OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Local, state and federal officials gathered June 26 at the Marion County Public Library Headquarters to celebrate community partnerships in wildfire prevention at the 2025 Robert E. Browning Jr. Awards Ceremony.
The ceremony, hosted by the USDA Forest Service and Florida Forest Service, recognizes individuals and teams who have made significant contributions towards reducing human-caused wildfires across Florida and the southern United States. This year’s program included an award presentation followed by a public celebration with Smokey Bear.
Opening remarks were delivered by Sean O’Neal with USDA Forest Service Region 8 and Marion County Commissioner Kathy Bryant, who both emphasized the importance of interagency collaboration and community outreach to aid in fire prevention.
Two individual awards were presented during the ceremony. George Risko, a fire training officer with the Florida Forest Service, was recognized for his leadership in preparedness and firefighter education.
“This was truly a collaborative effort across the firefighting and forest service community,” Risko said. “Our goal was to build trust, strengthen community connections and expand our outreach in meaningful ways.”
Julie Sieg, director of the Marion County Public Library System, also received an individual award for her role in supporting public education and preservation messaging through library programming.
“It’s so important to start teaching kids early, because they often influence what their families do,” Sieg said. “I became a librarian because I love learning something new every day, and being able to share that with the community through this work is incredibly gratifying.”
Team awards were presented to Ken McCann, Marion County Fire Rescue; Courtney Freeman, Florida Department of Environmental Protection/Silver Springs State Park; Darrell Gilmore, Ocala National Forest Alliance; Jim Couillard, Marion County Parks and Recreation; Richard Grajek, Florida Forest Service – Waccasassa Forestry Center; and Carrie Sekerak, USDA Forest Service – Ocala National Forest.
Sekerak, who serves as district ranger, spoke on the value of cooperation and group effort.
“I’m really grateful for all the teamwork and cooperation—it’s always been a group effort,” she said. “The [Rudy] Wendelin portraits of Smokey Bear are a great reminder of how long we’ve worked together to get the message out.”
Florida Forest Service Director Rick Dolan credited the collaboration between agencies and communities for the decline in preventable wildfires.
“Our focus is on getting the fire prevention message out, and this program really ties everything together,” Dolan said.
After the awards presentation, attendees gathered for a Smokey Bear celebration with educational booths and family activities. Smokey greeted guests and posed for photos, reinforcing his message of personal responsibility in fire safety.
Ludie Bond, wildfire mitigation specialist and public information officer for the Florida Forest Service – Waccasassa Foresty Center, said outreach events like this play a vital role in connecting with the public.
“Our passion and teamwork help us connect with different audiences and the media to spread important fire safety information,” Bond said. “One message, many voices.”
As Florida moves into peak fire season, officials say continued collaboration and public awareness will remain key to protecting both communities and ecosystems.