California Forest Products Commission Elects New Officers
AUBURN, January 27, 2005 - The California Forest Products Commission board of directors has elected new officers to help in its mission to educate the public about the forest products industry's science-based practices and the benefits forestry can offer the public. The forestry veterans on the board bring decades of experience and a proven commitment to sustaining healthy forest environments while delivering essential wood products to consumers.
Three new officers have been elected to one-year terms. Pete Himmel, manager of Timber Products Company's California operations, has been elected chairman. Himmel has 30 years of experience in the wood products industry and holds a B.S. in mathematics from Oregon State University as well as an M.B.A. from the University of Oregon. He manages Timber Products Company's 127,000 acres in Siskiyou County, which has committed itself to sustainable forestry through third-party certification under the American Forest & Paper Association's Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) program. Himmel also oversees Timber Products' manufacturing plant in Yreka, one of the company's nine facilities in the country.
Frank Barron, a 25-year forestry veteran who is currently chief forester of Crane Mills in Corning, has been elected vice-chairman. Barron holds a B.S. in forestry from University of California, Berkeley and an M.S. in forestry from Oregon State University. His duties at Crane Mills include surveying for Northern Spotted Owls, preparing the Timber Harvest Plans necessary to harvest trees in California, and supervising road construction to ensure that harvesting is accomplished with little environmental impact. Barron is also responsible for public education and produces a "60-Second Forester" radio program that airs Mon.-Fri. at 5:30 a.m. on Chico's KPAY AM 1290.
Kevin Paldino, director of sales and marketing at Scotia, Calif.-based PALCO, has been elected secretary-treasurer. Paldino graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with a B.S. in environmental science and brings 25 years of experience in the building products industry to the commission. Prior to joining PALCO in 2002, Paldino held positions marketing redwood lumber and specialty lumber products for Georgia-Pacific Corporation. Paldino also serves as vice-chairman of the California Redwood Association.
Established by legislation in 1990, the California Forest Products Commission (www.calforests.org) is funded by timber producers who pay an assessment based on timber harvests from California lands. The commission is governed by a 10-member board of directors, with 10 alternate members, in three categories representing small, medium and large producers. In addition, a public member serves in a fourth category as determined by the board. The term of office for each board member is three years.
Other California Forest Products Commission board directors: Henry Alden, vice president, Gualala Redwoods, Gualala; Phil Battaglia, chief forester, Red River Forests Partnership, Redding; Ed Bond, community relations and human resources manager, Sierra Pacific Industries, Anderson; Lloyd Bradshaw, manager, Hearst Forests, McCloud; Charlie Brown, vice-president northern operations, Fruit Growers Supply Company, Hilt; Jim Brown, president, Green Diamond Resource Company, Korbel; Jackie Deuschle, public affairs manager, Green Diamond Resource Company, Korbel; Larry Duysen, logging superintendent, Sierra Forest Products, Terra Bella; Dave Goehring, supervisor, natural resource management, Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Redding; Paul Harlan, vice president, Western lumber operations, The Collins Companies, Lakeview, Ore.; Steve Henson, California resource manager, Roseburg Forest Products, Weed; Mark Luster, community relations manager, Sierra Pacific Industries, Lincoln; John Mount, forest manager, Southern California Edison, Shaver Lake; and Paul Violett, forester, Soper-Wheeler Company, Strawberry Valley. One position is currently vacant.
The two public members of the board are Dr. John Helms, professor emeritus, Dept. of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, and Marilee Hadley Taylor of Bayside.
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