One University dean followed in his father’s footsteps last week when he was inducted into the Georgia Foresters Hall of Fame.

Mike Clutter, Dean of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, said he was surprised when he was told he’d be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“It’s something I thought may happen way down the road in my career, but not this early,” Clutter said.

“It’s generally something you would expect to get around the age of retirement, and I’m not ready to retire yet.”

But one of Clutter’s colleagues said he knows exactly why the dean received the honor so early in his career.

“It says something about his accomplishments… he’s been a difference-maker in every position he’s held . . . an innovator in his research,” said Dale Greene, a forest operations professor who serves on the hall of fame nomination committee.

Clutter’s father, Jerome Clutter, also taught at Warnell and was inducted into the Georgia Foresters Hall of Fame in 1984.

Clutter credits his career in the forest industry to his upbringing.

“I certainly was very fortunate to grow up in a household where I was exposed to forestry and natural resources,” he said.

“And that really helped me understand the industry.”

Clutter worked for Georgia-Pacific Corporation, one of the leading forest product companies, for 22 years where he led the effort behind the development of a forest management system still being used by the corporation.

He became the Hargreaves Distinguished Professor of Forest Finance at Warnell in 2001 and continues to serve on the board of directors for several forestry corporations around the state.

He said his dedication to the industry has allowed him to reach this point of success in his career.

“Hard work and a real passion for what I do [is key],” he said.