UGA Institute of Government works with Warnell alum on environmental stewardship and resilience efforts at Fort Benning
Brent Widener thought he’d never need a daily planner, but these days it’s an essential tool for his job at Fort Benning, where he oversees environmental programs on the installation for the Army and is an essential partner to the University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government’s Defense Community Resilience Program.
Launched in 2021, the institute’s Defense Community Resilience Program (DCRP) enhances military communities by leveraging university expertise in natural resources, infrastructure planning and economic development. The program has already successfully developed regional plans to improve stormwater management, promote outdoor recreation and strengthen local economies—all while supporting military readiness. The installation partners, like Widener, are critical to the program’s success.
A Marietta native, Widener fell in love with the natural world during his childhood visits to the Ogeechee River with his grandfather, where he learned to fish and hunt. Being outdoors was his escape, especially as he watched his parents—a pastor and an elementary school administrator—cross-checking their planners regularly at the kitchen table.
“I’m never going to tote one of those,” he told them. “I’m going to the University of Georgia to get a degree in hunting and fishing and work outside the rest of my life.”
That declaration was partly true. After graduating from the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources in 2000, Widener researched and managed fire-maintained ecosystems and private hunting grounds. In 2008, he joined Fort Benning’s Directorate of Public Works as a fish and wildlife biologist and now serves as chief of its environmental division.
In his current role on the Army installation, Widener oversees environmental programs, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations while advancing initiatives that sustain and enhance the military mission. His work spans habitat conservation, water resource management and land stewardship.
Overseeing a staff of 35, facilitating multiple robust partnerships and stewarding more than 182,000 acres means Widener now regularly carries a planner, and two phones, for his job.
“Life has come full circle,” he said with a smile. “I thought I always needed to be in natural resources or wildlife management, but when I was given the opportunity to branch out through answering a call for help, I eventually decided to try something new and different.”
UGA alum Brent Widener (BSFR ’00) speaks to a Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources class on the link between conservation and the military mission. Widener is an important partner for the Institute of Government’s Defense Communities Resilience Program at Fort Benning. (Photo by Sara Ingram) |
Protecting Fort Benning’s natural resources doesn’t stop at the installation’s gates. Seventy percent of soldiers assigned there live off-installation in the surrounding communities, along with civilian and contract workers who help keep the installation running.
“Building a relationship with the UGA Institute of Government, we were able to bring a trusted asset to the table that the community already believed in,” Widener said.
Scott Pippin, UGA faculty leader of the DCRP program, said Widener’s knowledge of environmental management and disaster preparedness benefits the initiative.
“Brent’s emphasis on collaborative problem-solving mirrors our mission to serve as a bridge between military and civilian stakeholders,” he said. “He’s an important ally whose leadership has been critical to helping us understand the landscape at Fort Benning and how our expertise can best serve our military and community partners.”
This past summer, the team collaborated on the Disaster Resilience Across the Chattahoochee Valley Conference, a regional summit that brought together military, local and state leaders to assess and strengthen emergency preparedness.
An intergovernmental support agreement (IGSA) between UGA and Fort Benning, signed last summer, has also strengthened relationships with surrounding communities, according to Widener.
“UGA brings a different mindset and approach,” he said. “And while that doesn’t mean we’ll always execute whatever is proposed, bringing outside thought into the equation allows us to reflect, often leading to better solutions.”
Connecting with UGA faculty, staff and students is also a happy byproduct of the engagement. Widener was invited to visit a Warnell class this fall to discuss conservation and military mission.
Warnell faculty member Duncan Elkins said students benefit from hearing from alumni whose careers might not be top-of-mind but who, like Widener, have an appreciation for nature and preserving earth’s resources.
“The work Brent described was notable not just in its scale and scope, but in the way he detailed working with the many people and organizations who must coordinate for actions on federal land,” he said. “I think the students were impressed with how the Army balances multiple uses while still doing meaningful and effective conservation on their landscape.”
Returning to Athens where he started his career journey was memorable for Widener as well.
“To be able to give back and share with others is neat,” he said. “It feels good to be able to work with your alma mater, and to spend time interacting with people who influenced me and helped me get to where I am now.”