Board of Directors

Chair

Paul Szwedo
Term: 1/1/26 – 12/31/26
paul.szwedo@vermont.gov

Paul is a State Lands Forester with the Department of Forest Parks and Recreation working in the Northeast Kingdom (District 5).  Paul earned a Masters Degree in Forestry from the University of Maine, Orono, where his research focused on “Forest Sampling, Prescription, and Harvest Operations of Expanding Gap Silvicultural Systems in Central Maine”.  Paul has special interests in silviculture and forest biometrics.  Prior to his work with the state, Paul worked as a Graduate Research Assistant and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Maine Orono, and the USFS Penobscot Experimental Forest.  Paul is a recipient of the University of Maine’s Ralph Griffin Award – presented to a meritorious graduate student in silviculture. Paul is a 2021 graduate of the Vermont Forest Business School.   When Paul is not in the woods, he is busy working on his family’s farm in the Northeast Kingdom.

Chair-Elect, Awards Chair & NESAF Archivist

Ken Laustsen
Term: 1/1/26-12/31/26
KALaustsen@twc.com

Ken is a retired Biometrician from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, Bureau of Forestry, Forest Health and Monitoring Division where he spent nearly 20 years. Prior to that he worked for Great Northern Paper Company in Millinocket, Maine as a Woodlands Analyst, Operations Forester, and Staff Forester. He has been a SAF member since 1974. He is a SAF Fellow, has served as a SAF Certification Review Board Committee member, a SAF Forest Technology School Accreditation Committee member, and the 2020 Tri-Chair for the Providence National Convention. He is a Maine licensed forester and SAF Certified Forester, USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory & Analysis, Techniques Research Band Member, Statistics Band Member, and was awarded the USFS Director’s Award for Excellence, 2001. Ken holds a B.S. in Forest Management from the University of Maine, 1974 and an M.F. in Forest Management, University of Maine, 2010.

Immediate Past Chair

J.P. Barsky
Term: 1/1/26 – 12/31/26
joseph.barsky@ct.gov

Hi, I’m J.P. Barsky! Many of you may know me through my prior role as the editor of the News Quarterly, but few may know about my previous SAF involvement, or what I do for a day job. After graduating from UMaine in 1995, I worked for the USDA- Forest Service in Rifle, CO, and then in Upton, MA. I am a research forester at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, where I work on a variety of hardwood and ecological research studies. I’ve been an SAF member for over 25 years, and have served in a variety of roles, including Connecticut Chapter Chair, Yankee Division Chair, the Connecticut State Representative to NESAF, and Silvicultural Working Group Chair. I’m proud to be part of NESAF. Not only is it a great opportunity for career development and networking, it’s also a great place where one can participate in a collaborative environment that leads the discussions regarding forest science, technology, education, and the practice of forestry in the natural resource community.

Treasurer

Nan Pond
Term: 01/1/26-12/31/27
nan@rubiconcarbon.com

Dr. Nan C. Pond is a forest biometrician and data scientist. She is the Head of Nature-Based Research and Monitoring at Rubicon Carbon, where she leads ongoing quality assurance and monitoring of nature-based carbon credit projects through remote sensing and other means. Nan has been a member of SAF for over 20 years. She has previously served as the Chair of the Forest Science and Technology Board for 2 years, as well as being the Program Chair of the 2022 SAF National Convention held in Baltimore. She was the recipient of the 2020 SAF Young Forester Leadership Award. Nan has been a member of SAF chapters in Michigan, Florida, Washington D.C., and New Mexico, and is thrilled to be part of NESAF now.

Secretary

Julie Renaud Evans
Term: 01/1/26 – 12/31/27
jevans@northernforest.org

Julie Renaud Evans is a Program Director at the Northern Forest Center, where she has worked since 2009. Julie was part of the team that originated the Community Forest model and is a national leader in helping communities and non-profits acquire and manage Community Forests to provide a sustainable flow of ecologic, economic, and social benefits. Julie uses her skills as a forester and former community planner to prepare and coach residents for their roles as permanent stewards for many Community Forests in the region. Julie earned both her M.A. in Environmental Education and B.S. in Forest Management from the University of New Hampshire. She has been an SAF member since 1985, has previously served on the Executive Committee as well as numerous winter meeting program committees.

Forest Science Coordinator

Alexandra Kosiba
Term: 1/1/25 – 12/31/26
Alexandra.Kosiba@uvm.edu

Ali is an Assistant Professor of Forestry and Extension Forester at the University of Vermont. She focuses on climate change, climate-adaptive management, forest carbon, and forest health. Prior to working at UVM, she was the Climate Forester at Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Ali received her MS and PhD degrees in Forest Science from UVM.

News Quarterly Editor

Matt Russell
Term: 1/1/2025-12/31/2026
nesafnq@gmail.com

Matt Russell is a forest analytics consultant with Arbor Custom Analytics LLC based in Bangor, Maine. His work involves forest carbon assessments, growth and yield modeling, and independent research. He spent eight years in Minnesota where he conducted forestry research, teaching, and Extension work. Matt holds a PhD in Forest Resources from the University of Maine (2012) and an MS in Forestry from Virginia Tech (2008).

Membership Chair

Susan Francher
Term: 1/1/26-12/31/26
francher@comcast.net

Susan (a.k.a Forest Diva) is the retired Administrator for Planning & Community Forestry, NH Forest Legacy Program Coordinator in the NH Department of Natural and Cultural Resources at the State of NH Division of Forests and Lands. Susan is the 2016 recipient of the James W. Toumey Outstanding Achievement in Service Award. Susan also served as general chair for the 2018 NESAF Annual meeting.

Grants Chair

Mel Harder
Term: 1/1/2026 – 12/31/2026
mel.harder@snet.net

Mel, who resides in CT, has been a consulting forester since 1973, working in all the New England states. He has been NESAF grants chair beginning in 2010, and served as CTSAF rep and correspondent for 9 years. After serving in the US Navy as a radar operator attached to NORAD, he earned a BS of Forestry from the University of Connecticut in 1969 and an MS of Biology from the University of Southern Connecticut in 1971. Prior to starting as a consulting forester in 1973 he was staff ecologist at the Talcott Mountain Science Center in Avon CT.

Policy Chair

Vacant
Term:

Board of Director Representative from District Six (NY & NE)

Tom Martin
Term: 1/1/25 – 12/31/27
tdm4ester@aol.com

Tom retired in 2019 after a 40 year career with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.  He supervised The Forestry, Wildlife, Fisheries, Minerals, Real Property and Land Acquisition programs in northeastern NY, covering approximately 6 million acres of public and private land, comprising the majority of the Adirondack Park.  Tom is an SAF Certified Forester and an SAF Fellow.  He lives with his wife Linda in Saranac, NY and enjoys camping, fishing, hunting and gardening.

Maine State Representative

Carol Redelsheimer
Term: 1/1/25 – 12/31/26
carol.redelsheimer@gmail.com

Carol is a University of Maine alum who spent twenty-seven years in a variety of forest management positions in northern and eastern Maine, including with Great Northern Paper, Champion International, Baxter State Park’s Scientific Management Area, as well as consulting for private clients. From 2010-2021 she worked as Director, Science & Education, for national SAF administering SAF accreditation, coordinating national convention program development, and working with the Forest Science & Technology Board and Working Groups. She has previously served as chair-elect and chair of MESAF, in several capacities organizing NESAF winter meetings, as a member of the Maine Board of Licensure for Foresters, the Maine Tree Farm Committee, and the SAF Certification Review Board.

Massachusetts State Representative

Joelle Vautour
Term: 1/1/25 – 12/31/26
joelle.vautour@gmail.com

Joelle works as a State Lands Management Forester for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, Bureau of Forestry. She began her career as a private consulting forester and has a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.

Rhode Island State Representative & Elections Coordinator

Paul Dolan
Term: 1/1/26 – 12/31/27
pcdolan1@verizon.net

Paul has been a member of SAF since 1976. He is a SAF Fellow, past NESAF Chairman, and has held positions in Yankee Division and the Rhode Island Chapter. Paul is the retired Rhode Island Deputy State Forester. Presently, he is the Area Director for Rhode Island Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Coordinator for the Rhode Island Envirothon.

Vermont State Representative

Jess Wikle
Term: 1/1/25 – 12/31/26
jessica.wikle@uvm.edu

Jess Wikle is the manager of the UVM Research Forests and a faculty member in the UVM Forestry program. She is a PhD candidate at UVM focusing on climate-adaptive silviculture and earned a Master of Forest Science degree from the Yale School of the Environment in 2018 and a B.S. in Forestry from UNH in 2009. Prior to attending graduate school, she worked as a consulting forester in CT and MA.

New Hampshire State Representative

Lindsay Watkins
Term: 1/1/26 – 12/31/27
Lindsay.Watkins@unh.edu

Lindsay is a Field Specialist in Forest Resources (AKA County Forester) with the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension, where she provides education and resources to support individuals, communities, and professionals in the stewardship of their forests and trees. Before joining Extension in 2023, she worked as a consulting forester and arborist in the San Juan Islands in Washington, but she has long considered New Hampshire her “chosen home state” and previously lived and worked in the White Mountains. She has an M.S. from the Field Naturalist Program at the University of Vermont and a B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell. She is a New Hampshire Licensed Forester and an ISA Certified Arborist and considers herself a well-rounded “Professional Tree Nerd.”

Connecticut State Representative

Amanda Bunce
Term: 1/1/26 – 12/31/27
amanda.bunce@uconn.edu

Amanda is a graduate researcher at UConn, studying climate-adaptive forestry and the role of foresters on the southern New England landscape. She manages a number of ongoing silvicultural trials and works with UConn Extension to connect research with professional foresters. She is also a forester herself, helping land managers and owners implement climate-conscious and resilience-focused forestry and conservation plans. Amanda is a native of Connecticut and can likely be found maple sugaring with her family in the early spring, and hiking with her hound the rest of the year. 

Eastern Canadian Provinces Representative

Vacant
Term: 2 years

NESAF Administrative Coordinator

Cassie Vir
Term: Contract 1/1/26- 12/31/26
nesaf1900@gmail.com

Cassie Vir is the Administrative Coordinator for NESAF. She graduated from the University of Maine with a B.S. in Forestry in 2010, and with an MBA in 2012. She joined the UMaine chapter of SAF as an undergrad and has been a member of SAF for 17 years. After grad school, she began working for Seven Islands Land Company in Ashland, ME as an Operations Forester, and later as a Business Analyst and Quality Assurance Coordinator for the company’s manufacturing division. After moving to central Maine, she began working for Sappi North America in Skowhegan as an Operations Planner scheduling the mill’s paper machines, and later moved into the supervisory role of Supply Chain Lead. For the past few years, she has been a stay-at-home mom caring for her daughter.