GLTPA's Director's Notes
Greetings,
I have often stated that representing and working for the good of healthy forests and a healthy forest industry is a “Team Sport” and I mean that. Great organizations are not about any one individual. They consist of high-caliber, multitalented individuals with deep passion for the mission at hand, “Enhancing Multiple Use Forests for Future Generations.” The sum of results is always far greater when all the players are involved compared to what any one individual could accomplish.
A book written by Jocko Willink and Leif Babin called “Extreme Ownership-How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win” provides the detail of how navy seals refer to themselves as “team guys” and not individuals. The authors state there are always individual perspectives, but overcoming obstacles and challenges is done together as a team. For the Seals, they must stick to the team’s decisions as they are in life and death situations. If anyone varies from the team decision during the maneuver, it could mean they all perish. Once the seal mission is implemented, there is no room for personal preference.
It is also worth noting that even though there are leaders within the team, the accomplishments are the team’s victory. If there is no team, there can be no leadership. It is no different for an organization such as Great Lakes Timber Professionals Association. There is a leadership structure, but it is the Board of Directors, the staff, and the active committees that provide the knowledge and skills required to meet the challenges and find the solutions. They are not life and death situations like those faced by the Seals, but the same principles and rules of engagement apply for success to be achieved. While the current battle is not amplified or intensified by the loss of human life, it is intense as many of the folks who are members of GLTPA are families who have passed their businesses down from generation to generation and are experiencing a major shift in pulp markets and for many reasons, market dependability.
No matter the level, decisions often have immediate consequences, which makes it even more important to have the inclusion of people with broad industry knowledge and belief in the mission of forest management and the value it brings to all citizens for their wellbeing whether they realize it or not. As the authors of “Extreme Ownership” wrote, the decisions are not about the individuals but are about the survival of the team. From a GLTPA perspective, that equates to the forestry industry including all the organizations members and sometimes those who are not members but are able to capitalize on legislation passed or work done by an organization to improve the operating conditions. GLTPA and FISTA Board and team members are smart, creative, and free-thinking people willing to give their time, and for the self-employed board members, income to fight for an industry and a cause they firmly believe in.
With the new year upon us, there are some changes to be aware of. Beginning with GLTPA, Mike Elenz a logger forester from Gaylord, Michigan was elected as GLTPA President effective January 1, 2025. In addition, Laura Delaney, Delaney Forest Products LLC. was elected as Wisconsin Vice President, and Todd Penrose, Holli Forest Products, was elected as Michigan Vice President. These are two-year terms intended to keep the succession of organization leadership as constant as possible. Changes to the Executive Committee include the addition of Sparky Enstrom as an at-large committee member replacing Guy Longhini. Guy is also chair of the Nominations Committee. As respective Michigan and Wisconsin VPs, both Laura and Todd will join the Executive Committee. New additions to the Board include Steve Hubbard in the Forestry Education position. Steve was elected by the full board to replace the retiring Paul Doruska. Garrett Prasse, Weekly Pulp and Timber, and James Wilson, Wilson Forestry LLC., were elected by their regions as Board representatives for logging and trucking. Each region elects two representatives that must be a logger or trucker or representing a logging or trucking company. This process ensures the Board remains a majority of loggers and truckers as written in the bylaws.
Also of note is that the GLTPA bylaws were changed to clarify that the two regionally elected representatives will be on the Board of Directors. In the past a region could elect two board members and in addition, have a regional chair and vice chair. Those positions have been eliminated and one of the two Board members will need to be elected by each region as chair of that region. The final change to the Board is that long time board member Mark Huempfner is retiring and resigned his position on the Board effective January 1, 2025. Because the regional elections were held prior to the December 4th board meeting, Dennis Schoeneck who was elected by his region, will now join the GLTPA board in Marks position. The next GLTPA board meeting will be in conjunction with the April 8th, 2025, Spring Logger Celebration to be held at the Hyatt Regency in Green Bay WI.
THANK YOU to all who have served GLTPA and its members prior to the recent elections. Rock Thums and Brian Maki who served chair and vice chair of the central region. Jeff Bean, central region representative, Paul Doruska, public education, Mark Huempfner, northeast region, Scott Koener, south region, and finally, outgoing WI VP Aaron Burmeister (remains on the board), and Troy Brown, outgoing President who remains on the board and Executive Committee as past president.
For the FISTA Board, three board members were reelected and they include Garrett Prasse, Dennis Schoeneck, and Tim Novitski. FISTA adds one new board member and that is Jaden Hoeft who is chair of the SFI State Implementation Committee (SIC). Whomever is the current chair of the SFI SIC has a standing position on the FISTA Board which is very helpful to ensure a high level of communications takes place between the two groups.
In closing the GLTPA Board continues to investigate and support additions to current and new markets geared toward the consumption of pulpwood and sawlogs. Multiple letters have been written to support USDA Wood Innovation grants as well as a small investment made to do wood fiber usage research for certain forest products made from wood. There are several possibilities being investigated ranging from biochar, to biofuel, to insulation, to glulam, and mass timber production. Projects underway such as the expansion of Precision Hardwoods in Onaway, Michigan, Newberry Wood Products LLC. in Newberry, MI, Great Lakes Veneer in Marion, WI, and upgrades to the Billerud mills are all welcomed investments for continued viable markets. I’m sure there are more expansions, and we’d like to know about them. Nonetheless, work continues to bring these markets for growth and stability to fruition. Wood consuming markets are the best and most economically feasible ways to assist landowners, both private and public, to keep forests healthy and productive. There is no escaping the fact that healthy forests depend on a vigorous forest products industry.
Despite the always abundant number of challenges, there are good things happening. With a little luck and hard work perhaps 2025 will be a year of expansion with profitable markets.
Happy New Year and all the best to each of you for success in the year ahead.
Until next Month,
Henry
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”