Public affairs isn’t exclusive to the forestry industry, but understanding forestry is essential to the role at Rayonier. Shawn DeRome shares how her background in forestry and passion for advocacy led to her position as our Eastern Director of Public Affairs.
Public affairs plays a vital role in ensuring that companies like Rayonier can sustainably manage land while navigating public policy, community relationships and industry dynamics.
Shawn DeRome has a natural knack for building and maintaining relationships. Without realizing it, her cumulative experience and years of networking opened the doors to the dream job she currently holds at Rayonier.
She began her forestry career as a procurement forester at a sawmill, purchasing timber for the mill. Now, she advocates on Rayonier’s behalf as the Eastern Director of Public Affairs, covering four states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
“I got into forestry because I love nature and spending time outside,” she says. “I also enjoy the networking and building of relationships aspect of it. My job is so diverse. It includes industry work, non-industry work, and interacting with our communities. It’s so different from any other job in the industry. But it all comes back to forestry, and that’s my passion.”
In this career spotlight, we’ll explore how Shawn found her path, what her role involves, and how public affairs connects communities, policy and sustainable forest management.
- How Shawn Got Her Start in Forestry
- How Shawn’s Career in Forestry Evolved at Rayonier
- What Does a Rayonier Director of Public Affairs Do?
- How Public Affairs Supports Rayonier’s Timber and Non-Timber Operations
- Why Advocating for Sustainable Forestry Matters
How Shawn Got Her Start in Forestry
Like many forestry professionals, Shawn didn’t set out knowing exactly where her career would lead—but her education helped point the way. Her journey into forestry began in college, where a love for the outdoors sparked an unexpected career path.
Discovering Forestry Through Education
While studying for her undergrad at the University of Georgia, Shawn discovered her interest in forestry. She excelled in many of her classes, including a Freshwater Invertebrate Zoology course in which her professor observed her passion for the outdoors.
“For class, we would stomp around in the creek, collecting tiny freshwater invertebrates for observation. I could always remember the scientific names and random facts about the invertebrates. My professor took notice and encouraged me to apply to Warnell, the forestry school at the University of Georgia.
“The Natural Resources, Recreation and Tourism program was a great fit and I was able to tailor it as a forestry-focused education.”
Connecting with the Forestry Industry Through Hands-On Experience
During her education and various internships, Shawn discovered her interest and passion for what she describes as the “bridge between society and working forests.” As a student, she served as a student ambassador, helping with events and volunteering with organizations such as the Georgia Forestry Association.
She even worked at the school’s Deer Research Facilities, where she often led tours to educate the public about deer habitat and population management.
“As an undergrad, I was given many opportunities to network. The experience I received throughout my time at Warnell continued to build my interest in the rich history of forestry in the Southeast, natural resource management, and how people interact with their land and communities.”
Why Graduate School Was the Next Step
Shawn’s original plan was to graduate and get a job. However, a professor and mentor encouraged her to pursue a master’s degree from the Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business at the University of Georgia.
“Pursuing my master’s degree provided me with further industrial forestry networking opportunities combined with a solid financial foundation,” Shawn says. “I came out of that program having networked for a solid four years. I enjoyed it, but didn’t realize how much it would come full circle later.”
How Shawn’s Career in Forestry Evolved at Rayonier
Right out of school, Shawn began working in procurement forestry, buying trees for a sawmill, working with loggers, and looking at special projects for the company. After about two years, she applied for a timber marketing forester position with Rayonier. But the company saw her potential for a different role.
Gaining Industry Insight as a Business Development Analyst
“When I interviewed, Rayonier saw that I was well-suited for a business development analyst position,” recalls Shawn. “In that role, I was the person digging into market intelligence research for the company, looking at everything from hyperlocal timber markets to global economics. I analyzed how it all fit together and was responsible for understanding the ins and outs of housing and lumber prices, foreign markets, what timber prices we were getting in each of our regions, and how we strategize with this data moving forward. That position built a deep understanding of the industry and continues to help me in my current role.”
Preparing for a Leadership Role in Public Affairs
While working as a business development analyst, Shawn still engaged with trade associations and with the forestry school at the University of Georgia. She began serving on the school’s Young Alumni Committee and is currently the Chair. She has continued to build industry relationships, growing her interest in the connection between policy and forestry.
How Mentorship Shaped Shawn’s Career
“After a few years, the gentleman who had held the position of Director of Public Affairs, Dan Roach, was retiring. I spent a lot of time with him before he officially retired, which has proven to be essential for this role. He had been with the company for 44 years and knew the history and people like the back of his hand. I definitely couldn’t do this job as well without him.
“I had expressed my interest and applied for the role. When I got the job, I was overjoyed. It was confirmation that everything I had done—my networking, my passion for the industry, all of my experience—all of it was coming together.”
What Does a Rayonier Director of Public Affairs Do?
The Director of Public Affairs at Rayonier works across departments to support forestry operations, community outreach and public policy engagement.
The Director of Public Affairs’ primary responsibilities include:
- Works with our teams to identify areas or projects in need of additional support and develops strategies.
- Concentrates on current and emerging public policy and community issues that impact the company’s diverse interests.
- Builds bridges and fosters understanding among various (and at times competing) stakeholders such as industry associations, legislators and community leaders.
How Relationships and Strategy Shape the Role
“I like to say my job encompasses strategy and problem-solving,” Shawn explains. “Building genuine relationships at both the local and state levels is a big part of what I do. My job is to help maintain a healthy business climate so that Rayonier can do what Rayonier does best: stewardship and sustainable land management.”
What a Typical Day Looks Like in Public Affairs
When asked what a typical day is like, Shawn chuckles and says, “It’s the coolest job there is because I get to work with everybody in the company, and everybody externally. No day is typical or the same. One day, I might meet with an environmental group concerned about water quality. The next, I’m talking with landowners about palmetto berry theft. The next, I could be speaking to legislators about rare plants or wildlife that we help protect.”
How Public Affairs Supports Rayonier’s Timber and Non-Timber Operations
At Rayonier, we operate within two categories of business: timber and non-timber activities. As the Eastern Director of Public Affairs, Shawn must divide her attention among the two.
The Timber Side of Rayonier
Education and advocacy make up a large portion of Shawn’s timber-related job activities. This includes working with external stakeholders to help them understand the benefits of forestry and the challenges that it faces.
In her public affairs role, Shawn works to raise awareness of:
- The environmental value of sustainable forestry — including clean air, clean water, and habitat for wildlife.
- How forestry works — including the 25-year forest lifecycle of growing and harvesting trees in the Southeast.
- The economic importance of forestry — from supporting rural communities to the essential role of loggers and truck drivers.
- Why education matters — helping community members, legislators, and other stakeholders better understand forestry’s impact.
“We focus on how forestry provides clean air, clean water and habitat for wildlife. For about 25 years per-rotation, our forests grow, we manage them accordingly, harvest the timber and then the process starts over again. The forestry industry also provides hundreds of thousands of rural jobs. Without loggers and truck drivers, none of this would be possible. They really do the hard work. Much of this, I believe, gets lost in translation and people just need the education and tools to better understand what all goes into sustainable forestry, why it’s important to society, and where Rayonier fits in.”
Shawn is involved in about 30 different local and state groups, providing her with opportunities to discuss forestry and land management. She serves on boards, committees, task groups, and more. Consistent communication and collaboration with stakeholder groups allows Shawn the opportunity to share and better understand outside perceptions.
In addition to collaboration, Shawn is also involved in forestry advocacy related to fair policies.
“Legislators need to know and understand how forestry fits into the picture. They may not fully understand why we need to focus on issues such as landowner rights or trespassing laws. But it matters because it all comes back to our business model. We need policies that allow us to manage our land sustainably.”
The Non-Timber Side of Rayonier
In addition to timber, Rayonier manages a variety of non-timber businesses across its land base. Shawn works closely with these business partners to ensure that non-timber operations align with Rayonier’s standards for responsible land use.
Her work includes:
- Supporting sustainable land-based businesses – including hunting and recreation, pine straw and fill dirt, just to name a few.
- Evaluating emerging opportunities – like the increasing demand for renewable energy.
- Ensuring responsible land stewardship – by maintaining high standards across all activities.
Solar projects, for example, are one of those emerging opportunities and have increased in popularity in the forestry industry. Although Rayonier has established solar operations, the increased interest is new for our company.
“Solar is an important and valuable source of renewable energy, but it’s a different conversation than growing trees. Understanding the balance is important.”
“It all ties together, coming back to the big picture of sustainability. It’s our land and we want it to remain healthy and all activities to be conducted responsibly. We have high standards. Every aspect of our business has the same theme—there are just different ways of getting there.”
Why Advocating for Sustainable Forestry Matters
For Shawn, forestry provides solutions for many of the issues our world faces.
“Everything is centered around forestry. The products we use every day, the air we breathe, and the water we drink. Without sustainable, well-managed forests—not just trees growing, but managed timber—we would have none of these things.”
The bridge between forest management and society is an important piece of Shawn’s role at Rayonier. Maintaining a balance between stewardship and sustainability while ensuring society and policymakers are aware and well-educated is critical to her role as Eastern Director of Public Affairs.
“Within Rayonier, sustainable and responsible stewardship of the land is what grounds it all. Strong markets for our timber and fair policies provide us, and the industry as a whole, with a positive and healthy business climate. Without all of these things, our industry could not function. Advocating and minimizing the risk to our business is an important aspect of my job.
“What it all boils down to is ensuring society is aware of responsible land management, and that it’s important and beneficial to our everyday lives.”
Interested in Becoming a Forestry Professional?
Shawn’s role at Rayonier is a testament to how diverse forestry careers can be. Her work reinforces a simple but powerful truth: sustainable forestry isn’t just a practice—it’s a pathway to ensuring forests remain healthy and valued for generations to come.
If you love the outdoors and are passionate about the environment, visit ForestryCareers.com to explore the many careers in forestry and learn how to get started on this exciting career path by visiting the Public Affairs Director Profile.
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