Experience

Dovetail Partners, Inc.

• United States
• Environmental Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Associate

  • Jan 2015 - Present

  Contribute to Dovetail's mission to provide authoritative information about the impacts and trade-offs of environmental decisions, including consumption choices, land use, and policy alternatives. Particular areas of interest include biochar, organic agriculture, rural and urban/suburban natural resource management and utilization, climate change mitigation, and natural resource-based small business development--especially rural and Cooperative models. My participation in these activities include leading and contributing to Dovetail Reports, managing and/or participating in specific projects, and developing funding to underwrite my activities. Projects are typically regional or national in scope and involve networking with innovative, entrepreneurial, collaborative individuals and groups, and usually include public, private, and academic participants.



Next Generation Woods, Inc.

• Managing Partner

  • Jan 1998 - Present

  While the company was formed in 1998 to serve local forest landowners in the sustainable managment of thier forests and to produce value added products from them, the focus of the business has shifted more toward consulting on larger regional and national issues. Specifically, we worked with Dogwood Carbon from MO on a managed forest carbon sequestration project in 2009 and 2010; we worked with the Center for Cooperative Forest Enterprises in a consulting role on a variety of projects and then for a two year stint as its director. Currently pursuing independent funding (and investment) for further rural business development opportunities as both consultant and entrepreneur.



Center for Cooperative Forest Enterprises

• Roanoke, Virginia Area

• Director

  • Jan 2012 - Aug 2014

  CCFE was a program of the National Network of Forest Practitioners underwritten by a USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant funding. NNFP is a non-profit based in OH with the stated mission of supporting rural economic development in forest-dependent communities. CCFE advocated cooperation and provided business and technical support for forest enterprises during my tenure. CCFE was a program of the National Network of Forest Practitioners underwritten by a USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant funding. NNFP is a non-profit based in OH with the stated mission of supporting rural economic development in forest-dependent communities. CCFE advocated cooperation and provided business and technical support for forest enterprises during my tenure.



Blue Ridge Forest Cooperative, Inc.

• CEO

  • Oct 2004 - Dec 2010

  Forest Landowner Cooperative structured to help members practice profitable sustainable forestry by adding value to forest products and marketing them. Practitioners of responsible forestry and producer of certified forest products under the Forest Stewardship Council. The Co-op dissolved in 2010, a victim of the Great Recession--caused by the housing market collapse, which resulted in most of 2008 orders being cancelled, after which we went 18 months with no orders. The membership of BRFC was tremendously committed and dedicated, but couldn't resist the consequences of the greed and avarice that put the US Economy in the toilet!



Virginias Center for Innovative Technology

• Regional Director of Technology Transfer

  • 1990 - 1998

  Charged with transferring technology from the Commonwealth's Insitutions of Higher Education to businesses in VA. Established the SW VA Center for Advanced Manufacturing and served as an Extension resource, assisting over 150 businesses increase thier competitiveness. Also served as the VA representative to the Southern (Governors) Technology Council's Consortium for Manufacturing Competitiveness. Charged with transferring technology from the Commonwealth's Insitutions of Higher Education to businesses in VA. Established the SW VA Center for Advanced Manufacturing and served as an Extension resource, assisting over 150 businesses increase thier competitiveness. Also served as the VA representative to the Southern (Governors) Technology Council's Consortium for Manufacturing Competitiveness.