Michelle Freeman & Jacquie Martin.
Dr Michelle Freeman has been elected President and Jim Wilson Vice President of Forestry Australia. Source: Timberbiz
Retiring President, Bob Gordon applauded the move stating he was delighted to see Michelle and Jim join with the organisation’s CEO Jacquie Martin, to form a diverse leadership team, as part of the Board transition and renewal process.
“It is heartening to see Michelle accept the nomination to take the leadership of the team, particularly on the eve of International Woman’s Day,” Mr Gordon said.
“Michelle has been on the Board for a number of years and has already made a very significant contribution to Forestry Australia and I look forward to her leadership,” Mr Gordon said.
Ms Freeman is a forester with a passion for native forest management and has a double degree in Forestry and Science (Ecology), and a PhD from the University of Melbourne.
Her PhD was in partnership with CSIRO Darwin looking at savanna fire and tree dynamics of northern Australia, as part of the Tiwi Carbon Study.
She is a Registered Forestry Professional and has worked in timber harvesting operations, planning and regulation and is currently Principal Consultant and Director of Hollow-wood Enterprises.
Ms Freeman was on the Board of the IFA from 2012 – 2014 and chaired the Future Foresters Initiative from 2015 – 2017. From 2014 – 2017 she was an Independent Council Member on the Federal Governments’ Forest Industry Advisory Council, a past Board member of FSC Australia/NZ, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
She is joined by Vice President, Jim Wilson who has a Bachelor of Science (Forestry) Australian National University 2003 and is the Plantation Operations and Services Manager at Forico, Tasmania.
He is a Registered Forestry Professional and graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Australian Rural Leadership Program.
Mr Wilson’s career has been focused in the private sector and he has invested his recent years working with Forico, as well as providing significant service at sector level in advocacy and leadership.
He is also an active farm forester with both plantation and native forest in Tasmania.
Bob Gordon will remain on the Board during this transition period.
AFPA Chief Executive Officer Joel Fitzgibbon said Bob Gordon had led a distinguished career in many fields, not least of which includes his service to Australia’s forestry sector.
“I’ve had the privilege of working with Bob over the course of the last 20 years,” he said.
“I look forward to working with both Michelle and Jim to meet the forestry sector’s policy challenges and opportunities, including shoring up future timber and wood fibre supply to achieve sovereign capability, having industry contribute to Australia meeting its climate goals and continually improving evidence based approaches to forest management,” Mr Fitzgibbon said.
