Shawnee National Forest welcomes new public affairs officer
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Shawnee National Forest has a new public affairs officer.
Amanda Patrick has taken the position vacated by long-time U.S. Forest Service employee, Becky Banker, who retired last July.
"We are really excited to be working with Amanda as she brings a degree of sophistication via her prior wide-range of experiences and ideas. I think she'll be a real asset to the Shawnee," Forest Supervisor Allen Nicholas said in a prepared release.
Prior to coming to the Shawnee, Patrick worked as the environmental education/outreach specialist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery in Jamestown, Ky.
Patrick began her federal career as a summer maintenance worker at Barren River Lake at the age of 16.
Later, Patrick began working as a park ranger for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the same lake and served as the interpretive park ranger, conducting public affairs/outreach programs for 2 million visitors annually. Since then, she's worked for two other Corps of Engineer lakes, along with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Patrick currently serves on the advisory board for the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education.
Patrick brings over 15 years of experience in outdoor related programming and public affairs to the Shawnee National Forest.
Patrick has a bachelor of science degree in Recreation and Park Administration from Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, Kentucky.
During her career, some of her greatest achievements include the Kentucky Association for Environmental Education Professional of the Year in 2009, USFWS Southeast Region Outreacher of the Year Award in 2010, Tour Southern and Eastern Kentucky Hospitality Personality of the Year Award and the Leopold Education Project Facilitator of the Year in 2011.
When not working, Ms. Patrick is an outdoor enthusiast at heart and enjoys taking to the woods and streams to fish, kayak, canoe, hike, sketch and journal.