WILLOWS, Calif. – The Mendocino National Forest will be hosting two open houses later this week for community members to meet Forest Supervisor Sherry Tune.

The first open house will be held Thursday, May 10, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Upper Lake Ranger District Office, located at 10025 Elk Mountain Road in Upper Lake.

The second open house will be Friday, May 11 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Covelo Ranger District Office, located at 78150 Covelo Road in Covelo.

Tune, who previously was the Monterey District ranger on the Los Padres National Forest, has been on the Mendocino National Forest for less than three months.

Her early months on the forest have been spent getting oriented, meeting employees and touring the forest.

She succeeded former Forest Supervisor Tom Contreras, who is now assigned to the Angeles National Forest.

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

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

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.