Cara Boucher
Lansing, Michigan
State Forester, Forest Management
Michigan Department of Natural Resources
Ms. Boucher, a veteran of the Michigan DNR, is an expert in long-term forest resource health and sustainability with a focus on systemic functional policies, processes and procedures. She has worked in urban and community forestry, as well as private, cooperative, and state forest management programs. She has received many conservation awards for her work in forestry.

Daniel Keathley (Past Chair)
East Lansing, Michigan
Professor, Forest Genetics, Department of Horticulture
Michigan State University
Dr. Keathley's research focuses on the use of molecular genetics to quantify genetic variation in natural populations of trees and on the development of genetically improved lines of commercially important tree species. He serves on the board of the Michigan Forest Resource Alliance, on the Michigan Forest Management Advisory Council and is a member of the Michigan Forest Products Council.

Donna LaCourt , Ph. D.
Marquette, Michigan
Sector Development Manager
Michigan Economic Development Corporation
Dr. LaCourt, formerly Michigan's State Forester, has an extensive background in forest environmental issues. She currently provides technical support to economic development initiatives related to bioenergy and biofuels, with an emphasis on projects that utilize woody and other forms of biomass.

Warren Suchovsky
Stephenson, Michigan
Founder and Co-Owner
Suchovsky Logging, LLC
In over 50 years in logging, Mr. Suchovsky has come from handsaws and horse skidding to cut-to-length. A former Michigan and Midwest Outstanding Tree Farmer, he has been involved with many forestry and natural resource organizations, both in-state and nationally, including Michigan Society of American Foresters, Michigan Forest Product Council, Michigan Forest Association and Michigan Forest Finance Authority. He and his son now operate Suchovsky Logging, a small Michigan Certified Master Logger company.

Amy (Spray) Trotter
Lansing, Michigan
Resource Policy Manager and
Michigan OutofDoors University Manager
Michigan United Conservation Clubs
Ms. Trotter works to advance MUCC’s conservation policy agenda by working with state agencies and legislators, as well as developing educational workshops and information for MUCC members. She serves on numerous state-level boards and committees related to forest and habitat management, recreation, and wildlife. Her main areas of policy focus are related to hunting and trapping, accessible recreation and ORV’s, wildlife disease and nuisance wildlife management; habitat management, protecting Michigan’s sportsmen’s heritage, private land conservation practices, and land resource-based industries. Prior to joining MUCC in 2007, Amy was a Consultant for Natural Resources at Public Sector Consultants, a non-partisan public policy research firm in Lansing.

David Wright
Caledonia, Michigan
Small Forest Landowner
Michigan Forest Association
An expert in marketing and planning, Mr. Wright has had a long career consulting for and leading top tier corporations in the transportation and oil sectors. A proven innovator, negotiator, strategist and driver of corporate growth, he is now vice president of the Michigan Forest Association, president of the Michigan Forest Foundation board, and board member of Michigan Wood Energy, among forestry organizations.

Wayne Brandt
Duluth, Minnesota
Executive Vice President
Minnesota Forest Industries and Minnesota Timber Producers Association
Mr. Brandt, formerly president of the Iron Mining Association of Minnesota, has managed two re-election campaigns for Minnesota congressman Jim Oberstar, served as a field representative for Seafarers International Union and has been on numerous forestry and natural resource committees in the public and private sectors. He is currently a gubernatorial appointee to the Minnesota Forest Resources Council and chair of the Forest Industries Association Council.

Alan Ek
St. Paul, Minnesota
Professor/Department Head, Department of Forest Resources
University of Minnesota
The author of numerous research and technical papers on forest growth modeling, inventory design, resource analysis, and planning, Dr. Ek has served with many forestry organizations including terms as chair of the SAF Forest Science and Technology Board, the USDA Forestry Research Advisory Council and Minnesota SAF State Policy Board. He is currently a gubernatorial appointee to the Minnesota Forest Resources Council.

David Epperly
St. Paul, Minnesota
State Forester, Division of Forestry
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Mr. Epperly's 30-year career in forestry includes cruising timber, working as a private forest consultant in Upper Michigan, as a contract forester with Mosinee Paper, and as forest administrator for Douglas County, Wisconsin. After a stint as St. Louis County's (Minnesota) land commissioner he was named Minnesota State Forester in 2005. In this post he aims to make the state’s excellent forest program sustainable into the future.

William Fleischman, Ph.D. (Secretary-Treasurer)
Duluth, Minnesota
Professor Emeritus, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
University of Minnesota - Duluth
After a career teaching in the Department of Sociology-Anthropology and coordinating the Criminology program at UMD, Dr. Fleischman embarked on research into the use and management of natural resources where he has worked with local state and federal agencies (including the Forest Service) USDA, the Finnish Forest and Park Service and the European Forest Institute specializing in Public Participation and Conflict Management in Natural Resources.

Mike Greenheck
Eagan, Minnesota
Forest Landowner and Founder
Gorman Creek Restoration Group
As manager of 3,000 private forestland acres and private forestland owner in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Mr. Greenheck recognizes the many issues facing private landowners. He is the Founder/President of Gorman Creek Restoration Group; an organization committed to preserving contiguous working forests. Mike serves on the American Forest Foundation National Committee and the State Tree Farm Committee and is a member of the Aldo Leopold Foundation, The Minnesota Forest Association, the Wabasha-Goodhue Forestry Committee, and other conservation organizations. Mike is also President of Nelson Cheese, a catering company in St. Paul.

Robert Krepps (Chair)
Duluth, Minnesota
Land Commissioner
St. Louis County
An SAF certified forester, Mr. Krepps spent 31 years in various federal forest service positions including Forest Technician, Resource Forester, Forest Public Affairs Officer, and principle assistant to the Forest Supervisor before becoming the Urban and Community Forestry Program Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Conservation. He served six years as the Missouri Forestry Division Administrator-State Forester.

Tom Croswell (Vice Chair)
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
General Manager
Clergue Forest Management, Inc.
Mr. Croswell, a long-time professional forester and forest manager, has extensive experience in forest management planning, certification, operations and silviculture. He has represented the industry in the development of Ontario provincial policy related to forest management planning and environmental guidelines. He is currently accountable for directing the business affairs of Clergue Forest Management, which manages Ontario's Algoma Forest.

Wayne Fiset
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Manager, Ontario Forest Research Institute
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
A veteran of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Mr. Fiset currently leads a sizable OMNR section that interacts with international, national and provincial governments as well as university and forest industry partners to develop and review research in support of sustainable management of Ontario's forests.

Rick Groves
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Forestry Services Manager
Abitibibowater, Inc.
After 15 years with the Ministry of Natural Resources all over Ontario, Mr. Groves became woodlands manager of Greenfield Oriented Strand Board in Wawa.  He joined Tembec as their chief forester for Ontario in Timmins until 2005 when he became forestry manager of Ontario Wood Products for AbibitiBowater in Thunder Bay where he is today.

Dr.  M.A. (Peggy) Smith
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Associate Professor, Natural Resources Management
Lakehead University
Dr. Smith’s major work has been on increasing Indigenous peoples' participation in forest management, initially as Senior Advisor to the National Aboriginal Forestry Association in Ottawa, Canada. She is an Associate Professor in Lakehead University’s Faculty of Natural Resources Management and a Registered Professional Forester. Her research focuses on the social impacts of forest management. She considers herself privileged to be a part of the growing number of people of Indigenous ancestry (Cree) who are working in the field of natural resources management, conservation and development.

Chris Walsh
Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Director, Forest Branch
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Mr. Walsh has been with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources for over twenty five years in progressively responsible positions. Former experience includes work as an area forester, Regional Senior Forest Advisor, Forest Industry Unit Supervisor, and Manager of the Forest Evaluation and Standards Section. Currently, Chris is the acting Director of Forests Branch and is responsible for the development of policies and programs to ensure the sustainable management of Ontario’s Crown forests.

Matt Dallman
Minocqua, Wisconsin
Director of Conservation for Northern Wisconsin
The Nature Conservancy
Formerly director of the Conservancy's work in the Chequamegon Bay Watershed, Mr. Dallman has been instrumental in the conservation of northern Wisconsin's most important lands and waters including more than 90,000 acres of ecologically significant working forests. He works with public, tribal and private partners to raise conservation funds, abate critical threats and develop strategies to prevent forest fragmentation, promote compatible development, and advance habitat conservation throughout the region.

Paul DeLong
Madison, Wisconsin
State Forester, Division of Forestry
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Mr. DeLong has been the state lands specialist for forestry, chief of the Forestry Support Section and deputy chief state forester. Before joining the DNR he worked as a mediator for the RESOLVE Center for Environmental Dispute Resolution and subsequently as a senior program officer for World Wildlife Fund. He holds a BS in forestry and a master's in natural resource policy from the University of Michigan.

Jerry Greenberg
Madison, Wisconsin
Senior Vice President, Conservation Solutions
American Forest Foundation
Mr. Greenberg leads American Forest Foundation’s efforts to help family forest owners across the country manage their lands sustainably while protecting water, wildlife habitat, and other ecological values. Prior to joining the AFF, Jerry worked for 16 years for The Wilderness Society, where he directed wilderness and other land protection campaigns in the organization’s 14 field offices. Before joining The Wilderness Society, Jerry was a public radio reporter in Los Angeles and a forester for the US Forest Service in New Mexico and for IT&T Rayonnier in Georgia. He has a Master of Forestry degree from Duke University. Jerry lives in Madison, Wisconsin with his wife, Diana, and son, Alex.

Earl Gustafson
Neenah, Wisconsin
Vice President, Energy, Forestry & Human Resources
Wisconsin Paper Council

Kenneth Maki
Hayward, Wisconsin
Chairman of the Board
Midwest Forest Products
A retired U.S. Navy Reserve Captain, Mr. Maki served four years active duty with the U.S. Navy, worked for the U.S. Forest Service and Proctor and Gamble Paper Products Company before co-founding Midwest Forest Products in 1977. Today the company produces and delivers 10,000 loads of processed pulpwood, chips, and bark, and debarks 200,000 tons of wood annually. Mr. Maki is a board member of the Forest Resources Association and Trees for Tomorrow and is a recipient of the Forest Resources Association Lake States Forestry Activist Award.

Jane Severt
Rhinelander, Wisconsin
Executive Director
Wisconsin County Forests Association
A former county forester and county forest administrator, and currently an owner of timberland, Ms. Severt heads WCFA, which represents the 29 counties in Wisconsin with county forests. Collectively these public forests amount to nearly 2.4 million acres, the state's largest public land base. She serves with over a dozen forestry associations including Wisconsin Council on Forestry and Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association.