Geri Bergen, former Tahoe National Forest Supervisor and College of Natural Resources alumna, was posthumously awarded the Francis H. Raymond Award by the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection in November 2019. Bergen received this honor because of her significant contributions to the management of California’s natural resources.
Bergen attended UC Berkeley because it was the only forestry school that accepted women at that time. She was the first woman to attend Forestry Camp at Cal after receiving the Dean’s permission to attend. Following her graduation, Bergen began her career with the Forest Service in 1967. Eighteen years later, she was selected as the first woman forest supervisor in the nation, working in the Tahoe National Forest. She passed away on October 12, 2018.