Melody Starya Mobley
Melody Starya Mobley is a retired forester of the United States Forest Service, the first black woman hired by the organization.
Early life and education
[edit]Mobley was born in 1958 in Louisville, Kentucky. She initially pursued zoology at the University of Louisville before transferring to the University of Washington to study wildlife management.[1]
After meeting professional forester Lyle Laverty at a conference, Mobley switched her major to forest management. She was the first African-American woman to graduate with a forest management degree from the University of Washington in 1979.[2][3]
Career
[edit]Mobley was hired by the United States Forest Service in 1977, becoming their first black woman forester.[3][4][5]
Mobley has said she was sexually assaulted by a colleague around 1978, working at a remote site in Skykomish, Washington. She disclosed her sexual assault to the agency in 1996, citing fears of not being believed and a generally racist and misogynistic work culture as reasons for not coming forward earlier. However, Mobley has since stated that nothing came of the disclosure and that the perpetrator was never punished.[1]
Mobley retired from the Forest Service in 2005 at age 46.[4][3]
Mobley has since worked with the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, or NOVA parks, on programming for black and Hispanic birders.[6] She has also served as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion chair for the Virginia Native Plant Society.[7]
In 2024, Mobley was chosen to receive the Diversity Leadership Award from the Society of American Foresters.[6]
Personal life
[edit]Mobley is religious.[1] She currently lives in Arlington, Virginia.[4]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Mobley, Melody S. (2020-06-18). "A Black Woman Who Tried To Survive In The Dark, White Forest". Mountain Journal. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ "Alumni Spotlight: Melody Mobley". School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. 2015-04-29. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
- ^ a b c "US Forest Service badge worn by Melody Starya Mobley". Smithsonian Institution. National Museum of African American History and Culture. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
- ^ a b c Blitz, Matt (2021-12-14). "Melody Mobley's mission is to make the forest welcoming for all". ARLnow. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ Mackem, Lisa (2020-12-31). "A Trailblazer in the Forest Service". Northern Virginia Bird Alliance. Retrieved 2024-08-05.
- ^ a b "Forester from local area lauded for diversity achievements". GazetteLeader. 2024-06-30. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ^ "VNPS | Board of Directors". Virginia Native Plant Society. Retrieved 2024-08-02.