National Forest last spring before accepting the assignment permanently in September 2011.

Tune has spent the past few weeks getting oriented, meeting employees and touring the forest.

“The past few weeks learning about the Mendocino and meeting the employees has been a tremendous and overwhelmingly positive experience,” Tune said.  “I am very excited to be here and look forward to working with our partners and public who enjoy the many benefits from this remarkable forest.”

Forest staff is working to schedule meetings to introduce Tune to area partners and governmental agencies that work with the Forest Service.

The Mendocino National Forest will host an open house from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 13, at the Forest Supervisor’s Office in Willows, located at 825 N. Humboldt Ave., to introduce the community to Tune and new Ecosystem Staff Officer Ken Wysocki.

“The open house is just the first step for me and our new Ecosystem Staff Officer Ken Wysocki to begin engaging local communities to improve the overall health and sustainability of the resources on the Mendocino National Forest,” Tune said.

Prior to her experience on the Los Padres, Tune served as a deputy district ranger for the Coronado National Forest in Arizona.

Her career started as a clerk-typist in 1978 before transitioning to fire where she has extensive experience, including working on hotshot crews, leading a handcrew, serving as assistant forest fire management officer, an emergency center manager, fire planner, fuels program manager and fire ecologist.

Tune’s Forest Service experience also includes work as a certified timber cruiser, law enforcement officer, national training coordinator, and union steward.

Her educational background includes studying landscape ecology at the University of Arizona.

Wysocki, who comes to the Forest from the Pacific Southwest Regional Office in Vallejo, Calif., arrived on the forest on Feb. 27.

He served as supervisor of program development, budget and accountability, spearheading various initiatives to include a business continuity solution.

Prior to joining for the Forest Service, Wysocki served in several different capacities in both public and private entities focused on strategic management, environmental protection, technology and business transformation.  

He holds a doctorate in management from University of Phoenix, as well as master’s and bachelor’s degrees in agronomy from Iowa State University and University of Wisconsin, respectively.