Memphis, Tennessee — The North American Forest Foundation (NAFF) has announced Stephanie Van Dystadt as its president. Van Dystadt took the reins from the past president, Jeff Durst of Hull Forest Products at NAFF’s summer meeting.
Van Dystadt has been in the forest products industry since 1998 when she began working at DV Hardwoods, Inc. where she is a leader in international sales and business development. She steps up into her position as president from her previous role as vice president, which she held since 2017. Her familiarity with NAFF’s history and current mission has made the transition smooth.
“We’ve worked hard over the past two years. We had to take a few steps back so we could move forward, and under Jeff’s leadership, we focused on rebuilding our foundation. We have a new name, went through a full rebrand, and now we’re starting to see why it was worth the effort. For the next two years, I’d like to continue building upon that foundation, keeping true to our mission and values,” Van Dystadt shared.
The North American Forest Foundation, formerly the Hardwood Forest Foundation, is well into its first year under its new moniker. The updated name complements the organization’s new and inclusive mission – to promote the entire forest products industry through public engagement and education, rather than focusing exclusively on the hardwood sector.
“In many organizations, each time there is a change in leadership, there’s also a pivot when it comes to its mission,” Van Dystadt said. “As NAFF vice president, I worked with Jeff and the board to help create our mission. We’re not pivoting, we know where we’re going, and we’ll get there faster due to our shared vision.”
Interested parties can learn more by contacting Jennifer Reith at jreith@northamericanforestfoundation.org, or by visiting NAFF’s website.