Ethan Bessey, Hallowell – President 

Ethan is the President of E.D. Bessey & Son and Bessey Development in Hinckley, ME, and is the fifth generation of the Bessey family to own timberland and operate the family business in Maine. With roots in the state dating to shortly after the Revolution, the Bessey family has a long history of sustainable forest management, honorable business practices, and community involvement. In addition to the family business and timberland, Ethan is the president of E.D. Bessey Lumber Products, LLC, a custom hardwood flooring and lumber brokerage that he started while living in Austin, TX. He was raised in Waterville and received a B.A. in Sociology from the University of New Hampshire in 1998. He and his wife Emily started the 501(c) 3 Hearts for Ezra Foundation to raise awareness and fight for a cure for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) which took their 8-month-old son Ezra in 2013. The foundation raises money for SMA research and hosts community awareness events in central Maine. Ethan lives in Hallowell with his wife and two daughters and two West Highland Terriers. 

Peter Carrier, Skowhegan – Treasurer

Peter is the owner of Carrier Chipping and CCI Transport in Skowhegan, ME.  Carrier Chipping is a wood processing plant that provides regional paper mills with pulp quality wood chips.  CCI Transport provides bulk transportation for the forest products industry such as wood chips, bark, shavings and biomass.  Peter grew up around mill equipment while working with his father, Michel, who founded Carrier Chipping.  After graduating from Skowhegan, Peter received his B.S. in Business from Babson College and returned home to run the family business.  He has served for many years as the President of MOTAG Northeast, which hosts an annual conference to provide technical education for mill operators within the forest industry.  Peter lives in Skowhegan with his wife Chelsey and three children

Elizabeth Cushman, Pownal 

Beth is a Maine Licensed Professional Forester, earning her degree at the University of Maine.  She also holds an MS in Science Education and a CAS in Educational Leadership.  She is the former Executive Director of the Trust to Conserve Northeast Forestlands, overseeing the Northeast Master Logger Certification Program and two Forest Steward Council certifications.  Presently she is the VP of Internal Operations at Maine Custom Woodlands. Beth is also involved in the Forest Resources Association and is a member of Phi Delta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi, University of Maine Chapter, and the Society of American Foresters.

Julie Davenport, Leeds

Julie Davenport works as a Maine Forest Service District Forester, providing education and outreach to landowners, loggers, and foresters in Franklin county and portions of Somerset and Kennebec counties. Julie has a special interest in forest-based education, and most enjoys her time spent working with the schools in her district. A second-generation forester, Julie has a B.S. in Forestry from the University of Maine Orono. After graduation, Julie worked in wood procurement at the Rumford mill before taking a position at Sappi North America where she was tasked with overseeing timber harvests on private woods properties. Julie and her husband Matt have a small hobby-logging venture focused on making forest management available to even the smallest of landowners called Little Skidder Co. When not in the woods, Julie can be found spending time with her husband and two daughters on their small farm in Leeds or performing with one of two bands she plays with.

Alexander R. Ingraham, Hampden – Most Recent Past President 

Alex currently works for Pingree Associates Inc. of Bangor, Maine. He received his B.S. in Forest Management from the University of Maine, and his M.B.A. at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. At Pingree, Alex investigates new business opportunities while monitoring current ventures for Pingree’s clients. Prior to joining Pingree Associates, Alex worked in Northern California as a consulting forester writing and implementing timber harvest plans. He is currently an intern forester in the State of Maine, and a member of the Society of American Foresters. 

Charles Hall, Albion 

Charlie holds a BS in Forestry with a concentration in Timber Utilization and Pulp and Paper from the University of Maine.   Upon graduation Charlie took a position in the technical department for Trus-Joist MacMillan in Valdosta, Georgia.  After a short stint in Georgia he returned north to take a position as a process engineer in the papermill at James River in Berlin, NH.  With the sale of James River to Crown Vantage, Charlie took a new role as a shift supervisor in the woodyard, woodroom, and boiler house.  In 1997 Charlie joined Sappi as the process engineer in the woodroom, where he worked on various woodroom projects throughout Sappi in both North America and South Africa.  In 2000 he was promoted to operations manager of the finishing department, where he helped oversee several large capital projects, including a new wrapline and salvage winder.  At the end of 2003, Charlie took a position as a technical specialist in the pulpmill, which involved such projects as optimizing the refiner performance in the papermill and oversight of the Flail Chip Project.  After 11 years working in manufacturing he left the mill to take a position as a senior wood procurement manager.  In this role he was responsible for the purchase of pulp chips, managed the Flail Project, and assisted in the purchase of roundwood.  Since 2008 Charlie has managed Sappi’s Maine Forestry Program, the position he currently holds.  The Forestry Program works with landowners throughout Maine and NH., both big and small, to help them achieve their forestry management objectives. Charlie lives in Albion, Maine with his wife Jenny and two teenage boys.  If you cannot find him at work, you will likely find him running to a hockey game or coaching a lacrosse team

Keith Kanoti, Old Town 

In his current position as Forest Manager for the University of Maine, Keith oversees the management of all forestland owned by the University of Maine System and the University of Maine Foundation. Prior to this he spent 10 years with the Maine Forest Service as a district forester in Jonesboro and later as the Maine Forest Service water resources forester. He has been an active member of the Maine Sustainable Forestry Initiative state implementation committee for many years. Keith earned a BS in Forestry from the University of New Hampshire and an MS in Forestry from the University of Maine. 

Keith Kanoti, Old Town 

In his current position as Forest Manager for the University of Maine, Keith oversees the management of all forestland owned by the University of Maine System and the University of Maine Foundation. Prior to this he spent 10 years with the Maine Forest Service as a district forester in Jonesboro and later as the Maine Forest Service water resources forester. He has been an active member of the Maine Sustainable Forestry Initiative state implementation committee for many years. Keith earned a BS in Forestry from the University of New Hampshire and an MS in Forestry from the University of Maine.

Kenneth Laustsen, Oakland

Former Biometrician, State of Maine – Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry, Bureau of Forestry, Forest Health and Monitoring Division (1999 – 2018).  Answering any and all questions about the availability/status of Maine’s forest resources. He also worked at Great Northern Paper Company, Millinocket, Maine:  Various forestry field, harvesting operation, and management staff positions (1974-1999); Asplundh Brush Control, Ohio: R.O.W. Construction Foreman, 1974. 

He is a Maine Licensed Professional Forester; Member of the Society of American Foresters, SAF Certified Forester, Project Learning Tree Facilitator, Ducks Unlimited Member, ASA Softball Umpire and NFHS Soccer Referee.

Kathryn (Katie) Manende, Alfred 

Katie works for the vegetation management division of Central Maine Power Company and is the owner of her own forestry consulting business, Maine Woods Forestry. She received a BS in both Forestry and Wildlife Ecology, and an MF focused on forest certification from the University of Maine. Katie also holds licenses in the State of Maine as a forester, arborist, and pesticide applicator, in addition to being a certified forester. Katie is a member of a number of professional societies including the Maine Arborist Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, American Tree Farm System, Maine Tree Farm Committee, and has been heavily involved with the Society of American Foresters, holding numerous positions within the organization. 

Jonathan A. Pottle, Bangor 

Jon is an attorney with Eaton Peabody in Bangor.  A native of Houlton, he received his BS in Forest Engineering from the University of New Brunswick and his JD and MS in Environmental Law from Vermont Law School in 2008. Prior to joining Eaton Peabody, Jon was a Forester/Environmental Consultant with Jones Associates in Poland, Maine, where he provided clients with forestry and environmental services for natural resources and residential/industrial development planning, including road construction and maintenance design, detention pond design, wetland mitigation design and residential/industrial development design. As an Educational Technician II, Jon supervised and instructed students in logging and forest management activities at Region Two School of Applied Technology in Dyer Brook.  While a student, he spent several summers interning with Fraser Paper and Huber Resources. 

Patrick Sirois, Litchfield

Pat grew up in a logging and sawmill family. Upon graduation from the Bath Iron Works Apprenticeship Program in 1983, he was called back to the woods to begin a logging career that lasted until 1997, when he was recruited to become the first Director of Maine’s Sustainable Forestry Initiative.
In 2001, he went to work for the Professional Logging Contractors of Maine to assist in the development of the Master Logger Program. In 2004, Pat re-joined the Council staff to return as the SFI Director.

Brian Souers, Lincoln

Brian began his love for the forest as a youngster, hiking, and camping in the Catskills and Adirondacks of NY.  That led to a year of studies at the NY School of Forestry in Syracuse, NY. Then an intensive technical training year at the NY State Ranger School on Cranberry Lake.

Brian joined International Paper’s forestry team in Mattawamkeag, Maine in 1977.  Three and a half years later, having begun logging on the weekends, Brian left IP Co. to start logging full-time. 42 years later Treeline employs 90 hardworking people who maintain and operate a fleet of 100 pieces of forestry and construction rolling stock, 135 registered vehicles, three maintenance and repair shops, a service center, a parts and supply store, a sawmill, a woodyard, and land development division. 

Brian has been active on many civic and industry boards. Brian is supported by his wife, Denise, of 36 years, three children, all of who participated in the family business, and five grandchildren.

Jacob Vainio, Auburn 

Jacob is a Commercial Loan Officer with Farm Credit East where he is responsible for customer service and lending activities to Maine’s farming, fishing, and forestry-related businesses. He received a B. S. in Accounting from the University of Maine after growing up in Monson and spending most of his childhood in the Maine woods. In his free time, Jacob manages trail maintenance and landowner relations for the Monson snowmobile club along with hiking, fishing, golfing, and hunting.