News Archives - North American Forest Foundation

North American Forest Foundation Welcomes New Board Member, Terry Haddix

Collierville, Tennessee, Oct 15, 2025 – The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) is excited to introduce our newest board member— Terry Haddix

Please join us in welcoming Terry Haddix, Operations & Strategic Accounts Manager for Nova USA Wood Products, to our board of directors!

I’ve spent more than 30 years in the wood products industry, building a career that spans operations management, sales support, logistics, and process optimization. Today I serve as Strategic Accounts Manager at Nova USA Wood Products, where I focus on relationship building and sustainment, relevant industry involvement, and A&D outreach and product knowledge initiatives.

My experience covers wholesale distribution, remanufacturing, sales, and compliance, as well as domestic and international logistics, ERP and inventory flow systems, third-party warehousing, and value-added manufacturing. Over the years, I’ve led cross-functional teams, managed accounts, and implemented process improvements and technology solutions to drive efficiency.

Education and industry engagement have always been central to my work. I have developed internal learning opportunities and built educational programs from scratch for several industry groups. I currently serve on the board of the Portland Wholesale Lumber Association (PWLA) and as President of Oregon Women in Lumber (OWL). I also teach the Transportation & Logistics module for NAWLA’s Wood Basics course and have guest lecture at Oregon State University’s College of Forestry, where I serve on the Wood Innovation for Sustainability advisory board (and am also a current student at OSU).

Outside of work, my family and I volunteer with Wilsonville Royal Family Kids, where I serve on the Leadership Team supporting summer camp experiences for children in the foster system.

At the heart of my career is a passion for connecting people with the wood products industry—whether through education, collaboration, or clear, science-based communication. I believe that sustainable forestry and forest products are essential not only to our industry’s success, but to everyday life and a healthy global economy.

About North American Forest Foundation

The North American Forest Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit on a mission to nurture the next generation through education, changing hearts and minds about sustainable forestry and wood products, for good. Because helping kids become #exTREEmelysmart cultivates a healthier future for them, the industry, and the planet.

North American Forest Foundation Welcomes New Board Member, Adam Duplisea

Collierville, Tennessee, Oct 15, 2025 – The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) is excited to introduce our newest board member—Adam Duplisea

Please join us in welcoming Adam Duplisea, Vice President of Sales-North America for Nyle Dry Kilns, to our board of directors!

My name is Adam Duplisea, and I am in my fourth year with Nyle Dry Kilns. I started as Sales Manager for the Northeast and in 2024 was promoted to Vice President of Sales for North America. In this role, I work with mills across North America, providing dry kiln solutions to support their operations. Prior to joining Nyle, I spent 13 years in the transportation and logistics industry. Since 2022, I have served on the board of the Western Hardwood Association, helping to promote and support the hardwood industry. Outside of work, I enjoy playing golf, traveling, spending time with my wife and kids, and being involved in my kids’ sports programs.

About North American Forest Foundation

North American Forest Foundation Welcomes New Board Member, Brian Conklin

Orange, CA June 10, 2025 – The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) is excited to introduce our newest board member—Brian Conklin from Gutchess Lumber

Please join us in welcoming Brian Conklin to our Board of Directors!

Brian started his career in the industry in 1994 at Matson Lumber. He went on to Gutchess Lumber in 2009 and worked his way up to Executive Vice President and VP of Sales/Marketing in 2020. He was appointed to their board of directors in 2023. His passion for the industry runs deep!

Brian also served on the Board for Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers Inc. from 2018 to 2023.

Always endeavoring to improve his skills and knowledge, he’s also a certified lumber grader, attended Sandler Sales Training in 2006, and Vistage CEO Leadership Training in 2022. He also recently started the new Hardwood Advantage podcast, with co-host Noah Barber, to shine the spotlight on all that’s happening in the Hardwood industry.

Brian is married with two daughters and enjoys golf, hunting and fishing, and the great outdoors.

If you’re not already, connect with Brian on Linkedin.

Interested parties can learn more by contacting Allison DeFord at adeford@northamericanforestfoundation.org, or by visiting NAFF’s website.

About North American Forest Foundation

Missouri Forest Products Association makes Donation to NAFF

Partners in Educating the Next Generation: Missouri Forest Products Association and North American Forest Foundation

The wood flooring or furniture purchased today does more than beautify a home. It helps to promote healthy forests now and in the future because the health–and existence–of future forests depends on a thriving market for wood products. Establishing that market and keeping the forests vibrant and productive involves the efforts of many voices and groups working together.

The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) and the Missouri Forest Products Association (MFPA) are two of these groups. At the North American Forest Foundation, we use education to reach the next generation and help them understand the value of sustainable forestry and why it’s good to choose wood. We also like to showcase the educational activities of other organizations and share ideas that companies and organizations can adopt as they reach out to the next generation of wood product workers and consumers.

The MFPA promotes the value of forest management and forest product utilization through education and advocacy to help create more, better, and new domestic markets for wood products. And like NAFF, they emphasize educating youth. Recently, MFPA spent $20,000 of their education budget to purchase 200 Truth About Trees kits which will be distributed to schools throughout Missouri as part of their ongoing educational program. We want young people to know “using wood is good and cutting trees is not bad” says MFPA Executive Director, Brian Brookshire. A combination of activities–classroom materials, hands-on games, and a professional magic show–help MFPA reach kids with educational information they aren’t getting anywhere else.

Little Trees in a Big Forest

Written for kids, this book traces the life of a tree from seedling to the point where it becomes a bench. Targeted for fourth graders, but appropriate for various ages, these books are distributed in conjunction with the Truth About Trees kits to classrooms in schools statewide.

Supersize hardwood Jenga games

Forest facts appear on each of the six-inch long blocks that make up each custom-made kit MFPA donates to schools. Illustrating the diversity of Missouri wood, the blocks are made of 10 different hardwood species native to the state.

Marvelous Magical Tree Show

This professional magic show travels from school to school, combining professional magic with information that teaches students about wood products, carbon sequestration, and forestry. Presented at a school assembly, it touches hundreds of kids at a time across grades 4 through 6, with an extended reach as kids share what they learned with their families and others.

Recognizing the need for expanded wood product markets, the Missouri General Assembly has provided MFPA with grant funds in recent years that have supported these activities and enabled them to promote, advocate, and educate young people.

Reaching beyond the elementary school level, MFPA sponsors a tremendously successful Forestry Speaking Contest that helps high school students in Future Farmers of America develop their public speaking skills. MFPA members provide the topics and students prepare and present speeches. The final round of competition is presented at the MFPA annual conference to an audience of 120 or more and winners walk away with monetary prizes and refined speaking skills.

Open to FFA students in grades 9-12, the competition attracts around 40 participants each year. Brookshire says that the kids are sticking with it and they “routinely see kids come back year after year.” The students develop a deeper understanding of forestry along with valuable skills. For some, it sparks an interest in possible career direction.

Long-term forest management is vital; markets for wood products are necessary to support the forest management process. In addition to working closely with the Real American Hardwood Coalition to promote wood products and their use, MFPA is creating outreach materials and building a presence that goes beyond consumers to reach architects and designers who specify wood products in construction. Wood alternatives are made of non-renewable resources through processes that emit–rather than capture–carbon and often these products are not healthy for indoor air in the home.

The MFPA has branched out to join the ranks of exhibitors at the International Builders Show and the American Institute of Architecture meeting. “Wood is the environmental gold standard, “says Brookshire, “the best product to use for the betterment of the climate and the environment.

We’re working to ensure the long-term viability of forest land through educating youth and creating more and better markets for wood products.” What does this mean for you and your business or community? We all need to be involved in the betterment of the industry–and the planet. Use these ideas as a springboard for your own initiatives.

Working together we can make a difference. Learn more about MFPA activities at https://choosewood.com/ and find more educational resources and opportunities on our site. Want to talk, or need a hand brainstorming how to get the message out? Let’s talk.

North American Forest Foundation Welcomes New Board Member, Clay Miller

Collierville, Tennessee, Feb 19, 2025 – The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) is excited to introduce our newest board member—Clay Miller

Please join us in welcoming Clayton (Clay) Miller to our Board of Directors!

Clay leads the sales and purchasing functions of Aurora Timberland. Timberland is the hardwood lumber sales brand of Alexandria Moulding.

In addition to his sales role, he oversees the hardwood lumber purchasing of the Alexandria Moulding facilities in North America.

The Lewiston, NY native is a fifth-generation lumberman. Starting off in his family’s business, R.A. Miller Hardwood, not only fostered a deep love and understanding of the hardwood business to grow, but also an ardent passion for advocating for sustainability and educating the public on the incredible story of the hardwood lumber industry. Miller has been in his role for the past eight years.

If you’re not already, connect with Clay on Linkedin.

Interested parties can learn more by contacting Allison DeFord at adeford@northamericanforestfoundation.org, or by visiting NAFF’s website.

About North American Forest Foundation

North American Forest Foundation Welcomes New Board Member, Ellery Jones

Collierville, Tennessee, June 1, 2024 – The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) is excited to introduce our newest board member—Ellery Jones, Executive Director of Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association (MLMA)

The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) is excited to introduce Ellery Jones, Executive Director of Mississippi Lumber Manufacturers Association (MLMA).

Founded in 1954, MLMA is a professional trade association devoted to supporting the lumber manufacturers in Mississippi and industry professionals across the United States and Canada.

In her role, Ellery serves as the staff liaison to the MLMA Board of Directors. She oversees the management of the association’s programs, events, services, finances, and assets. Additionally, Ellery plays a key role in supporting the association’s government affairs endeavors and facilitates economic development initiatives within the lumber manufacturing sector.

As the Executive Director, she is dedicated to fostering and expanding relationships with both members and external partners.

Before joining MLMA in 2021, Ellery spent her career as a professional fundraiser in several non-profit organizations. Her experience with event planning, business management and relationship building have provided a great foundation for her successful leadership at MLMA.

Ellery is a valuable addition to the NAFF Board and we’re excited to work with her to impact the next generation through education.

Interested parties can learn more by contacting Allison DeFord at adeford@northamericanforestfoundation.org, or by visiting NAFF’s website.

About North American Forest Foundation

River Legacy Nature Center in Arlington, Texas, in 2023. Its next confirmed stop will be the Midland County Centennial Library in Midland, Texas, in 2025.

Omaha Children’s Museum is currently in contract discussions with institutions, including Richmond Children’s Museum in Richmond, Virginia.

The traveling exhibit “Forever Forest” returned to Omaha Children’s Museum for another showing from February 5, 2022 – April 6, 2022. It was the museum’s headlining exhibit during this period and was on display in its special gallery. Over 61,000 visitors engaged with the exhibit, with a surge in attendance over the spring break period.

To create additional interest and excitement, the museum hired local environmental artist and designer Holly Lukasiewicz to create a custom installation. Her “Branch Cloud” installation created a canopy of branches, cuttings, and flowers from indigenous plants over the exhibit.

The museum refurbished the “Forever Forest” exhibit in several stages. Although many major refurbishment projects occurred while on display, guests never missed out on any of the components because the vendors completed their work when the museum was closed.

Through the generous support of the Nebraska Environmental Trust, Omaha Children’s Museum can continue to send “Forever Forest” across the country and reach thousands of families with its messages of conservation, sustainability, and appreciation for nature. After its stop in Omaha, “Forever Forest” was displayed at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa, during the summer of 2022 and the River Legacy Nature Center in Arlington, Texas, in 2023. Its next confirmed stop will be the Midland County Centennial Library in Midland, Texas, in 2025. Omaha Children’s Museum is currently in contract discussions with institutions, including Richmond Children’s Museum in Richmond, Virginia.

Below are the partners who were part of the exhibit and exhibit refurbishment

Holly Lukasiewicz, Omaha, NE – Visual artist and creator of the “Branch Cloud” installation that accompanied the “Forever Forest”exhibit when on display at Omaha Children’s Museum
Heartland Scenic Studios, Omaha, NE – Original fabricator of the “Forever Forest” exhibit and lead vendor on the refurbishment project. HSS reengineered exhibit components that needed improvement and repaired damaged ones • AG Painting, Omaha, Nebraska – Painting and refinishing company. Repaired dents, and missing pieces in train care components and repainted with scuff-resistant paint.
Nanonation, Lincoln, Nebraska – Interactive software company. Designed new software with animations for the train engine’s two digital interactives
Capitol Exhibit Services, Inc., Manassas, VA – Exhibit fabricator. Designed and built a new train and transportation table with dimensional buildings and graphics.

Support from the Nebraska Environmental Trust has helped ensure the continued success of the “Forever Forest” exhibit and its mission to inspire families to value forests for their ability to help us live, work, and play sustainably. Between confirmed rentals and interested parties, the museum anticipates “Forever Forest”could serve approximately 125,000 visitors per year for the next five years.

The following quote from Wendy Scardino, director of marketing and communication for the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, in the Telegraph Herald, exemplifies the positive messaging surrounding the exhibit. “We hear a lot about climate change and the bad news,” she said. “But there are wonderful things happening. We like to focus our conservation messaging around those hopeful stories that give people motivation to do something themselves and to see that they can make a difference.”

North American Forest Foundation Receives Grant from the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund

Collierville, Tennessee, November 30, 2023 – Funding to support Truth About Trees App development for Jr. High Aged Students

The North American Forest Foundation has received a $6,000 grant from the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund to support its Truth About Trees App project.
NAFF Executive Director, Allison DeFord, said the funds would be used to develop a new app geared toward jr. high students to educate them about sustainable forestry, the importance and value of choosing wood products, and expose them to the myriad of career paths and opportunities within the wood, forest, and forest products industries.

“This app will potentially reach and influence 12,000,000 jr. high students and teachers across North America, as a result of the grant and other corporate support. This is a viable way to help close the skills gap and, in some cases, change the trajectory of a young person’s life with a fulfilling career in an industry they can feel proud of,” executive director DeFord said.
In both rural and urban settings, the Weyerhaeuser Giving Fund supports hundreds of important organizations and programs in the communities where they operate with funding, time, expertise and resources. Weyerhaeuser made its first charitable donation in 1903 and has provided more than $260 million in grants through its formal giving program, which was established in 1948.

More information on the Weyerhaeuser grant application process is available online at www.WY.com

If you’re interested to learn more about supporting the App project, please reach out to Allison DeFord.

About North American Forest Foundation
The North American Forest Foundation is a 501c3 non-proﬁt on a mission, since 1989, to nurture the next generation through education—changing hearts and minds, for good, about the value of sustainable forestry and choosing wood products and careers in the forest and forest products industry. Because helping kids become exTREEmelysmart creates a healthier future for them, the industry, and our planet. Our goal is to educate one million students by 2030. We do this through our (free) Truth About Trees teaching kits (geared to K-3 students), Forever Forest traveling exhibit (from the Omaha Children’s Museum), advocacy, and online resources. Learn more at NorthAmericanForestFoundation.org.

About Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser Company, one of the world’s largest private owners of timberlands, began operations in 1900. We own or control approximately 11 million acres of timberlands in the U.S. and manage additional timberlands under long-term licenses in Canada. We manage these timberlands on a sustainable basis in compliance with internationally recognized forestry standards. We are also one of the largest manufacturers of wood products in North America. Our company is a real estate investment trust. In 2022, we generated $10.2 billion in net sales and employed approximately 9,200 people who serve customers worldwide. Our common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WY. Learn more at www.weyerhaeuser.com.

North American Forest Foundation Welcomes New Board Member

Collierville, Tennessee, March 20, 2023 – The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) is excited to introduce new board member, Chelsea Zuccato of Patrick Lumber

Chelsea Zuccato has been in the lumber industry for over 15 years, during which time she graduated from Washington State University with a degree in Business Marketing (2017). She currently serves as a shareholder and sales manager at Patrick Lumber Company in Portland, Oregon and sits on the board of their manufacturing arm, Patrick Lumber Manufacturing in Philomath, Oregon.

Chelsea lives by the core values of Patrick Lumber, which align with her personally and professionally: Pay Attention, Show Up, Be Honest, and Create. Her long-term goal is to become the president of Patrick Lumber Company so she can empower and develop following generations so they may have a rewarding career in lumber.

Committed to giving back to the industry she loves, Chelsea is active with the North American Wholesale Lumber Association (NAWLA), having been a member of the education committee from 2016-2022 as well as Chairman from 2019-2021. Her most recent honors include both the NAWLA YELP 40 Under 40 Award (Young Emerging Lumber Professionals), and the Washington State University Notable Alumni Award in 2020.

For fun, Chelsea hosts a Podcast with her friend and business partner Natalie Heacock, called “Lumber Slingers” where their mission is to bring relevant lumber industry information and interviews to their listeners.

Outside of work, Chelsea enjoys spending time with husband Adam, and puppy Wynn. Her hobbies include wine tasting, traveling, cooking, spin class, watching Shark Tank and Dateline, and spending time with friends and family.

About North American Forest Foundation

North American Forest Foundation Welcomes Two New Board Members

Collierville, Tennessee, August 22, 2022 – The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) is excited to introduce two new board members—Jimmy Thornberry of Powell Valley Millwork and Butch Bernhardt of Western Wood Preservers Institute

North American Forest Foundation Introduces Butch Bernhardt as newest Board Member.

Collierville, Tennessee, September 22, 2021 – The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) is excited to introduce Butch Bernhardt, Senior Program Manager for the Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI).

His responsibilities include product education, technical publications, standards, distance learning and digital design tools for preserved wood products.

Bernhardt has extensive experience in wood promotion, providing product support, user education and international market development for nearly four decades in positions with WWPI, Western Wood Products Association, Softwood Export Council and Western Red Cedar Lumber Association.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University and is the third generation in his family to work in the wood products industry.

Western Wood Preservers Institute, headquartered in Vancouver, Wash., represents preservative treated wood product producers, chemical manufacturers and others serving the industry throughout western North America. For 75 years, WWPI has provided regulatory and market outreach services aimed at sustaining a viable western North America preserved wood industry.

The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) is also excited to introduce Jimmy Thornberry, President and Co-Owner of Powell Valley Millwork.

Jimmy Thornberry is the President and one of the owners of Powell Valley Millwork, a domestic manufacturer of mouldings and millwork with two manufacturing locations east of Lexington, Kentucky. Jimmy entered the millwork industry in 1993 when he and his father developed their first location in Jeffersonville, Kentucky.

Since then, the Thornberry family has expanded their presence in the market acquiring a second location in 2014 and grown their business to employ approximately two hundred team members supplying a diverse customer base across North America.

Communication is paramount to Jimmy and he finds himself at home when walking the facilities, asking questions, giving advice, and finding ways to make equipment run more efficiently and increase morale amongst the team.

He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky with a degree in finance and business management. When not in the office, Jimmy is at home with his grandchildren, traveling with his wife, or on the family farm raising beef cattle.

Interested parties can learn more by visiting NAFF’s website.