David Jones is currently the Director of Treated Wood and Laboratories with Timber Products Inspection. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Forest Resources/Wood Science from the University of Georgia, a Master of Science in Forestry from Stephen F. Austin State University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Forest resource Management from Clemson University. Previously he has worked as an auditor of forest products manufacturing both domestically and abroad, and was an Associate Professor and Extension Specialist at Mississippi State University. David resides in his family home in Hampton, Georgia.

Jay Hilsenbeck has been in the wood protection industry since 2006.  He has been a member of AWPA since 2010 and since then has served on a number of Preservative and Treatment Committees, joined the Executive Committee in 2021 and served as AWPA’s 2024-2025 President.  Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to attend Carnegie Mellon University, graduating with a B.S. in Chemistry and an M.S. in Polymer Science.  Jay moved to north Jersey to work for a specialty chemicals company supplying ingredients to the personal care and pharmaceutical industry.  He joined the wood protection industry after moving to Atlanta, Georgia to accept a position as Senior Research Chemist for Arch Wood Protection (now Arxada), and today is the Director of Global Product Management and North America Marketing for Arxada’s Wood Protection business.  In addition to his responsibilities at AWPA, Jay has been active in numerous industry organizations including RTA, ASTM, WDMA, CWPA, and CSA

KayCee started her career with Zip-O-Log Mills, Inc. in 2012. From 2012-2015 KayCee worked in the Planer facility all positions, Log Yard all positions, Trucking – threw straps, shadowed all Supervisors and all operators to either observe or do their jobs. Administrative/Financial – all positions - AP, AR, Log Accounting, Financial Statements, all reports. First NAWLA Event was the Wood Basics 2012 in Corvallis, OR and first Trader’s Market was 2012. Became part of the NAWLA 10 Group GenNext 1 in 2013. Also attended the NAWLA Executive Management Institute (EMI) course in 2015.  Learned to grade from the PLIB (Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau) and got certified.

2015-2021 KayCee worked mostly at the custom glulam facility from floor plans, getting certified with the APA to begin production in June 2016. Responsibilities were Sales, Production and Logistics/Shipping, and Operations. I joined the NAWLA Scholarship Committee in 2019-2022 and became Head Chair of the Education Committee in 2022.

  June 2021 – present – Became a co-owner as the Vice President along with my father Karl Hallstrom as President and my sister KelCee Hallstrom as the Secretary/Treasurer and oversee operations of all facilities.

Lon J. Sibert is the founder and president of Renewable Resource Associates, Inc. (RRA), established in 1995. With over 48 years of experience as of 2022, Lon is a respected figure in the lumber industry. He holds a B.S. in Forest Management from Humboldt State College and is accredited by the American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC). RRA provides comprehensive grading, inspection, and certification services, with expertise spanning North American species and international lumber markets in Europe, South America, and beyond. Throughout his career, Lon has been a key player in ensuring the quality and integrity of lumber products. He previously managed and served as Vice-President of the Lumber Division at Timber Products Inspection for 18 years, helping to restore and maintain its ALSC accreditation. He is also a voting member of the ALSC and serves on the ASTM Technical Committee D-07 for wood.

Terry Haddix took on the role of Operations Manager at Patrick Lumber Company in 2021.  She has nearly 30 years of diverse industry experience in wholesale and remanufacturing.  In her current position, she is responsible for creating, refining, and documenting processes, training, on-boarding, IT and special projects. Her previous position at PLC was in Business Administration, where her primary objective was to manage all aspects of her Trader's business, allowing them the freedom and flexibility to focus solely on buying and selling lumber.

Tyler Freres is the Vice President of Sales for Freres Lumber Co., Inc. He has worked directly in plywood manufacturing since 2004. Tyler is responsible for selling and sourcing all veneer for Freres veneer and plywood operations. As an executive team member, he takes an active role in determining the long-term direction of the company. 

Tyler attended Southern Methodist University (SMU), in Dallas, Texas, where he earned a B.A. in English Literature and a B.B.A. in Business Administration with Finance minor. After graduation from SMU, Tyler attended Oregon State University College of Forestry. In 2016, Tyler conceived of and the company later created Freres’s Mass Plywood Panel (MPP). Tyler’s passion for the future of veneer is evident. “I believe that the veneer and panel industry has the greatest potential of transforming and producing innovative wood products to create the greatest structures at the lowest cost with the least environmental impact.” 

Ben Jerkins is a dedicated Lumber Trader with Capital Forest Products, based in Atlanta, GA, serving the South and Southeast regions. He joined Capital Forest seven years ago as a Sales Representative for James Hardie Building Products, where he introduced cement fiber siding and trim to the Shed Building industry. During the pandemic, Ben transitioned to his current role, where his passion for the wood industry has only grown.

Ben holds a B.S. in General Chemistry and Mathematics from the University of North Alabama. Outside of work, he’s a passionate musician with over 40 years of experience, sharing his love for music with his children. Family is at the heart of Ben’s life, and he finds joy in cooking and creating delicious dishes.

Thomas Mende is the President and CEO of Binderholz Timber and joined the company in 2019. With extensive experience in the wood products industry, Thomas has worked with leading companies such as Klausner Trading USA and New South Companies. He also serves on the Board of Directors for NAWLA.