Joe Twardy, joined by his family, received the college’s Outstanding Alumni Award at the CFWE’s 2025 Awards Ceremony.
Joe Twardy has lived a life of service based on forest management. As a 1972 alumnus of the Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE), Twardy’s significant impact on Alabama’s forests earned him the nomination and awarding of the CFWE’s 2025 Outstanding Alumni Award.
Reflecting on a career well-spent serving the forest industry, the CFWE honored Twardy’s lifelong commitment to natural resources during its annual awards ceremony held in April 2025, when Twardy was presented his award among many of his former colleagues, friends and family members.
Twardy earned a Bachelor of Science in forest management and later joined the forestry workforce in Alabama following his graduation. His extensive career started at a paper mill in Pine Hill, Alabama, while working in wood fiber procurement for MacMillan Bloedel (MB). His job title was director of woodlands for MB and entailed building relationships with reliable suppliers for the mill’s resources.
Bob Sharp, a longtime friend, coworker and award co-nominator of Twardy, says that Twardy’s role was crucial for the mill, and he perfected it over time.
“Procurement is vastly different today from what it was 25 or 30 years ago,” Sharp said. “Relationship building was much more important then and Joe was a master at it. Because the mills depended on the loyalty of their primary suppliers, and suppliers shipped exclusively to just a few markets, the system required a high degree of loyalty, and it had to flow both ways. Joe’s character and integrity inspired loyalty from his suppliers, but it also created trust and respect from his coworkers, his peers and even his competitors. A rare accomplishment which few can claim to have achieved.”
The mill in Pine Hill was acquired by Weyerhaeuser in 1999, and Twardy’s role remained the same under the new title of fiber supply manager. As further testimony of Twardy’s value, he retained his position despite the mill undergoing new ownership. He spent the next decade furthering his regional procurement roots for Weyerhaeuser, holding the same role until 2016 when he retired from his position with the mill’s third owner, International Paper.
“As most folks know, Joe was the ‘lead guy’ for wood procurement at the paper mill in Pine Hill for most of his career,” said Fred Stimpson, Twardy’s business acquaintance of 45 years and co-nominator. “Joe was very good at wood procurement, and all three companies knew it. He had the relationships and ‘the clout’ to be able to stay and do what he was good at.”
CFWE Emmett F. Thompson Dean Janaki Alavalapati presents Twardy with his Outstanding Alumni Award.
Nearing the culmination of his career, Twardy began serving in several leadership positions within Alabama, beginning in 2004 when Gov. Bob Riley appointed him to a task force in response to Hurricane Ivan’s devastation that would help the state’s forest landowners and industry recover. From 2010 to 2011, he served on the Alabama Forestry Association (AFA) board of directors and ultimately as president.
“In 2017, Gov. [Robert] Bentley appointed Joe as one of the seven commissioners who lead the Alabama Forestry Commission (AFC),” said Rick Oates, the AFC’s state forester. “He was reappointed in 2022 by Gov. [Kay] Ivey. As the state forester, I rely on Joe for wisdom and guidance to help me make decisions that affect our agency and the people we serve. His sound, levelheaded advice helps the commission function more efficiently. I can think of no other alumni who personifies the values embedded in the Auburn creed as Joe Twardy.”
Exemplifying the values of Auburn is precisely why he was awarded the CFWE Outstanding Alumni Award.
“Throughout his career, Joe has responded to the call to lead and to serve,” said Chris Isaacson, current AFA president and CEO. “Once he graduated from Auburn, he has never stopped, and Alabama’s forestry community has been the beneficiary.”
Janaki Alavalapati, the Emmett F. Thompson Dean of the CFWE, salutes Twardy for serving as an example of what is possible with an Auburn education.
“Joe Twardy’s career reflects the very best of what we hope our graduates will achieve—a lifetime of leadership, integrity and service to natural resources,” said Alavalapati. “His unwavering dedication to Alabama’s forests and his ability to lead through times of change make him an outstanding ambassador of the Auburn spirit.”
Joe and his wife, Claire, currently live in Auburn and enjoy spending time with family. Their two daughters, Sara and Anna, are Auburn alumnae, avid Auburn fans and work and live in Atlanta, Georgia.
