Robin Modesto, a registered professional forester and professional engineer from Campbell River, was acclaimed as president of the 71st council of the Association of BC Forest Professionals (ABCFP) at its annual general meeting and conference in Victoria on February 22.
Morgan Kennah, a registered professional forester from Victoria, assumes the association’s vice president position.
The 71st council includes forest professionals from around the province who have a variety of backgrounds that will help lead the work of the ABCFP. This year’s council includes representatives from government, large forest companies, and independent consultants.
The ABCFP Council governs the affairs of the association and works to fulfill the ABCFP’s mandate to ensure BC’s forests are in good hands. Council is made up of 10 elected councillors and two non-member lay councillors who are appointed by the provincial government.
The 71st ABCFP Council is made up of:
President
Robin Modesto is a registered forest professional (RPF) with a degree in Forest Engineering from the University of New Brunswick. He is also a professional engineer and holds a Master’s of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University.
Modesto is currently the manager, supply chain and land use, at Interfor Coastal Woodlands division where he manages the transportation and sorting of their coastal log production while balancing inventory levels and meeting mill requirements. Modesto joined Interfor in Campbell River as an assistant engineer in 1995 and has held various planning and operational roles since then.
Throughout his career, Modesto has served on many government and industry committees representing both Interfor and the Coast Forest Products Association. He served on the Association of BC Forest Professionals’ Board of Examiners between 2005 and 2009 and has been a member of ABCFP council since 2014.
Vice President
Morgan Kennah is a registered forest professional (RPF) and is currently the Director, Strategic Initiatives, Northeast Region, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, in Victoria. Prior to joining the BC Public Service in 2016, she spent 10 years working within the forest sector for both private and public land managers in a variety of roles.
Past President: Mauro Calabrese, RPF, RPBio, Planning Superintendent, West Fraser, Williams Lake
Councillor: Elisabeth Armstrong, RFT, ATE, Infinite Forest Solutions, Kamloops
Councillor: Jamie Jeffreys, RPF, Provincial Operations Manager, FrontCounter BC, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Kamloops
Councillor: Trevor Joyce, RPF, Strategic Planning Forester, Sinclar Group Forest Products, Prince George
Councillor: Garnet Mierau, RPF, Senior Planning Forester, Foresite Consultants, Kamloops
Councillor: Marina Rayner, RFT, Manager of Lands and Resources, Yuułuʔiłʔath First Nation, Ucluelet
Councillor: Cliff Roberts, RFT, Partner, Chartwell Consultants, North Vancouver
Councillor: Kerri Simmons, RPF, FMS and Tenures Coordinator, Canadian Forest Products, Prince George
Lay Councillor: Tom Walker, Retired, Duncan
The association is also preparing for the appointment of a second lay councillor by the provincial government.