A warm, new year welcome to our new Membership and Policy Council members. 

Nine professional members of the Guild are elected by their peers to serve three-year terms on the Membership and Policy Council (MPC). The MPC supervises the development of Guild policy and position statements and the modification of our Mission and Principles. The MPC also addresses issues related to membership and member services. The MPC holds monthly conference calls and is comprised of committees responsible for work on current projects. Elections are held for a portion of the MPC positions each autumn.

Jan-Willem Jansens

Term through 12/31/24
Santa Fe, NM

Bill Wilkinson

Term through 12/31/25
Burnt Ranch, CA

Clint Patterson

Term through 12/31/25
Mc Kee, KY

Austin Himes

Term through 12/31/26
Starkville, MS

Jack Singer

Term through 12/31/26
Ashland, OR

Jeffrey Dubis

Term through 12/31/26
Wanakena, NY

Sara Kelso

Term through 12/31/26
Marquette, MI

Richard Donovan

Term through 12/31/26
Jericho, VT

tish carr

Term through 12/31/25
Belgrade, ME

Current MPC members

Meet your MPC members

Jan-Willem Jansens (Chair)

Santa Fe, NM
505-470-2531
jwjansens@ecotonelandscapeplanning.com

tish carr

Belgrade, Maine
tishcarrconsultingllc@gmail.com

Jeffrey Dubis

Wanakena, New York
jjdubis@esf.edu

Austin Himes

Starkville, Mississippi
662-325-4249
austin.himes@msstate.edu

Sara Kelso

Marquette, Michigan
sara.kelso@macd.org

Richard Donovan

Jericho, Vermont
802-236-0634
pelicanzell@gmail.com

Clint Patterson

Mc Kee, Kentucky
clint_patterson@berea.edu

Jack Singer

Ashland, Oregon
518-618-8016
jsinger@pacificforest.org

Bill Wilkinson

Burnt Ranch, California
707-599-7215
billw@bbwassociates.com

Photo of Jeff Dubis

“I appreciate the Guild’s viewpoint that the forests have values that benefit society and that are also independent of society. The Guild’s emphasis on responsible, ecologically based forest management and commitment to education make it a valuable resource for individuals of all interests and backgrounds. The principles of the Guild, the many educational opportunities it offers, and its focus on diversity and inclusion should be an attraction to many of today’s young professionals.”

Jeffrey Dubis

Wanakena, New York.
Sara Kelso

"As the future of our forests becomes more and more uncertain, the Guild embodies so much of what I view as important in forestry: continuous learning, responsible forest management, stewardship ethic, the diversity of those who use forests, and putting the forest first.  I’m excited and honored to serve as a member of the Guild’s Membership and Policy Council as the Guild continues to positively influence our forests and our society."

Sara Kelso

Marquette, Michigan
Photo of Jack Singer at prescribed fire

"Individuals and society alike depend on functioning forest ecosystems to survive, yet our forests continue to decline in terms of the aerial extent of forest cover, and the average age and size of dominant trees in our remaining forests. I believe that the Forest Stewards' Guild's Mission to normalize responsible forest management will help our forests, our society, and our profession to thrive for many generations to come, and I am honored to support the Guild with my service on the Membership and Policy Council."

Jack Singer

Ashland, OR
Photo of Austin Himes

"To me the Guild represents forestry that accounts for the diverse ways forests are important to people."

Austin Himes

Starkville, MS
Richard Donovan

“For forestry in the USA, I believe it is critical that the Guild support the conservation of critical and rare forest attributes, species, and natural communities, while at the same time knowing we need to have the support of local communities for practical solutions. Humans are part of the ecosystem, and Guild efforts need to constantly reinforce how critical the relationship is between us and forests.”

Richard Zell Donovan

Jericho, VT
Clint Patterson

"I am excited to be involved with a group whose sense of community, in the spirit of Aldo Leopold’s maxim, extends to the land: “When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect” (in A Sand County Almanac). I believe that, as we reopen to seeing land this way, and humbly learn its wisdom, this could be the key to more fully loving and respecting all peoples of the earth too, in the process."

Clint Patterson

Mc Kee, KY
Bill Wilkinson

"I’m honored to serve on the Guild’s Membership and Policy Council.  As a founding member, I have a lot of long-time energy and trust invested in the Guild, which to me represents the best future for forestry in the United States."

Bill Wilkinson

Burnt Ranch, CA
tish carr

"I am excited to be part of such a diverse and energetic group in this organization with a long history of leading.  I look forward to sharing my knowledge and experiences that show the benefit of bringing Indigenous Knowledge and western science together to improve environmental decisions and policy practices."

tish carr

Belgrade, Maine
Jan-Willembioimg

"I would like to cultivate a strong sense of stewardship in the expanding Guild community by emphasizing that placing the forest first supports E.O. Wilson’s half earth vision and the 30-by-30 policies of the US government and the UN for the coming decade."

Jan-Willem Jansens

Santa Fe, NM

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