WASHINGTON, D.C. – Monique Hanis has joined the Sustainable Forestry Initiative® Inc. (SFI® Inc.) as Vice President of Marketing and Communications & COO to lead efforts to further SFI brand recognition through the promotion of SFI’s sustainable forestry and responsible sourcing programs. She also assumes COO duties including managing financial and administrative operations for the independent, nonprofit organization.
“As we work toward greater adoption and recognition of the SFI program, Monique’s extensive branding, strategic marketing and media relations experience brings valuable vision and leadership to our team,”
SFI President and CEO Kathy Abusow said today. “Having just surpassed a milestone of 200 million acres (81 million hectares) certified sustainably managed forests, we are excited to build on this growth with Monique’s experience in marketing communications as well as in financial and administrative management.”
“Typically, customers, governments and consumers prefer wood, paper and packaging products that are produced from responsibly managed forests and we have a critical role making sure these options are made widely available and visible,” said Hanis. “I look forward to working with the SFI team, program participants and the thousands of organizations that look to SFI Inc. as a credible and respected program.”
Hanis assumes her new duties after more than 20 years managing the full range of marketing communications, from brand management and strategic business and consumer marketing to publishing, member communications and public relations for nonprofit trade associations. Previously, as director of communications for the Solar Energy Industries Association, she built public relations and marketing capacity in support of federal and state policy initiatives, managed the industry’s PR Committee and coordinated day-to-day press operations, including digital media and crisis communications. She held top strategic marketing roles at America’s Community Bankers, the Mortgage Bankers Association, and Independent Community Bankers Association, that also included managing revenue-generating publishing operations.
Hanis is on the board of directors of the Washington, D.C.-metro chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators, now in her third year. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics andFrench from Rutgers University and her masters in international management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management with a concentration in finance and French.
She will oversee strategic marketing of the SFI program, press relations, digital media as well as financial and administrative operations of the organization. She will serve as liaison to the SFI Resources Committee and manage SFI’s Communications Committee. She can be reached at monique.hanis@SFIprogram.org and 202-596-3457.
ABOUT SFI
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® (SFI) advances sustainability through forest-focused collaborations. We are an independent, nonprofit organization that leverages four interconnected pillars of work: standards, conservation, community, and education. SFI works with the forest sector, conservation groups, academics, researchers, brand owners, resource professionals, landowners, educators, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and governments. Collaborating with our network, we leverage SFI-certified forests and products as powerful tools to help solve sustainability challenges such as climate action, conservation of biodiversity, education of future generations, and sustainable economic development.
MEDIA CONTACT
Christine Leduc
VP, Communications and Government Relations
Sustainable Forestry Initiative
613-706-1114
media@forests.org
