2025 SPEAKERS
Click on the speakers’ names to learn more. Check back often as more speakers are confirmed!
Kathy Abusow
President and CEO
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Kathy Abusow
Kathy Abusow is President and CEO of SFI Inc., a sustainability leader that stands for future forests. She has held this role since 2007, when Sustainable Forestry Initiative® became a fully independent, non-profit organization. Since joining SFI, Kathy has greatly expanded SFI’s network to include the forest sector, brand owners, conservation groups, resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous peoples, governments, and universities.
Bill Banzhaf
Former CEO
Sustainable Forestry Board
Bill Banzhaf
Banzhaf has held or holds positions on the boards of a numerous professional organizations including the Sustainable Forestry Board, Roundtable on Sustainable Forests, Council of Engineering and Scientific Society Executives, Pinchot Institute of Conservation, Seventh American Forest Congress, Natural Resource Council of America, USDA, National Commission on Wildfire and National Council on Private Forests, the Michigan Nature Conservancy, and the Association of Consulting Foresters. He currently lectures at Northern Michigan University on Leadership.
He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1967 with a BS in Forestry (one year graduate degree) and from the University of Colorado in 1964 with a BA in History/Political Science.
Rebecca Barnard
Forest Certification Manager
Sappi
Rebecca Barnard
As the Forestry Certification Manager for Sappi North America, Inc. (SNA), Rebecca manages Sappi’s FSC®, SFI® and PEFC Chain-of-Custody certificates, FSC Controlled Wood Certificate and SFI Fiber Sourcing Certificate. Rebecca provides training, support and strategic direction on certifications to Sappi staff and customers, domestically and globally. She also is leading SNA’s U.S. Lacey Act compliance and strategic response and compliance efforts to the new European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Rebecca is an active member in the Society of American Foresters (SAF) and has served in a variety of state, regional and national leadership positions, including chairing SAF’s National Committee on Forest Policy in 2020-2021. In 2025, Rebecca serves as Immediate Past President for SAF National. Rebecca has also recently served on the National Forest History Society Board of Directors (2022-2024). Prior to Sappi, Rebecca served as the National Forestry Programs Manager for the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) from 2013-2017 and served on the Wisconsin NWTF State Chapter Board of Directors from 2022-2023. Rebecca also worked as the Forest Certification Coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources from 2008-2013. Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Ecosystem Restoration and Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and an MBA.
Brian Brashaw
Assistant Director
Wood Innovations, USDA Forest Service
Brian Brashaw
Sam Cook
Executive Director of Forest Assets, North Carolina State University, and
SFI Board Member
Sam Cook
Sam oversees more than $150 million in foundation assets to meet all the needs of the college and to provide funding support for an environmentally and economically sustainable natural resource sector. With a forestry career spanning more than four decades, Sam is deeply committed to ensuring that our forests are managed in a way that not only meets the needs of the present but also preserves these vital resources for future generations. Sam was president of the Society of American Foresters in 2023 and vice president in 2022. He served on the SFI Resources Committee, the SFI-MANRRS Journeys of Black Professionals in Green Careers Advisory Committee, and is featured in Black Faces in Green Spaces: The Journeys of Black Professionals in Green Careers.
Wendy Crosina
Director Forest Sustainability
Weyerhaeuser
Wendy Crosina
Wendy manages wildlife and ecology issues for Weyerhaeuser in Canada, is both a Registered Professional Forester (RPF) and a Registered Professional Biologist and has worked for Weyerhaeuser for over 15 years. Her experience includes working on several wildlife-related files – including species at risk like Boreal Caribou and Grizzly Bears. Wendy has a keen interest in ensuring ecological values continue to be integrated into forest management practices and works hard to find the right balance between economics and the environment.
Scott Dane
Executive Director
American Loggers Council
Scott Dane
Scott Dane is the Executive Director for the American Loggers Council (ALC) and has vast amount of experience working with timber harvesting and timber hauling associations, having been the Executive Director for the Associated Contract Loggers and Truckers of Minnesota for the past 17 years. Dane, who spoke at the Republican National Convention last summer, has experience in both the state and national levels in issues impacting timber harvesting and timber hauling. Dane has been a critical component of the ALC’s work to gain financial assistance for those businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also been involved in legislation allowing state legal weight tolerances on the Federal Interstate Highway System and other ALC initiatives like the Future Careers in Logging Act.
Chris Davidson
VP Sustainability
Smurfit Westrock
Chris Davidson
Senior executive with extensive sustainability experience in the paper & packaging industry including strategy development, stakeholder engagement, social responsibility, external reporting, materiality assessment, certification, product stewardship, customer service, management, and research. A proven leader who has successfully managed both corporate and regional staff, built out sustainability programs, developed successful relationships with non-profit environmental organizations and academia, and developed and managed regional forest research programs.
Bernard de Galembert
Director
WBCSD Forest Solutions Group
Bernard de Galembert
Bernard de Galembert (French, 57) holds a Master in Business Management (1994) and a Master in Human Resources Management (2017). In the early 2000’s, he also followed a 2-year training in forest management and sylviculture. After more than 32 years in European public affairs for various sectors (sugar industry, farmers unions, landowners, pulp and paper industry and chemical industry), he joined the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in January 2024 as Director of the Forest Solutions Group (FSG). Besides his professional activities, he is managing a farmland and a forestland family company.
Kendall DeLyser
Director, Climate Science
American Forests
Kendall DeLyser
Kendall DeLyser manages American Forests’ forest climate science projects and serves as the organization’s technical expert on forests, carbon and climate change. DeLyser is currently leading research partnerships focused on climate-smart forestry and wood utilization, forest soil carbon, and the role of forests as natural climate solutions. She supports state natural resource agency partners in applying climate-smart forestry research to inform policy development and forest management planning. Before joining American Forests, DeLyser worked on carbon offset project research and policy recommendations for climate-smart land use and also researched successful forest restoration techniques in Costa Rica. DeLyser holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy from Colorado College, as well as master’s degrees in environmental management and forestry from Duke University.
Dr. Michael Falkowski
Program Manager, Wildland Fire Program, Earth Science Division
NASA
Dr. Michael Falkowski
Kathryn Fernholz
President and CEO
Dovetail Partners
Kathryn Fernholz
Kathryn is a forester by training with over 25 years of experience in the forest and forest products sector. She has worked on environmental issues in a range of roles, including environmental assessments, permitting, and GIS analysis. Her career has focused on sustainability concerns, including leadership on family forestry, community-based decision making, forest certification, and environmental standard setting.
Maria Janowiak
Director
USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub
Maria Janowiak
Maria Janowiak directs the USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub and the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, two collaborative efforts led by the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station.
Maria has more than 15 years of experience in helping natural resource professionals understand and adapt to climate change, with particular emphasis on forest ecosystems in the Midwest and Northeast US. She has led multiple ecoregional vulnerability assessments, created decision-support tools, taught courses, supported the development of real-world adaptation projects, and provided direct outreach to thousands of people. Maria has a B.S. in Forestry and an M.S. in Forest Ecology from Michigan Technological University.
Maria’s portfolio of climate-related work encompasses several efforts focused on climate change adaptation. These activities complement the USDA Climate Hub’s focus on making USDA science and resources more available to diverse audiences.
Lennard Joe
Chief Executive Officer, BC First Nations Forestry Council, and
SFI Board Member
Lennard Joe
Lennard Joe is a registered professional forester with more than 30 years of natural resources and business experience. His traditional name Suxwsxwwels means Grizzly Man. In 2012, Lenny joined SFI’s Resources Committee, which directly oversees the work of the SFI Standards Review Task Groups. In 2018, he was elected to the SFI Board of Directors, where he brings his perspective to the decision-making table. Lenny was instrumental in providing opportunities for Indigenous representation throughout the SFI standards revision process, and successfully enshrining Respect for Indigenous Rights and Traditional Knowledge as a standalone Objective in SFI’s Forest Management Standard. He has consistently shared his perspective, and allowed opportunities for other Indigenous voices to be heard regarding how SFI can better align with and service the interests and priorities of Indigenous communities. He is actively involved in developing new businesses and resource sector opportunities within his territory as well as throughout Canada and the world. Lennard Joe is from the Nlaka’pamux Nation and a member of the Shackan Indian Band.
Jamie King
Director, Coaching and Consulting
American Forests
Jamie King
Jamie King is an urban forester and brings specialized experience in community engagement, workforce development, urban planning, tree preservation, and tree canopy resilience to his role as Director of Coaching and Consulting for the Urban Forestry Field Delivery Team. Prior to joining American Forests, King led the urban forestry team at Virginia Tech where he served as a manager and consultant for Virginia Tech Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities. This role focused on cultivating partnerships and engaging the public in natural resource management while also managing the campus urban tree canopy, including a remnant old-growth white oak forest. King previously served the City of Roanoke, VA, beginning as a ground worker and finishing as the City Arborist.
King serves on the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Credentialing Council and with the Urban and Community Forestry Society (UCFS) where he works to elevate the people and practice of urban forestry and arboriculture.
King is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist®, holds the ISA Municipal Specialist credential, and he is ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified. He holds a BS in Natural Resource Conservation with minors is Forestry and Urban Forestry from Virginia Tech.
Dan Lambe
Chief Executive
Arbor Day Foundation,
and SFI Board of Director
Dan Lambe
Dan Lambe is the CEO of The Arbor Day Foundation, the largest nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. In his role, Dan is responsible for the overall strategic direction of the organization and advancing its mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. Under his leadership, the Arbor Day Foundation has undergone remarkable growth through the development of programs and partnerships that have helped plant more than 500 million trees in the last 50 years around the world. Dan is a trusted thought leader in the sustainable forestry space and regularly speaks at conferences hosted by the United Nations, Sustainable Brands, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other high-profile industry events. Dan is also frequently used as a resource to top news outlets organizations is often featured on The Weather Channel, CNN, Forbes, Fast Company, NPR and most recently the author of “Now is the Time For Trees” book.
Pat Layton
Director
Wood Utilization + Design Institute, Clemson University
and SFI Board of Director
Pat Layton
Pat’s experience includes developing new forestry and marketing initiatives. She plays a vital role in SFI’s development, particularly in the area of mass timber, a priority in SFI’s strategic direction.
Pat’s leadership has advanced innovative design solutions with wood-based construction materials and illustrated the critical role of sustainably managed forests in emerging markets like tall wood buildings.
In 2003 she was chosen to lead the Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. Prior to her current position, Pat served as Clemson’s Director of the School of Agricultural, Forest, and Environmental Sciences. Before joining Clemson University, she was a manager at Scott Paper Company.
Brandon Lewis
Senior Director, Sustainability
Manulife Investment Management
Brandon Lewis
As Senior Director of Sustainability for Manulife Investment Management’s timberland and agriculture businesses, I am responsible for the day-to-day management of our sustainability program. Having worked on four continents in fields ranging from real assets to renewable energy, mining to microfinance, and project finance to policy, I thrive on the opportunity to create and cultivate initiatives that have a tangible positive impact on people and the planet.
I have the privilege of partnering with leaders throughout our global timberland and farmland investment portfolio to implement our foundational belief that good stewardship is good business. Practically, this means integrating sustainability considerations throughout all aspects of our business, including corporate policy, investor communications and reporting, market analysis, acquisition due diligence, product development, and operations.
I am proud to lead the writing and production of our annual Sustainability Report as well as inaugural TCFD-aligned Climate Disclosure and TNFD-aligned Nature Disclosure. I have played important roles in development of Manulife’s Net Zero Emissions Commitment and natural capital investment strategy, and also serve externally as the company’s liaison delegate to multiple projects at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my wife as well as running, hiking, biking, skiing, traveling, and squirrel-watching. Nature inspires both my work and my play.
Michelle Matteo
Forestry Program Manager, Sustainability
NSF
Michelle Matteo
Matteo has worked in the forestry industry for more than two decades. In addition to her diverse auditing experience, she is the owner of Quercus Consulting, LLC. Matteo is a Massachusetts Licensed Forester, an International Society of Arboriculture Certified Arborist, an American Tree Farm System® (ATFS®) Qualified Inspector and a Senior Lead Auditor for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®, Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), the Forest Stewardship Council and ATFS®.
Matteo has a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and a Master of Science in Forestry and Watershed Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She is a member of the Society of American Foresters (SAF), the PEFC Chain of Custody Working Group, the board of the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program, and the SAF Accreditation Advisory Committee for the University of Massachusetts Forest Ecology and Conservation Program.
Sébastien Niemi
Forestry Liaison Specialist
Michipicoten First Nation
Sébastien Niemi
As a Forestry Liaison Specialist at Michipicoten First Nation, I work with the community and the government to ensure the sustainable and respectful management of the forest resources and the protection of the Indigenous rights and interests. I facilitate the communication and collaboration between the First Nation and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, as well as other stakeholders, such as industry, municipalities, and environmental organizations. I have a diploma in Forestry Technician from Algonquin College, where I learned the technical and practical skills of forest management, such as inventory, mapping, planning, harvesting, and silviculture. I also have a background in fine and studio arts, which gives me a creative and aesthetic perspective on forestry. I have experience as an Assistant Management Forester and a Forester Intern at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, where I contributed to the development and implementation of forest management plans, policies, and programs. I am passionate about community forestry, sustainable forest management, and forestry education, and I aim to promote the ecological, social, and economic benefits of forests for the present and future generations.
Derek Nighbor
President and CEO
Forest Products Association of Canada
Derek Nighbor
Derek Nighbor was born and raised in Pembroke – in the heart of the Ottawa Valley – and has been President and CEO at Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) since March 2016. He is proud to represent Canada’s forest products sector and its workers, families, and communities nationally and internationally. In addition to his role at FPAC, Derek serves as the industry representative and advisor to the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF) and is the Past President of the International Council of Forest & Paper Associations (ICFPA) – an organization of forest sector leaders from 28 countries around the world. Derek is also a member of the Board of Directors of FPInnovations, Canada’s leading forest sector research institute. Derek was born and raised in Pembroke – in the heart of the Ottawa Valley – and has been President and CEO at FPAC since March 2016. He is proud to represent Canada’s forest products sector and its workers, families, and communities nationally and internationally. Prior to joining FPAC, Derek served for over 7 years as Senior Vice President with Food & Consumer Products of Canada (FCPC), the country’s leading voice for consumer goods manufacturers like Coca-Cola, McCains, Nestle, Procter & Gamble, and Unilever. Derek served for over 3 years as Senior Vice President of Public Affairs with Retail Council of Canada (RCC) representing over 45,000 retail storefronts across Canada, including leading retailers like Canadian Tire, Home Depot, Staples, and Home Hardware. Derek has also held senior political positions with the Government of Ontario, including two years as Chief of Staff to Ontario’s Minister of Consumer and Business Services. Derek’s global roles include his recent appointment as the industry representative and advisor to the United Nations Forum on Forests and his involvement as a Steering Committee member of the International Council of Forest & Paper Associations (ICFPA) – an organization of forest sector leaders from 28 countries around the world. He served as ICFPA’s President of from 2019 to 2022. Derek also represents Canada’s forest products industry on the Steering Committee of the United Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organization’s Advisory Committee on Sustainable Forest-based Industries (ACSFI) and is a member of the Board of Directors of FPInnovations, Canada’s leading forest sector research institute. Derek has a keen personal interest in community health care and sport and recently served as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada. He’s also a past Board Member of the Ontario Curling Association, the Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Grant Review Team for the Greater Toronto Area, and the Ottawa Sports & Entertainment Group’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee.
Caitlin Salaverria
President
International Corrugated Packaging Foundation
Caitlin Salaverria
Caitlin Salaverria is president of the International Corrugated Packaging Foundation (ICPF), an independent, non-profit 501 (c) 3 corporation dedicated to growing the labor force of the corrugated packaging industry now and into the future. As president, her work serves to expand the impact of ICPF programs and initiatives by building partnerships with the education community, establishing relationships with local governments and apprenticeship programs and developing marketing/communications tools to promote the many benefits of choosing a career in corrugated packaging.
Larry Selzer
President and CEO
The Conservation Fund
Larry Selzer
As President and CEO of The Conservation Fund, Larry Selzer guides strategic direction and growth for one America’s largest organizations focused on both conservation and economic opportunity. TCF is in the business of conservation, creating innovative solutions that drive nature-based action for climate protection, sustainable economies and vibrant communities.
Under Selzer’s leadership, TCF has protected nearly 9 million acres of wilderness, recreation areas and working lands valued at almost $8 billion, shaping ambitious partnerships and financial models to deliver one of the greatest returns on investment of any conservation effort in American history. Selzer is also leveraging TCF’s conservation expertise to advance initiatives to address climate change and support the clean energy transition, restore working farms facing development threats, protect Native American cultural sites and African American heritage sites, and build connections between communities and urban green spaces.
Prior to joining TCF, Selzer was a marine biologist at the Manomet Center for Conservation Science. He holds an MBA degree from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia and a Bachelor of Science in environmental studies from Wesleyan University. He serves on the board of the Weyerhaeuser Corporation and is chairman of the board of the American Bird Conservancy and Leading Harvest.
Laura Six
Forest Ecology Scientist
Weyerhaeuser
Laura Six
Laura Six is a Forest Ecologist at Weyerhaeuser, based in WA. She researches biological diversity in managed forests, helps with conserving sensitive plant species across Weyerhaeuser ownership in the Pacific Northwest, and helps maintain SFI certification. She has a PhD from the University of Washington, where she studied the effects of agroforestry on native plant communities in South America. She has a passion for volunteering in her local community and connecting students to STEM professionals. She has been on PLT’s Education Operating Committee since 2019.
Sacha Spector
Program Director for the Environment
Doris Duke Foundation
Sacha Spector
Sacha Spector is the program director for the environment at the Doris Duke Foundation, where he oversees all of the foundation’s grantmaking on climate change, land conservation and stewardship, and inclusive conservation.
Previously, Spector held positions as director of conservation science at Scenic Hudson, as manager of the Invertebrate Conservation Program at the American Museum of Natural History and as adjunct associate professor at Columbia University’s Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology. Author and co-author of more than 30 research papers, books and articles, he earned a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Connecticut and a Bachelor of Science in environmental biology from Yale University.
Patty Thielen
State Forester and Director, Division of Forestry,
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Patty Thielen
Patty Thielen is the State Forester and the Forestry Division Director for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR), where she has worked for 29 years. The first half of her career was in the field, focusing on forest management, forest planning, and wildfire suppression- but also working with private landowners, managing forest development, road, and timber contracts, and doing outreach and education. The next dozen years Patty worked in management at DNR, first overseeing forestry work in the northeast quarter of the state, then overseeing all of the work of the Department of Natural Resources in the northeast. She has had a statewide role for the last 3 ½ years, first as the Deputy Director, then as the Forestry Division Director. When she isn’t working, Patty enjoys hunting, fishing, gardening, cooking the fruits of those activities, camping, working with her husband on their 107-acre tree farm, and getting the dog (and herself) some exercise.
Doreen Whitley Rodgers
Practice Lead – U.S. Nonprofits
ESRI
Doreen Whitley Rodgers
Doreen Whitley Rogers currently serves as a Senior Consultant on Esri’s Environment & Geodesign professional services team. In her role she advises on a variety of environmental projects in the nonprofit, defense, and local government industries. Prior to coming to Esri she spent 15 years in the nonprofit space both as the first geographic information officer for the National Audubon Society, and a CIO for United Way. In her free time she also teaches GIS at the Columbus State Community College which is her passion. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Florida Gulf Coast University, and an MBA from Wake Forest University. She is an avid bird watcher, traveler, and conservationist.
Chad Wilsey
VP and Chief Scientist
Audubon
Chad Wilsey
SFI Staff Moderators
Nadine Block
Senior VP, Network Initiatives
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Nadine Block
Nadine leads the Community pillar at SFI, with a focus on advancing collaboration between the SFI network and local communities. Her work supports the capacity of the SFI network, strengthens relationships with government leaders, and utilizes SFI’s community grants to advance forest sustainability and outreach at the local level. Prior to joining SFI in 2010, she was Director of Forest Policy at the American Forest & Paper Association and Program Manager at the Pinchot Institute for Conservation. Nadine has over 25 years of professional experience on forest policy and holds a Master of Forestry degree from the Yale School of the Environment and a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Williams College. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, twin sons, and rescue dog, enjoys hiking and camping, and volunteers with their local Boy Scouts troop.
Josh Brankman
VP Education
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Josh Brankman
Josh leads the education team at SFI advancing Project Learning Tree’s environmental education, forest literacy, and career pathways programs while growing the scale, reach, and impact of PLT. He is responsible for establishing and delivering on PLT’s strategic direction as well as for developing, integrating, and implementing US government stakeholder relations. Josh also oversees national program operations and governance, while developing and nurturing relationships at state, national, and global scales. Josh works collaboratively with the SFI Career Pathways team to scale the reach of educational materials to grow the green job sector. He has over 20 years of experience in education including executive-level positions with a national organization confronting systemic barriers to higher education and a leading experience-based outdoor education non-profit. Josh has also worked as a high school teacher and principal. He holds a Master of Arts in educational administration and leadership from the University of California, Berkley and a Bachelor of Arts in history from Princeton University. A 25-year resident of San Francisco, outside of work, Josh enjoys spending as much time as possible outdoors with his family camping or playing at the beach.
Lauren Cooper
Chief Conservation Officer
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Lauren Cooper
Lauren heads the SFI Conservation Pillar, providing conservation leadership internally as well as externally to our network of resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and governments. She will develop best management practices for climate-smart forestry and fire resiliency and awareness, lead SFI participation in collaborative efforts to conserve forested landscapes and integrate Indigenous knowledge into SFI conservation programs. Lauren currently leads the Forest Carbon and Climate Program at Michigan State University, and she has international experience working with Indigenous communities in Peru, Mexico, Ecuador, and the United States. Lauren has served as a convener, moderator, and facilitator in high-level climate events, engaged in numerous climate working groups and has developed climate curriculum, educational materials, and plans. She currently serves as a steering committee member with the Women’s Forest Congress and on the Forest-Climate Working Group. Lauren is passionate about building new relationships at the intersection of sustainability, forests, society, and climate.
Dr. Healy Hamilton
Chief Scientist
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Dr. Healy Hamilton
Dr. Healy Hamilton works collaboratively and strategically across SFI’s conservation pillar to support scaling conservation impact. Healy’s scientific work will further the role of sustainable forest management in species recovery, climate-smart forestry, and conservation outcomes. Healy will also serve as SFI’s conservation science liaison with the wider conservation and scientific community. She will support the SFI standards pillar on customer engagement related to conservation science and the SFI education pillar on engaging Project Learning Tree audiences. Healy currently serves as Chief Scientist for NatureServe, and she is an elected member of the Executive Committee for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature U.S. National Committee. Healy’s impressive track record of leading high-profile and impactful research projects includes developing the most comprehensive and detailed map of species extinction risk, in collaboration with the Environmental Systems Research Institute and The Nature Conservancy. Healy holds a PhD from the Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Paleontology, at the University of California at Berkeley, and an MA in Environmental Studies from Yale University’s School of the Environment. She channels her passion for the outdoors into hiking, cycling, and scuba diving.
Paul Johnson
Vice President, Urban and Community Forestry and Career Pathways
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Paul Johnson
Paul leads SFI’s efforts to enhance the sustainability of urban forestry through the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard. He is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Board Certified Master Arborist, Municipal Specialist, and is Tree Risk Assessment, Texas Oak Wilt, and Wildfire Risk Reduction Qualified. He is also a Society of American Foresters Certified Forester. Paul has been recognized as a True Professional of Arboriculture by ISA and received the Leah MacSwords Current Achievement Award for Communications from NASF. He is Past President of the ISA Board of Directors and he graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Forestry. He has been a state urban and community forestry program leader, radio talk show host, newspaper columnist, university extension horticulturist, university adjunct instructor, and plant healthcare specialist. Paul believes that #TreesAreKey to healthier, happier, safer communities.
Christine Leduc
VP, Communications and Government Relations
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Christine Leduc
Christine leads SFI’s binational communications team, which also includes Project Learning Tree and Project Learning Tree Canada. She oversees strategic communications while also developing and implementing a range of government and public relations activities. Christine is a Registered Professional Forester with a decade of experience in forestry, policy, communications, public affairs, issues management, and more recently Indigenous relations. She is fluent in English and French and holds a Master of Forest Conservation from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto. Christine is also a Forests Ontario board member, and she was recognized as a Top 10 Under 40 by Canadian Forest Industries magazine. Outside work, Christine spends as much time as she can enjoying the forests of northern Ontario.
Lizzie Mafrici
Communications Coordinator
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Lizzie Mafrici
Lizzie is a multi-disciplinary communications professional with profound passion and appreciation for nature and environmental education. She leverages SFI’s brand positioning across all communications and marketing efforts, with particular emphasis on drafting social media content and writing articles. In Lizzie’s previous role at a full-service research, public affairs, and communications agency, she supported client teams across a wide range of communications and public relations functions. Her experiences living in Amazonian Brazil and embarking on a six month post-graduation road trip to national parks across the US led her to pursue a Master of Professional Studies in Applied Entomology from the University of Maryland. Outside work, Lizzie enjoys tending to her backyard pollinator garden.
Jason Metnick
Senior VP, Customer Affairs
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Jason Metnick
Jason leads the standards pillar at SFI, with a focus on elevating the SFI standards as a proof point for sustainable forestry and responsible purchasing. His work advances the standards pillar through engaging and communicating the value of SFI’s standards to certified organizations, customers of SFI‑certified organizations, and others interested in the value of sustainable forestry. Jason has worked at SFI since 2001 and holds a Bachelor of Science in forestry from Northern Arizona University. He is a member of the Society of American Foresters and sits on a number of committees related to forest certification, chain of custody, and eco-labeling. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife, two daughters, and Maple the wonder dog.
Gordie Mouw
Director, Network Relations
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Gordie Mouw
Gordy supports and leverages the work of SFI Implementation Committees and SFI-certified organizations across the US and Canada to demonstrate the impact of sustainably managed forests and community engagement. Prior to joining SFI, he led certification efforts for Stora Enso, New Page and Verso with chain-of-custody, fiber sourcing and forest management certifications. Gordy is a graduate of Michigan Technological University School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science. He lives in northern Wisconsin and enjoys hunting, fishing, and making maple syrup.
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