MARK "MAV" PLOSKI - NIPFTC Operations Specialist

U.S. Forest Service

13093 Henry Beadel Drive

Tallahassee, FL 32312

Email: mark.ploski@usda.gov

Office: (850) 614-4585 ext. 1010

Cell: (850) 879-0914

Mav started his career with the US Forest Service (USFS) Extension Office through West Virginia University. From 1991-1993, Mav worked on Gypsy Moth Projects on the George Washington National Forest. In 1997 he started working with red-cockaded woodpeckers and wood duck banding as a Biological Science Technician with the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) at Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge. He then moved to Mississippi Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge as a Forestry Technician/Heavy Equipment Operator in prescribed fire and wildfire suppression. He also assisted with wetland restoration projects and served as a member of the Asheville Interagency Hotshot Crew before moving to Florida where he worked at Pelican Island and Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuges. 

In 2005-2012, Mav went back to the USFS at Ocala National Forest as an Equipment Operator for prescribed fire and suppression. He also participated in Fire Planning Analysis and NEPA projects. The Forest treated 60,000 acres with prescribed fire in several different habitats: prairies, longleaf pine and wiregrass ecosystems, flatwoods, site preps, and the largest sandpine ecosystem in the world. From there Mav became AFMO at the Catahoula Ranger District on the Kisatchie National Forest, which treated 100,000 acres annually with prescribed fire, before moving to the Francis Marion National Forest which treated 30,000 acres annually.

In 2018, Mav accepted the Operations Specialist position at NIPFTC. Mav is currently qualified as an RXB2, ENGB, CRWB, HEMG, ICT3, TFLD, PLDO, FIRB, and DIVS. He serves on the cadre for the Agency Administrator Workshops and on the Southern Area Incident Management Type 1 Team. He has a B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Management from West Virginia University.