Speakers

Manager, Harvesting and Silviculture Practices Branch, MOF ndrew Snetsinger (RPF) is the Manager of Harvesting and Silviculture Practices with the Forest Science, Planning and Practices Branch with the Office of the Chief Forester. Andrew grew up in Smither’s BC and moved to Prince George to attend university at UNBC where he received his degree in…

Sustainable Forest Management Provincial Team Lead, MOF Barry was raised and educated in Australia and worked there as a forester before moving to Canada.  He joined the Ministry of Forests in 1995.  The first 30 years of his career was spent in silviculture, growth and yield, forest landscape modeling and monitoring. Since August 2020 Barry…

Silviculture Supervisor, Ntityix Resources Breagh has had the opportunity to practice silviculture in the Cariboo, the coast, and the Thompson-Okanagan, learning from many different people along the way. She is passionate about responsible forest stewardship and managing for a variety of values that benefit local communities and promote ecosystem health. She is very grateful to…

President, Volktrans Canada Contracting Christian Volk grew up in a family of foresters where his dad managed a community forest in Switzerland for over 40 years. Therefore he developed a big interest in forestry in his early years and spent most of his spare time in the forest helping his father. After graduating from High…

Lead, MOF Forest Investment and Reporting Branch Christine is a Registered Professional Forester who is the Ministry of Forests Integrated Investment Lead, and Forest Investment and Reporting Branch Climate Action Plan co-lead.  Her forestry career started with  Research Branch laying out Silviculture trials but then she moved to Quesnel and had the opportunity to work…

RPF, Timber Pricing Coordinator, Thompson Okanagan Region, MOF I have been working in Timber Pricing in the southern interior for 15 years following a good stint as a silviculture forester and forest tech before that.  I currently provide expert advice on the Appraisal Manual and timber pricing issues to district tenures, appraisals and engineering staff…

President, GRO TRZ Consulting Inc 1985 B. Sc. in Forestry from UBC with a year’s exchange at UNB; 2002 Forestry Diploma (Advanced Silviculture) UBC; 1988 – 2009 Tolko Industries Ltd. Thompson Woodlands Responsible for the management of all silviculture activities for the Division; 2010 – Present GRO TRZ Consulting Inc. Providing a variety of clients…

Stuwix Resources Joint Venture Operations Manager, Stuwix Resource Joint Venture Dennis MacDonald, RFT,  is a member of Upper Nicola Band and is a part of the syilx (Okanagan) Nation and works at Stuwix Resources Joint Venture, a forest management company owned by eight local first nations in the Southern Interior of BC. Dennis has 29…

Associate Dean, Research Forests & Community Outreach, UBC    Dr. Dominik Roeser is currently holding the position of Associate Dean for Research Forests and Community Engagement, as well as serving as an Associate Professor of Forest Operations at the University of British Columbia. With over 22 years of dedicated experience in forest research and innovation, Dr.…

Landscape Ecologist, Land Use Planning and Cumulative Effects Division, BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Doug Lewis is a landscape Ecologist with the Cumulative Effects Section of BC Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship. Doug’s main role is evaluating the combined effects of land use and natural disturbances on forest ecosystems and…

CTO, PhD, PChem, Innovatree Carbon Group Post Doctorate, Biochemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Garrett Whitworth is a technology development entrepreneur specializing in sustainable forestry and soil management who completed his PhD from Simon Fraser University in 2011 and his Postdoctoral work from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2015. Upon graduating, Garrett returned to Kamloops,…

Assistant Professor, Forest Resources Management, UBC Dr. Gregory Paradis is Assistant Professor of Forest Management in the Department of Forest Resources Management (Faculty of Forestry) at the University of British Columbia (UBC), where he leads the Forest Resources and Ecosystem Services Hub (FRESH) lab. His research spans a wide range of forest management problems, with…

Associate Professor | Forest Resources Management, UBC Harry Nelson is an Associate Professor of Forest Economics and Policy at the Faculty of Forestry in Vancouver. Harry’s interests are in how we organize ourselves to manage our lands and resources more sustainably, recognizing the interrelationship and interdependence of Indigenous and local communities and businesses upon those…

B B.A. Blackwell and Associates Ltd.  Educational History: BSF 1985 from UBC (with 1 year as a visiting student at UNB) Relevant Career History: 5 years as a silviculturist for Interfor on the coast, 3 years as quality control, sawmill foreman and log supply coordinator at a large coastal sawmill; 29 years as a consultant…

Silviculture Superintendent, Tolko Industries Jerome received his BSF in 1985 and his Diploma in Forestry (Advanced Silviculture) in 2002, both from UBC.  He has over 39 years of forestry experience on the coast and interior of BC. Previous employment has been in pest management with Phero Tech Inc and MacMillian Bloedel in both their Corporate…

PhD, PAg, Silviculture Research Leader, Harvesting and Silviculture Research Branch, BCMOF Presentation Our Silviculture Practice Today –  Who is Defining The Way Forward, How are We Enabling Innovative Thinking and Doing, and What Are the Next Steps?

RPF, SIBC graduate, Woodlot Forester, Woodlot # 1599 Judy graduated first from BCIT, followed later by UBC Forestry. Initially, Judy co-owned a forestry consulting business doing site plans, ecosystem based plans, forestry instruction, managing both her own and others woodlots.  As well Judy enjoyed the teamwork and broader expertise while spending 15 years with the…

RPF, Intensive Silviculture Specialist, Forest Science, Planning & Practices Branch, MOF Lee-ann Puhallo, RPF, is the Intensive Silviculture Specialist in the Office of the Chief Forester Division of the Ministry of Forests.  Lee-ann’s work is focused on stocking standards, commercial thinning, partial harvesting, and their related policies.  She has been working in silviculture and FREP…

Director, Forest Investment and Reporting Branch, FOR Leith Mckenzie is a professional forester with over 30 years experience working primarily in the areas of climate change, silviculture, and stewardship in the BC Ministry of Forests.  She is currently the Director, Forest Investment and Reporting Branch in the Office of the Chief Forester.  Before that, she…

RPBio, Lands and Resource Specialist, BC Wildfire Service Lisa Tedesco is a registered professional biologist and works as a Land and Resource Specialist with the BC Wildfire Service Cultural and Prescribed Fire program. Lisa started in government as a backcountry ranger in Monashee Provincial Park. She moved on to the role of ecosystem biologist which…

Ph.D., Forest Research Entomologist, Thompson Okanagan Region, MOF  Lorraine has a BSc from the University of Victoria, and a Masters of Pest Management and PhD in forest entomology from Simon Fraser University. Lorraine has been the Forest Research Entomologist with the BC Ministry of Forests, Thompson Okanagan Region, since 1987. Lorraine is based in Kamloops,…

RPF, Manager, UNBC Aleza Lake Research Forest, Prince George Mike Jull RPF is a registered forest professional based in Prince George, BC, and has lived and worked in central and Northern BC for 35 years. Since 1990, Mike has been involved with silvicultural systems operational applications and the establishment of many long-term silvicultural systems research…

RPF, Forest Establishment Lead, Forest Science and Practices Branch, MOF Neil has been a practicing RPF for 35 years between Scotland and BC; in BC he has worked extensively up and down the coast as a silviculture and planning forester for industry and in his role with government since 2015 as the forest establishment lead…

Nk’Mip Forestry – Osoyoos Indian Band/West Boundary Community Forest Peter grew up in Westbank in the Central Okanagan and has worked primarily in the southern interior of BC in silviculture, forest operations, and planning, with experience engaging and collaborating with First Nation communities, public stakeholders, and government. He enjoys implementing innovative projects on a diverse…

Senior Planning Forester, Forsite Consultants Randy Spyksma is an RPF, Senior Planning Forester, facilitator and risk management specialist with Forsite. His passion is in facilitation of forest and land management planning processes in response to challenging conditions, perspectives and landscape processes. Randy’s current key roles include thefacilitator of the Quesnel Forest Landscape Plan Pilot process,…

Integrated Investment Specialist, Silviculture and Forest Stewardship, FOR Rhona Boyd, RPF, is the Integrated Investment Specialist for the Thompson Okanagan Region, Ministry of Forests based in Vernon. Rhona’s background is in tree planting, wildland firefighting, silviculture, forest development and wildfire risk reduction working for Licensees and the Province of BC. Rhona has worked all over…

Professor and Dean of Faculty of Forestry, UBC Rob Kozak is a Professor and Dean at the UBC Faculty of Forestry and the former Associate Dean, Academic and Head of the Wood Science Department. His current research and teaching interests, as part of the Forests and Communities in Transition Lab, revolve around sustainable business management…

Ph.D; RPBio; Assoc. Professor Ecosystem Science & Mgmt. Dept, Faculty of Environment, UNBC and Affiliated Forest Professional with FPBC Roy obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from California State University, Stanislaus in 1992 and a Master of Science, Biology from the University of Northern British Columbia in 1999.  In 2014, Roy completed a…

Silviculture Forester, Forestry and Natural Resources, Pacific Woodtech Scott works and resides in the traditional unceded territory of the Ktunaxa and Secwépmec Nations and honours the cultures, languages, and First Nations people of these territories. Scott started his forestry career working for Industrial Forestry Service (IFS) in 1987 and became an RPF in 1989. He…

PhD, PAg, Research Hydrologist, Thompson Okanagan Region, MOF  Sheena is also an adjunct professor at UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers University. She conducts research on the hydrologic response to forest disturbance / regrowth and runoff generation processes in headwater catchments. Sheena is the research lead for the Upper Penticton Creek Watershed Experiment, a long-term forest…

Regional Silviculture Specialist, Cariboo Region, MOF Shelley has been the regional silviculture specialist in the Cariboo region with the Ministry of Forests for the past five years.  With an interest in both forest ecology and ecological forestry, Shelley is passionate about holistic forest management.  Among other projects, Shelley co-chairs the regional silviculture working group that…

Silviculture Superintendent, West Fraser Todd received his BScF in 1987 from the UofA, and a Post Graduate Certificate in GIS from SFU in 2002.  He has worked in BC in a variety of roles including planning, inventory, GIS, and silviculture for over 35 years.  Todd is fortunate to supervise a team of younger energetic foresters…

RPBio, Winner 2024 Basil Stuart-Stubbs UBC Prize for Masterful Storytelling George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature As a long-practicing registered professional biologist (RPBio) in British Columbia, Wayne McCrory has had a wide range of experience in wildlife research, environmental impacts, cumulative effects analysis, and management/conservation issues in western Canada. He has headed numerous…