Staff
Tim O’Hara was welcomed as FRA President on November 1, 2024. Building on his work as Vice President of Government Affairs and Manager of the Lake States Region since 2018, he continues to lead FRA’s policy advocacy, strategic planning, and regional initiatives. With over three decades of experience in forest policy and management, Tim has held influential roles, including Regional Woodlands Manager at Packaging Corporation of America and Vice President of Forest Policy at Minnesota Forest Industries. His career is marked by his expertise in sustainable forest management, government relations, and workforce development. Tim holds a master’s degree in economics and policy from the University of Minnesota, with a focus on forest policy and economic development. He has contributed to numerous professional committees and authored publications on topics such as the critical role of H-2B guest workers and the health of logging businesses in Minnesota. Through his dedication, Tim has become a prominent voice in advancing sustainable forestry practices and supporting the forest products industry in the Lake States and beyond.
Claire Gedde is the Director of Operations for FRA. She oversees FRA’s financial activities, directs internal and external communications, and manages FRA operations and staff. She effectively interacts with a wide variety of key stakeholders to advance FRA’s objectives: influence public policy, enhance supply chain relations, and address forest operations challenges.
Before joining FRA, Claire spent ten years in the U.S. luxury hotel market in Washington D.C. She then returned to her native country of England for five years, where she held the position of Director of Events at Deloitte in London before joining the pre-opening team of a prestigious hotel company. Claire holds her degree in International Hotel Management and brings a wealth of experience in project management, sales and marketing, budget administration, HR and team development, and event planning.
Before joining FRA, Vanessa spent three years dedicated to supporting a national nonprofit by developing and promoting communication strategies to help advance the organization’s efforts to offer charitable solutions to the public. These strategies included digital marketing, social media, community outreach, and events. Before that, she spent several years living abroad in Lima, Peru, where she started a Language Consulting company that worked with industries such as hospitality and logistics firms to help top-tier executives improve their intercultural communication skills. She holds a Communications degree from Old Dominion University and brings a positive attitude and experience in community building, storytelling, and design.
Clay Altizer has more than 20 years of professional experience supporting the forest products value chain in the Eastern United States. His previous employment experience includes serving as International Marketing Specialist for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Utilization Forester with the North Carolina Forest Service, a Research Assistant Professor in the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources at West Virginia University, and a Research Associate in the College of Forest Resources at Mississippi State University.
Clay received a B.A. in Biology from Virginia Military Institute, an M.S. in Forestry and Forest Products from Virginia Tech, and both an M.P.P.A in Public Policy and Administration and a Ph.D. in Forest Resources from Mississippi State University. Clay is a native of Christiansburg, VA and currently resides in Clayton, NC.
Lindsay grew up with a forester father and has been in the woods all her life. As an adult, she discovered a passion for the timber industry and the opportunities and challenges associated with working in the natural resources industry. Before working as the Division Safety, Environmental, and Forest Policy Manager for Woodgrain (aka the Agency Handler), Lindsay worked as a Forest Policy Analyst for Boise Cascade. During her time there, she helped to develop multiple Northeast Oregon Collaborative efforts to increase timber supply and maintain the infrastructure in the region. She was also involved at a Regional and Federal level with the Forest Service to influence policies to ensure proper, scientifically based management in National Forests, contributing to economic benefits for the local communities.
Eric Kingsley, a partner in the firm Innovative Natural Resources Solutions, LLC, is FRA’S Northeast Coordinator. Eric brings twenty years of experience in forest industry, both in the Northeast and nationally. Eric has worked extensively on the development of new markets, wood procurement, and strengthening the industry through innovative financing tools.
Eric is the past executive of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association, that state’s forest industry and logging association. He is also a past board member of the NH SFI State Implementation Committee, the NH Tree Farm Committee, the Biomass Energy Resource Center, Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine, and CEI Capital Management Limited. He currently serves on the board of the Maine Forest Products Council and chairs the Maine Technology Institute’s Forestry and Agriculture Technology Board.
After graduating from Virginia Tech University with a BS in forestry, Jeff began his career as a procurement forester with Mead Paper in Chillicothe, OH. While at Mead, Jeff also worked in West Virginia and Alabama. Most recently, Jeff served as the Fiber Supply Director at Glatfelter Paper/Pixelle Specialty Solutions from 2017-2019. After leaving Pixelle, Jeff established Jenkins Forestry Solutions, LLC. in 2020, focusing on chainsaw and logger training and acting as a business consultant.
Jeff currently serves as an Executive Board Member of the Ohio Forestry Association and was a past FRA Board Member and Appalachian Region Steering Committee member. During his career, Jeff had the opportunity to work with Soren Eriksson on the “Game of Logging” chainsaw training, logger efficiency and the de-coupled logging approach.