Kendall DeLyser
Senior Director, Forest 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. Linda Nagel
Dean and Professor
Utah State University
Dr. Linda Nagel
Linda Nagel is co-lead for the Adaptive Silviculture for Climate Change Network (ASCC) aimed at bringing together forest practitioners and scientists to co-develop adaptive forest management practices in the face of climate change. This high-impact research and outreach project is translating climate adaptation theory into practice, with 14 research sites across North America, and includes over 200 partners. Linda is currently Professor and Dean of the S.J. and Jessie E. Quinney College of Natural Resources at Utah State University. She previously served on the faculty at Michigan Technological University, the University of Minnesota where she was also Director of the Cloquet Forestry Center and the Hubachek Wilderness Research Center, and Colorado State University where she was Department Head. She will be returning to the University of Minnesota this summer as the Forest Resources Department Head. She has received awards for teaching excellence, efforts toward inclusive excellence in natural resources, outreach and service to forestry professionals including the National Advanced Silviculture Program for the United States Forest Service, and leadership of the ASCC Network for its contributions and broad impact to forest science and management.
Robert Perschel
Senior Advisor
New England Forestry Foundation
Robert Perschel
Robert (Bob) Perschel joined NEFF in April 2012. Previously Bob was the Eastern region director for the Forest Stewards Guild. In his 40 years as an environmental professional, he has worked on forestry, large landscape conservation, and wilderness issues. Bob worked for the forest industry before establishing his own forestry consulting business and founding the Land Ethic Institute. He is an original co-founder of the Forest Stewards Guild. Bob has a master’s degree in forestry from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and a psychology degree from Yale College.
Sean Ross
Managing Director
The Lyme Timber Company
Sean Ross
Sean leads the development of forest management goals and objectives and forest management plans, secures and oversees third party forest certification, and ensures that forest management complies with applicable forest management plans, conservations easements, and investment objectives on Lyme’s holdings. In addition, Sean engages in forest policy discussions in the various states where Lyme has operations. Prior to joining Lyme, Sean worked as a consulting forester, directing forest inventory projects and managing timber harvesting operations, as well as purchasing standing timber and selling logs. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Empire State Forest Products Association, the Pennsylvania Forest Products Association, and the Northern Forest Center. He is also a member of the Society of American Foresters and Forest Stewards Guild. Sean earned a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Vermont in 1997.
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
Greg plays a central role in SFI’s conservation program by supporting the continual improvement of conservation practices and outcomes. He provides sophisticated technical and scientific expertise, specifically relating to forest ecology, forest management, climate change mitigation and adaptation, fire resilience, and biodiversity. Greg also works to foster and grow the reach of the SFI Conservation Impact Project and the SFI Conservation Impact Workshop. His strong background in conservation includes a proven track record of implementing climate-informed forestry practices. Greg has developed and implemented science-based management practices focused on using climate-informed techniques to support resilient, biodiverse forests. He holds a Master of Environmental Management and a Master of Forestry from Duke University.
Dr. Francesco Cortini
Director, Conservation, Research and Practices
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
Dr. Francesco Cortini
Francesco works to integrate science and innovation into sustainable forestry initiatives that support resilient ecosystems and communities. He is passionate about leveraging research and partnerships to address critical knowledge gaps around climate change, biodiversity conservation, and forest resilience. Francesco has over two decades of experience in forestry research, sustainable forest management, and conservation science, developed in Canada and internationally. Francesco is a Registered Professional Forester and has a PhD in Forest Biology and Management from the University of Alberta.
