Allison DeFord – North American Forest Foundation – 901-860-4131 – adeford@
North American Forest Foundation Introduces Deonn DeFord as New President
Collierville, Tennessee, September 22, 2021 – The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) is excited to introduce Deonn DeFord as its President. DeFord took the reigns from Past President, Stephanie Van Dystadt of DV Hardwoods, at NAFF’s fall meeting. DeFord has been in the lumber and forest products industry since 1989 when he began working at Ganahl Lumber, where he is the Product Manager of Fencing, Clr Doug Fir, Cedar, Redwood, Exterior Trim, Forming Panels, Hardwood Lumber, Panels and Finished Products. He’s also an active member and former President of the Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club, as well as the West Coast Lumber and Building Materials Association. He steps up into his position as President from his previous role as Vice President, which he held since 2019. His familiarity with NAFF’s history and current mission has made the transition smooth. “We’ve accomplished so much over the last several years and I’m especially excited about the opportunity to develop an online experience to spread the truth about trees to jr. high and high school students,” DeFord shared. His passion for this industry is contagious and he is looking forward to helping NAFF continue to make a difference by influencing future generations to pursue a career in lumber or forest products. He’s also an active member and former President of the Los Angeles Hardwood Lumberman’s Club, as well as other industry associations. Interested parties can learn more by contacting Allison DeFord at adeford@ northamericanforestfoundation. org, or by visiting NAFF’s website. About North American Forest Foundation The North American Forest Foundation was originally established in 1989 as the Hardwood Forest Foundation. In 2019, the organization expanded to be more inclusive to the softwood industry – becoming the NAFF. The non-profit has always focused on harvesting the next generation through education – changing hearts and minds about wood, for good.