During the May 17-19, 2021 FRA Annual Meeting, the Forest Resources Association’s Board of Directors elected Pete Stewart, President/CEO of Forest2Market and Fisher International, to serve as the association’s chairman for the next two years.
Stewart thanked the Board and outgoing Chair Lee Alexander of International Paper and stated he was greatly honored and humbled to be selected. He noted the importance of ensuring that the association continues to be a positive and forceful advocate in advancing our industry’s ability to maintain a competitive wood supply chain, and importantly, that the wood supply chain is seen as a part of the climate solution in a tangible way. Stewart remarked that it is vital that the synergies of the entire wood supply chain be recognized in climate change discussions and policy. Loggers, forest landowners, and manufacturers of wood products all play critical roles in maintaining healthy and productive forestlands that are resilient to wildfire and insect and disease outbreaks. Healthy forest lands and an efficient wood supply chain present our best opportunity to maximize the carbon sequestration and storage of carbon in forest lands and forest products.
“I am pleased to welcome Pete as our new Chairman,” said Deb Hawkinson, President of FRA. “Pete brings a wealth of experience and expertise with his background and will be a tremendous asset to further our mission of keeping the wood supply chain competitive.”
Stewart is a 26-year veteran of the forest products industry. At Forest2Market and Fisher, he continues to take the lead in developing new products for the global forest products industry. Stewart has led acquisition due diligence projects in the United States, Argentina, and Brazil and has been responsible for forest planning and harvest scheduling for $350 million of institutional forestland. A Texas native, Stewart has a BS in Forestry from Texas A&M University and an MS in Economics from the University of Georgia. With extensive knowledge of the supply chain in combination with Forest2Market’s and Fisher’s proprietary databases, Stewart provides accurate analysis of market trends and forecasts for forest products industries and emerging markets. He is a trusted advisor to the executive management of the major forest products companies worldwide.
The Forest Resources Association (FRA) promotes the interest of forest products industry members in building federal public policy engagement, enhancing supply chain relations, and addressing forest operations challenges. It is the only national association to represent all sectors of the wood supply chain, and members are represented in 49 states and 377 Congressional Districts.
