Joe rings the bell for the Salvation Army in Crossett.
Planning and roads forester Joe Felsman is a part of so many civic groups in Crossett, Arkansas, that it would probably be easier to name the organizations he’s not involved with. Whether the community needs help moving nine historical buildings across town or a new voice in the Port Authority, Chamber of Commerce or Farm Bureau, Joe always steps up to the task.
“Joe embodies the true spirit of volunteerism: giving time, talent and heart for the betterment of Crossett,” one of his six nominators said. “His continued service and leadership improve community life today and lay the foundation for future growth. Joe is widely respected not only for the hours he gives but for the quality of his leadership. He listens, inspires and brings people together to tackle challenges with creativity and determination.”
For his dedication to human services, civics, culture and public safety, Joe was named one of our 2025 Volunteers of the Year. As part of the award recognition, he received a $5,000 TREE-mendous Matching Gifts reward, which he plans to distribute between the Future Farmers of America, 4-H and food pantry.
Joe coaches his son John Henry’s 11U Allstar baseball team at the state tournament.
MEET JOE
Tell us a bit about your day job.
I’m a planning and roads forester, and I’ve been in this position for about eight years. We’re responsible for developing the harvest plan for the area. We get all the harvesting tracts ready to log, and we oversee road building and maintenance. I’ve been in the timber industry for 25 years, and with Weyerhaeuser for the past 14.
What did you think when you found out about the award?
I was very surprised — I didn’t know anybody had nominated me. I also had a healthy dose of humility. When you do volunteer work, you don’t think about other people seeing what you do and having this level of appreciation. It’s very humbling and just a real honor to receive this award.
What motivates you to volunteer?
A lot of people want to sit around and complain about how cities and schools are run but don’t want to do anything about it. I feel like I don’t get the right to complain unless I’m trying to make a difference.
Once I started working with community organizations, I saw how many people need help. So I started doing more. I love the outcomes for both myself and the people I’m helping. And it’s really great working for a company like Weyerhaeuser that puts so much back into our community.
Joe and his wife Robin at the 2026 Crossett Area Chamber of Commerce Annual Banquet. This banquet was the end of his term as President of the Chamber.
What organizations are you involved with?
I’ve served on the board of directors of the Crossett Area Chamber of Commerce for several years and served as president for 2025, though my term is coming to an end soon. I was also appointed by the mayor to the Crossett Port Authority. We oversee the operations at our river port on the Ouachita River.
I’m secretary of the Kiwanis Club. It’s a good civic club to belong to because our mission is to help children in the community. We’re always helping in schools, and we recently did the Spirit of Christmas Food Drive in conjunction with the Rotary Club and Brookshire’s grocery store. That was a great example of how Weyerhaeuser invests in the community. We normally encourage kids to bring cans to their elementary school, and the class that brings the most gets a pizza party. But with the current downturn in the economy, we didn’t get very many donations. Weyerhaeuser stepped up and made a generous donation to purchase food and essentially saved the food drive and made it a success.
I’m on our local Giving Fund advisory committee for the North Louisiana region. We are tasked with distributing grant money to local charities and organizations that qualify to receive donations from our Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund.
I serve on the board of Project Graduation, which provides a safe place for graduating high school seniors to go on graduation night. We provide games, entertainment, food and prizes for the graduates and their guests all night, free of charge.
I also coach baseball and soccer at the Boys and Girls Club. At church, I’ve been on the finance committee for several years. I’m on the planning committee for Southeast Arkansas Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation. Our number one goal is raising money for conservation, and we’ll be giving four scholarships to high school seniors this spring.
And I’m an Ashley County Farm Bureau board member. This year, we teamed up with an organization called Farmers and Hunters Feeding the Hungry to help feed children in Ashley County. We put 1,000 snack sticks made from deer meat in children’s backpacks ahead of the holidays — 500 in Hamburg and 500 in Crossett — along with some toiletries.
Joe and John Henry catching white bass.
What are the community challenges you see that you’re trying to address?
Other companies have closed local mills in recent years, which means there’s less opportunity for people to work. The biggest needs are for more food and outreach. There are some positive developments on those fronts in Ashley County, but we need more resources. Even people who work are having challenges providing enough food for their families. There are too many kids going to bed hungry. People are struggling right now. I just want to help those who need it.
What’s your favorite part of the work?
My favorite part is working with the Kiwanis Club, though the work can be difficult. I deliver food to homes of people in need, so I see where and how they’re living. But I also get to see the results of my efforts: how grateful they are when I deliver that box of food and the smiles on their faces.
I also enjoy coaching and helping young athletes progress from the beginning of the season to the end. Seeing how much they develop and learn is rewarding. It makes me feel good to have a positive impact on a team of 12 kids.
What’s next in your volunteer plans for the year ahead?
I want to move toward working with youth organizations like Future Farmers of America and 4-H. I’ll also be coaching baseball this spring and doing more work with the Farm Bureau board.
How are you distributing your $5,000 TREE-Mendous Matching Gifts grant?
I’ll give some to FFA and 4-H groups in the area and give a large chunk to our food pantry. The Ashley County Food Pantry is now making deliveries to some of the other small towns in the Arkansas Delta, and they’re doing a great job with that. I’d like to see that keep going and growing.
