2026 SPEAKERS
Click on the speakers’ names to learn more. Check back often as more speakers are confirmed!
Kathy Abusow
CEO
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Kathy Abusow
Dr. Alexis Achim
Canada Research Chair in Sylviculture Adapted to Climate Change
University of Laval
Dr. Alexis Achim
Alexis Achim is a full professor at Laval University’s Department of wood and forest sciences. As a leading figure in Canadian forestry, he holds the Canada Research Chair in Climate-Adapted Silviculture and serves as the Scientific Director of the Forêt Montmorency, the university’s teaching and research forest. His research expertise lies at the intersection of forestry and wood science, focusing specifically on climate-adapted silviculture, wood quality, and the use of forest remote sensing to model the effects of environmental changes on tree growth. Beyond his teaching and administrative roles, Professor Achim is involved in large-scale research initiatives, most notably as the principal investigator of the Silva21 project, a pan-Canadian effort dedicated to adapting forest management practices to global changes. He previously served as the director of Laval University’s Renewable Materials Research Centre from 2017 to 2022 and has been recognized globally for his impact. In recognition of his contributions to the profession, he was named “Forest Engineer of the Year 2022” by the Ordre des ingénieurs forestiers du Québec. Professor Achim’s work also bridges the gap between traditional silviculture and modern technology; his laboratory was instrumental in developing the “lidR” R package, a software tool now widely used by the international community for analyzing airborne laser scanning data. Before joining the faculty at Laval University in 2007, he gained international experience as a researcher in tree biomechanics and wood science at Forest Research in Edinburgh, UK.
Michael Berger
Secretary General/CEO
Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification
Michael Berger
Samuel Bourque
Manager Certification
Domtar
Samuel Bourque
Experienced Certification Coordinator with a demonstrated history of working in the paper & forest products industry. Skilled in Environmental Compliance, Environmental Issues, Water Quality, Environmental Policy, and Environmental Monitoring. Strong information technology professional with a Baccalauréat focused in Sciences biologiques et écologiques from Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.
Andi Colnes
Deputy Director & Climate Fellow
New England Forestry Foundation
Andi Colnes
Andrea serves as the Deputy Director of the New England Forestry Foundation where she focuses on high leverage, high impact climate solutions based on the management and protection of New England’s forests. NEFF’s work is focused on implementing the “30% Solution” where Exemplary Forest management combined with forest protection and building with wood can realize 30% of New England’s 2050 carbon reduction goals. These efforts have been recognized as a way to advance forest-based natural climate solutions at home and as a national and global model. This work builds on NEFF’s long track record of demonstrating and implementing excellent forestry alongside forest conservation across New England. Previously, Andrea served as the Director for Global Green Bank Development at the Coalition for Green Capital (CGC) where she lead efforts to bring the Green Bank model to developing countries to scale up climate finance in support of national climate goals. She led CGCs efforts to support development of the Development Bank of Southern Africa’s new $150 million USD Climate Finance Facility, worked with the Government of Rwanda to launch a new Green Bank, with the African Development Bank to scope multiple Green Bank opportunities in Africa, and numerous other projects. Andrea has led strategic campaigns focused on energy, large-scale land conservation, and sustainable forestry over a 30-year career and served as the founding Executive Director of the Northern Forest Alliance, the Energy Action Network and directed national policy and atmospheric carbon research for the Biomass Energy Resource Center. Andrea holds a BA in Political Science from Williams College and Master’s in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Maine.
Anthony Daniel
Planning Advisor, Biologist
Ville de Montréal
Anthony Daniel
I bring 25 years of experience in urban forestry, including 20 years with the City of Montreal. My role focuses on designing strategies and implementing concrete actions to strengthen and enhance Montreal’s urban forest. I develop programs, policies, and regulations, while leading awareness campaigns and building strategic partnerships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders. I represent the City at major events to support innovative initiatives and showcase the expertise developed by our team. One of our flagship achievements is Montreal’s approach to mitigating the impact of the emerald ash borer: widely recognized as a success, it prevented a costly surge in ash tree mortality, unlike what occurred in many municipalities across Quebec and Ontario.
Kendall DeLyser Roney
Senior Director, Forest Climate Science
American Forests
Kendall DeLyser Roney
Kendall DeLyser Roney manages American Forests’ forest climate science projects and serves as the organization’s technical expert on forests, carbon and climate change. Kendall 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 and SFI-certified partners in applying climate-smart forestry research to inform policy development and forest management planning. Before joining American Forests, Kendall worked on carbon offset project research and policy recommendations for climate-smart land use and also researched successful forest restoration techniques in Costa Rica. She 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.
Christine Earnshaw
Lead, GCCC
Tree Canada
Christine Earnshaw
In 2017, she co-founded Tree Fest Ottawa, a community-based nonprofit organization that raises awareness of Ottawa’s urban forest through initiatives such as large-format photography exhibits and annual tree festivals. Recently, she was a Project Lead at SOUL, the Canadian Society for Organic Urban Landcare where she led the establishment of SOUL’s Greener Greenspaces program.
With a Master’s degree in Geography and Northern Studies, Christine is passionate about the natural world and public spaces and is actively involved in a community initiative to co-steward an ecologically significant park in her neighbourhood.
Sidney Filippis
Director of Design
Sterling Solutions
Sidney Filippis
As a licensed architect, Sidney has had the opportunity to actualize clients goals, working closely with them from the initial idea to the opening day. She has experience on projects as small as custom furniture design and as large as 1 million square feet. She believes architecture and design is more than the building shown on the drawings: it is also the branding, the details, the graphics, and the social impact. Prior to her role as Director of Design at Sterling Structural, she was project architect on an 8-story mass timber mixed use building, slated to start construction early 2025. She currently is adjunct faculty at Lawrence Tech University teaching a mass timber graduate design studio.
Paige Goff
VP Sustainability, Strategic Partnerships & Engagement
Domtar
Paige Goff
Paige Goff is Vice President of Sustainability, Partnerships & Engagement at Domtar, a leading privately held manufacturer of diversified forest products, including pulp, paper, packaging, tissue, and wood products. In this role, Goff leads the communication of Domtar’s key sustainability and business initiatives across internal and external stakeholder communities. She also develops and oversees strategic partnerships with environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) and leads sustainability communications for Domtar’s customers. As head of the company’s Strategic Partnerships and Engagement team, Goff manages a broad portfolio that includes stakeholder relations, partnerships, engagement, education, and monitoring. Goff joined Domtar in 2004 and has more than 26 years of experience in the forest products industry.
Dr. Alemu Gonsamo
Associate Professor, Earth, Environment & Society
McMaster University
Dr. Alemu Gonsamo
Dr. Alemu Gonsamo is an Associate Professor of Remote Sensing and the Associate Director of the McMaster Centre for Climate Change at McMaster University. He serves on the Board of Editors for the prestigious peer-reviewed journal Science and is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research. In his Remote Sensing Lab at McMaster University, Dr. Gonsamo and his team develop advanced satellite-based tools to monitor and understand Earth’s land ecosystems amid global changes. By combining satellite data with mechanistic models, they investigate how changes in land use, forest disturbances, and climate variability affect forest ecosystems and how these changes, in turn, influence the atmosphere through the carbon cycle. A highlight of their work is the creation of Canada’s first comprehensive map of land-based carbon stocks, which was showcased at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). His lab’s recent research leverages advancements in machine learning and satellite and aerial observation technologies to study forest ecosystems, biomass changes, and the biophysical effects of climate and land use changes on the environment.
David Graham
President, Weyerhaeuser Company Limited
and SFI Board Vice Chair
David Graham
David Graham was appointed to the role of President, Weyerhaeuser Company Limited in January 2022. David has held executive and operating leadership roles with Weyerhaeuser since 1992. His career with Weyerhaeuser has taken he and his family across Western Canada and the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Prior to his most recent appointment he served as Vice President of Human Resources, Vice President of Oriented Strand business, and several other leadership positions in the Pulp, Paper, Engineered Wood, and Wood Products organizations. David’s experience includes supporting various international businesses with Weyerhaeuser in Europe, South America, and Asia. He is active on various industry and sector associations including Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) and Board Member for Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Alberta Forest Products Association (AFPA) and previously with the Council of Forest Industries (COFI). He received his Bachelor of Science in Engineering from the University of Alberta in 1991.
Catherine Grenier
President and CEO, Nature Conservancy Canada
and SFI Board Member
Catherine Grenier
As head of Canada’s leading national land conservation organization, Catherine oversees partnerships with individuals, corporations, foundations, Indigenous communities, non-profit organizations, and governments at all levels to protect the country’s most important natural treasures. The Nature Conservancy Canada is a longstanding SFI partner collaborating on numerous projects including conserving aquatic ecosystems, protecting bat populations, engaging youth in forest conservation, and supporting Project Learning Tree Canada’s Green Jobs for youth. Catherine also serves on SFI’s Education Operating Committee, the PLT advisory group.
An award-winning leader, Catherine has held executive positions with some of Canada’s foremost nature conservation organizations. Prior to joining NCC, Grenier served as Vice President for national park operations with Sépaq, the Quebec government agency that manages parks and wildlife reserves. Catherine mobilized the Sépaq team to generate an increase of more than 40% in visits to the province’s parks network. She has also held senior roles with Parks Canada. Among her achievements there, she led the process to create Canada’s first national urban park, in Toronto’s Rouge Valley.
Her passion for community building and conservation was recognized in 2016 with an Award of Excellence from the Canadian Parks Council and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.
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.
James Hallworth, RPF
Senior Forestry Specialist
Preferred by Nature
James Hallworth, RPF
James is a Senior Forestry Specialist with Preferred by Nature and a Registered Professional Forester in Ontario, Canada, bringing over 12 years of experience in forest certification and resource management. He currently serves as the technical lead for SFI Forest Management (FM) and Fiber Sourcing (FS) services, and as a lead auditor for sustainability certifications across North America. In addition to his technical work, James supports SFI business development and marketing initiatives.
Ross Holbrook
Sustainability Manager
Forest Investment Associates
Ross Holbrook
Ross serves as sustainability manager for Forest Investment Associates (FIA), a specialist investment manager with more than 38 years of timberland investment experience helping clients around the world grow value through investing in sustainable forestry. He works across the growing scope of FIA’s sustainability programs, including the implementation of the firm’s ESG and impact roadmap. He also works with investment and forestry operations staff on ESG integration to ensure continual improvement, and is a member of the Business Development and Sustainability Team.
His career started in exploration geology, working in remote areas with traditional communities, where he was exposed to a variety of natural resources, sustainability, social impact, and other ESG considerations and opportunities. Prior to FIA, he managed a boutique sustainability, business development, regulatory, and natural resources-focused consultancy for a diverse client base throughout the United States, Latin America, and Europe. Ross earned his BS in Geology & Environmental Geosciences from College of Charleston; MBA from the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University; and masters of international management from IAE Paris Sorbonne Business School.
Shenandoah Johns
Chief Environment and Sustainability Officer
West Fraser Timber
Shenandoah Johns
Shenandoah Johns is a senior strategic leader and lawyer who has spent over 25 years helping some of Canada’s largest natural resources companies navigate complex challenges. Currently serving as Chief Environment & Sustainability Officer at West Fraser Mills, Shenandoah leads sustainability strategy, climate initiatives, and environmental compliance and best practices. She chairs the Sustainability Steering Committee and co-chairs the President’s Diversity Council, bringing a combination of principled leadership and practical problem-solving to everything she does. Before joining West Fraser, Shenandoah held progressive leadership roles at Suncor Energy. She started her career in private practice law before discovering she preferred building teams and driving transformational change to billing hours. A Harvard Business School leadership program alumna, Shenandoah serves on the Board of Directors for the Treated Wood Council. When she’s not working on sustainability road maps or mentoring the next generation of leaders, in collaboration with great people and strong coffee, Shenandoah is a proud mother of six: Rachel, Rebecca, Sophia, Isobelle, Evangeline, and Sam. Her children, all able to vote, have chosen a diversity of paths she’d like to attribute to the careful upbringing she and her husband Vince provided, but more likely reflects growing up in a cheerfully chaotic household.
Charleen Kotiuga
Advisor, Programs Outreach – Community Canopies with the Green Municipal Fund
Charleen Kotiuga
Corby Lamb
Manager
Kitasoo Forestry Company
Corby Lamb
Dan Lambe
Chief Executive, Arbor Day Foundation
and SFI Board Chair
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.
James Lane, RPF
Manager, Natural Heritage and Forestry
York Region, The Regional Municipality of York
James Lane, RPF
Chief Stephen Angus McComber
Chief (Ratsénhaienhs – Male Chief in Kanien’kéha (Mohawk))
Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke
Chief Stephen Angus McComber
Stephen holds several critical portfolios focused on community sustainability and cultural preservation. In July 2025, he was appointed to lead the Tourism portfolio, drawing on his decades of cultural engagement to welcome visitors to the community. Beyond his political role, McComber is widely recognized as a Traditional Haudenosaunee Knowledge Keeper. He is deeply committed to preserving traditional agricultural practices.
Pete Madden
President & CEO
US Endowment for Forestry and Communities
Pete Madden
Pete joined the Endowment in February 2020 as President based in Greenville, SC eventually taking on the role of President and CEO in November of 2020. Pete has worked in the forest industry for over 30 years in land management, procurement, business development, finance, acquisitions & divestitures, renewable energy and supply chain logistics.
Pete is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Drax Biomass Inc. In this role, he oversaw the company’s global supply chain operations that included the construction and start up of several manufacturing facilities and an export terminal in the Southern United States.
Pete graduated in 1988 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Marlboro College in Vermont. He also earned a Master of Science in Forestry and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of New Hampshire.
Pete began his career as a forest technician in 1988 with the Westvaco Corporation in South Carolina. In 1992, he joined Georgia-Pacific Corporation where he held various positions including operations manager, procurement manager and senior financial analyst.
In 2001, Pete joined Plum Creek Timber Company and held several key positions including director of financial planning, manager of construction materials, senior resource manager, director of regional marketing, vice president of operations support, and most recently as vice president, renewable energy and supply chain.
He previously served on the board of directors for Keweenah Land Association and the Biomass R&D Technical Advisory Committee for the Department of Energy.
Pete also has previously served as Chairman of the Advisory Board for the University of Georgia’s Center for Forest Business, Forest History Society, Southeastern Wood Producers Association, Michigan Forest Products Council and the Michigan Renewable Fuels Commission. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Working Forest Initiative.
His interests outside of friends and family are hiking, fishing as well as tennis and golf.
Jackson Morrill
President & CEO
American Wood Council
Jackson Morrill
Jackson has over 25 years of experience working as a lawyer and trade association representative. He was previously the President of the Composite Panel Association, which represents manufacturers of composite wood panels. He also worked at the American Chemistry Council, practiced environmental law at Beveridge & Diamond, and served as an environmental law consultant at the World Bank. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and Tulane Law School and is admitted to the Maryland and District of Columbia bars. AWC is the voice of North American wood products manufacturing, an industry that provides over 450,000 men and women in the United States with family-wage jobs. AWC represents 87 percent of the structural wood products industry. Our members make products that are essential to everyday life that are derived from a renewable resource that absorbs and sequesters carbon for many decades. Our staff experts develop state-of-the-art engineering data, technology, and standards for wood products to ensure their safe and efficient design, as well as provide information on wood design, green building, and environmental regulations. AWC also advocates for balanced government policies that affect wood products. www.awc.org | @woodcouncil
Derek Nighbor
President and CEO
Forest Products Association of Canada
Derek Nighbor
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.
Brijpal Patel
Chief Program Officer
Tree Canada
Brijpal Patel
Brijpal Patel joined Tree Canada as Chief Program Officer (CPO) in September 2024.
In this role as CPO, Brijpal is responsible for the oversight and successful implementation of Tree Canada’s reforestation, restoration and greening projects, in both rural and urban settings.
Brijpal started his change-making journey as a young environmental leader in India. During his schooling years, he mobilized students to stop the City administration from cutting down a 100-year-old mango tree that provided shelter and food to both animals and humans. Since then, he has deepened his passion, gaining over 20 years of progressive leadership experience in the design and delivery of significant programs on climate change, natural resource management, and child and youth development.
In his previous leadership roles at Right To Play and the Center for Environment Education, Brijpal demonstrated strategic and operational leadership to deepen organizational impact and create operational efficiencies. At Right To Play, he provided program leadership and developed two new innovative program pathways of technical assistance and digital programs. He believes in the power of partnership to create change and has nurtured strategic relationships with all levels of governments, foundations, the private sector, academic and peer organizations, and UN organizations.
With his lived and professional experience in over 20 countries, Brijpal understands the complex interactions and relationships between culture and environmental sustainability. He believes that celebrating diversity and ensuring inclusion for everyone is at the heart of creating a sustainable future. Brijpal lives in Toronto with his wife and two children.
Stephane Pressault
Project Officer, Capacity Development – Community Canopies with the Green Municipal Fund
Stephane Pressault
After completing his M.A. in Public Ethics, Stephane worked on community building projects across Canada. He’s organised community resilience worshops, civic education trainings, and participatory placemaking initiatives.
Over the years, Stephane has collaborated on various projects with the Canadian Council of Muslim Women, the Simon Fraser University’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, the Indigenous Heritage Circle, the Heritage and Cultural Society of Africa Foundation, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the Inspirit Foundation, Just Food, Islamic Family & Social Services Association, World Heritage USA and more. Between 2020 and 2022, he served as the Executive Director of Canadian National Committee for the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS Canada).
In 2023, Stephane received his Permaculture Design Certification from Zaytuna College in Berkeley, CA. He established Fitra.Earth, a community hub dedicated to cultivating both the spirit and the soil.
Shannon Rawn
General Manager
Miitigoog Forest Management Company Inc.
Shannon Rawn
Yvonne Ritchie
Advisor, Capacity Development – Community Canopies with the Green Municipal Fund
Yvonne Ritchie
Marie-Michèle Rousseau-Clair
Chief Conservation Officer
Nature Conservancy of Canada
Marie-Michèle Rousseau-Clair
Marie-Michèle Rousseau-Clair holds a bachelor’s degree in biology, a master’s degree in land use planning and project management, and a specialized graduate diploma in management and sustainable development. With almost 20 years of experience developing and promoting best conservation mechanisms and practices, Marie-Michèle is responsible for developing strategic conservation directions for the Nature Conservancy of Canada based on the best available tools, evidence and knowledge. Her career path has allowed her to acquire unique knowledge and experience to become a leader in conservation in Canada.
Peter Stein
Managing Director
The Lyme Timber Company
Peter Stein
Peter joined Lyme in 1990 and has significant experience in conservation-oriented forestland and rural land purchases and dispositions. Peter develops conservation sale strategies on properties being evaluated or managed by Lyme and also leads Lyme’s conservation advisory business. Prior to his career with LTC Partners and Lyme, Peter was Senior Vice President of the Trust for Public Land where he directed conservation real estate acquisitions in the Northeast and Midwest. Peter lectures frequently at graduate schools and professional conferences on conservation investment structures and strategies. Peter serves on the Investment Committee of Sustainable Land Management Partners’ US focused agricultural land investment fund. He also serves on the advisory boards of the Appalachian Mountain Club, Rose Smart Growth Real Estate Fund No. 1, Upstream Technology, and Quantified Ventures. Peter is the co-founder of the Conservation Finance Network and the International Land Conservation Network. In addition, he is a former Board Chair of the Land Trust Alliance, served as a founding Commissioner of the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. Peter earned a B.A. with Highest Honors from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1975 and was a Loeb Fellow and received a Certificate in Advanced Environmental Studies from Harvard University in 1981.
Pete Stewart
President and CEO
ResourceWise
Pete Stewart
Pete Stewart is a 32-year veteran of the forest products industry. In 2000, he founded Forest2Market, the only transaction-based wood fiber pricing service in the industry. Two decades later, Forest2Market has grown into a leading provider of wood raw material pricing data and supply chain expertise to the forest products industry worldwide.
In 2019, when Battery Ventures partnered with Forest2Market and Fisher International, Stewart—a long-time trusted advisor to the executive management of major pulp and paper and other forest products companies globally—became President and CEO of both firms. Following the acquisition of Tecnon OrbiChem in 2020, Stewart expanded his role as CEO of all three companies, which were subsequently rebranded as ResourceWise.
Under Stewart’s leadership, ResourceWise continued to grow, acquiring Wood Resources International and PRIMA Markets in 2022, broadening its global reach in wood fiber pricing and expertise in biofuels and low-carbon feedstocks. In 2023, ResourceWise further expanded its portfolio with the acquisition of Chemical Intelligence, strengthening its position in the chemical markets.
As the CEO of ResourceWise, Stewart identifies acquisition opportunities and works tirelessly to integrate new price-reporting companies and their employees into the ResourceWise family and culture. A Texas native, Stewart holds a BS in Forestry from Texas A&M and an MS in Economics from the University of Georgia.
Kirsten Vice
Senior VP, Sustainability and Canadian Operations
NCASI
Kirsten Vice
Sylvia Wood
Director of Science
Habitat
Sylvia Wood
Sylvia (Ph.D.) has a doctorate in geography and a master’s degree in forest ecology (M.Sc.). She uses ecosystem services modeling in urban, peri-urban, and agricultural landscapes as a decision-making tool and to assess the contribution of ecosystems to community well-being.
Chris Woodall
Director of US Forest Science and Policy
CTrees
Chris Woodall
SFI Staff Moderators
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.
Greg Cooper
Director, Conservation Implementation
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Greg Cooper
Meagan “Meg” Hanna
Director of Urban and Community Forestry for Canada
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Meagan “Meg” Hanna
Meg is working with a network of urban and community forestry leaders to establish the new SFI Urban and Community Forest Improvement Program. Part of her work involves promoting certification to the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard with municipalities, Indigenous communities, underserved communities, health care institutions, school campuses, and corporations. Meg also supports the SFI Career Pathways Program in Canada to increase green job opportunities for all in the urban forestry and forestry sectors. Meg holds a joint honours Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts from McGill University as well as a certificate in horticulture and green space management from Laval University. She is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Board Certified Master Arborist, has completed the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification, and has been volunteering for over a decade for the ISA and its local chapter in Quebec. Meg served on the standards committee for the complete revision of Quebec’s standards in arboriculture and horticulture BNQ 0605.
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.
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.
Ken Price
SFI Forest Certification Consultant for First Nations
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Ken Price
Ken works to expand SFI certification among Indigenous communities and businesses. He provides supports to Indigenous communities, businesses, and partnerships that enable them to successfully certify their forests and forest operations to the SFI Standards—and ultimately advance their unique self-determined forest-related priorities.
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