The Steering Committee is made up of a diverse group of strong, forward-looking women who provide insight, leadership, and lend their collective experience and expertise to ensure the Women’s Forest Congress is a resounding success.
Meet the current Steering Committee members.
Jaana is a research scientist in forest policy and economics. She has been engaged with interdisciplinary research projects that deal with sustainability management and governance of forest bioeconomy, structural changes and price interference in forest product markets, and the representation and role of diverse employees in the forest sector.
Tia accepted her role on the Council because she wants the opportunity to encourage other women to grow professionally and to enhance her ability to manage Yakama lands for her people. As an enrolled member of the Yakama Tribe, she brings a Tribal perspective to the Council.
Dawn is a passionate experienced HR professional who focuses on growing cultural competence and embracing differences through talent acquisition, employee culture and engagement, performance management, and staff development.
Lily, as one of the youngest members of the Council, will contribute the perspective of an early-career natural resource professional. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, her childhood in the outdoors fostered a love and admiration of forests and other natural ecosystems.
A 2021 graduate of Oregon State’s College of Forestry and practicing forester for Manulife, she offers expertise in forest biology and education outreach through her work for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of Washington State. She is enthusiastic about supporting WFC’s work to foster underrepresented groups in natural resource management.
A 2021 graduate of Oregon State’s College of Forestry and practicing forester for Manulife, she offers expertise in forest biology and education outreach through her work for the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe of Washington State. She is enthusiastic about supporting WFC’s work to foster underrepresented groups in natural resource management.
MaryKate joined the Council to help ensure that women’s perspectives, concerns, and needs are considered in how we think about the future of forestry. She brings a strong global perspective on sustainability strategy and challenges facing the sector, which will complement the existing leadership of the Women’s Forest Congress. She enjoys hiking and camping in national forests and state parks with her husband and two rescue beagles.
Asia’s work explores the cross-section of nature’s role in urban development, specifically the relationships between forests and the development of urban forest management plans, regional water resource management, and hazard mitigation.
Daphne leads climate and sustainability services at Indufor North America, focusing on strengthening the resilience of forest landscapes for people and nature. She provides due diligence, technical assistance, monitoring, evaluation, and learning support for conservation and restoration initiatives. She is a certified forest therapy guide and an advocate for polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) research and education.
Ara is a supporter for the Women’s Forest Congress because she believes in the power of building supportive communities to help make the work a better place. Ara works in the private forest sector, where she is an advocate for sustainable, working forests.
Eliza is a project director at Dovetail Partners, where she contributes to Dovetail’s research, projects, and communications around forest sustainability and land use decision making. She brings a background in sociology and is passionate about building positive relationships between people and land.
Caitlyn accepted her role on the Council because she feels that increasing the participation of women in the forestry sector is critical for the future of our forests. Caitlyns’s regular visits to her local park in Atlanta have highlighted the importance of using her work to guarantee access to trees and green space for everyone.
Amy is an experienced meeting professional with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit and association sector, with focus on the forest and conservation sectors. She leads event planning for the WFC.
I am excited to join the council because I believe it is important to encourage young women to pursue careers in forestry. As a recent graduate, I just started my career as a Forester for my tribe and am grateful to follow in the footsteps of my family who have worked in the program before me. I hope to use this opportunity to grow and learn from all the wonderful women in the Congress. I also hope to provide cultural and diverse perspectives of the new generation in forestry.
Past Steering Committee members
The Women’s Forest Congress would like to thank previous Steering Committee members for their leadership.
Kara Bell, American Forests
Jasmine Brown, Graduate Student, MSU Forestry
Evette Browning, Arkansas Department of Agriculture
Lauren Cooper, Director, Forest Carbon & Climate Program, Michigan State Universit
Alicia Cramer, Senior Vice President, U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities
Katie Fernholz, President/CEO, Dovetail Partners
Rita Hite, President & CEO, American Forest Foundation
Megan Mustoe, The Conservation Fund
Elizabeth (Liz) Woodworth, Founder, Wood&Co Consulting