Say "Hello" to Our New Forest Preserve President

By Jeff Gahris

Daniel Hebreard, formerly a Park Ranger with the Forest Preserve District of DuPage, has been elected President of the same organization. Recently, President Hebreard kindly agreed to answer a few questions about himself and his new role. Here are his responses.




Please describe who you are and what you are about.

Husband, father, son, brother.  Those are the most important pieces of who I am.  I have worked hard in the environmental sector to become an eco-leader, as well.  I believe in education and supporting environmental issues, and have lived it as a Park Ranger.  I have also practiced this in my personal life by having extra insulation put in my attic, using a rain barrel, utilizing LED lighting, purchasing an electric car, and having solar panels installed on my home to make it 100% renewable-energy powered.

What are your favorite moments as a Park Ranger?

As a Ranger, I have great memories from enjoying a hot day teaching archery to enjoying a fresh snowfall while grooming a trail for skiers. But the best memories would be doing the high-quality natural resource work the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is known for.  Nothing builds teams better that working with other staff on a prescribed fire, knowing you can count on the highly trained professionals by your side to quickly use nature’s tools to help restore an area to native glory.

Now that you are here, what are your priorities as President?

As President of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County I hope to continue our excellence in environmental stewardship and expand it to include climate leadership by doing more solar projects and looking for more ways to be innovators.