2025 Symposium Speakers Bios
Claire Shelton Lee, Registered Forester and Consultant for Timber Management Services
Claire was born and raised in Valdosta, GA. She attended University of Georgia and Valdosta State University where she earned her B.S. in Criminal Justice. Upon her graduation, she moved to Atlanta and was working as a Security Manager for Macy’s Department Store when her father passed away in 1987. As a result of her father’s death, she decided to leave Macy’s, return to Valdosta to attend ABAC in Tifton, GA and study Forestry. After graduating from ABAC with Associate Degrees in Forestry and Wildlife she went to work with Georgia Forestry Commission. In less than a year, her family asked her to manage their family property, Shelton Land Company. She has now been overseeing all the management activities of SLCo’s property and timber for 35 years. She was selected the Georgia Tree Farmer of the Year in 2023.
Claire is married to Hank Lee, owner of Lee Office Equipment, and they reside in Valdosta. They have one son, a radiation oncologist in Salt Lake City, Utah whois married with 3 children and a daughter that is a First Lieutenant in the United States Army.
Bob Izlar, Director Emeritus, UGA Harley Langdale Center for Forest Business.
Bob was founding director of the University of Georgia Harley Langdale, Jr. Center for Forest Business from 1998 until he retired in 2022. He also has 24 years of operational forestry experience in forest industry. He was the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Forest History Society for 2021-2023 and is Immediate Past Chair for 2024-2025.
Izlar is a retired United States Army Colonel with 36 years’ service. He is an international forestry consultant.
Leslie Boby, Director of Southern Regional Extension Forestry
Leslie fosters connections, communication, and collaboration amongst forestry Extension programs, state forestry agencies, federal agencies, and other related partners in the South. Her work extends across multiple areas, including forest economics and markets, landowner education, continuing education, wildland fire, legacy planning, tech transfer, and more. She is also the lead author of the Guidebook for Prescribed Burning in the Southern Region and numerous other Extension publications. Leslie’s career spans more than 25 years and includes time as a U.S. Peace Corps agroforestry volunteer in Kenya, positions as a wildland firefighter and biological technician for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, a wilderness ranger for the U.S. Forest Service, invasive species technician for Audubon California, a coordinator of volunteers for a nature center and more. Leslie completed her doctorate in education in Adult Learning, Leadership & Organizational Development at the Univ. of Georgia in 2023, has an M.S. in Forest Ecology from the University of Florida and a BS in Plant Biology from the University of Illinois. She lives outside Athens, GA with her husband and two boys.
Fred Warnell, President of Warnell Timber and Land and President of Groveland Farms Inc.
1971 Graduate of UGA School of Forestry with a BS Degree in Timber Management. School now bares name of my Grandfather D.B.Warnell
Worked for State and Federal Agencies as Forester before establishing Warnell Consulting in 1985. Served on board of Directors for the GFA, Georgia Forestry Commission, Coastal Soil and Water District and the Coastal RC&D.
Appointed to Alumni Steering Committee at Warnell School of Forestry and served as Chairman. Served on Deans Advisory Board. Member of Jayhole and Aghon Society.
Worked as a Forester for over 50 years managing timberland for private landowners in addition to family timberland holdings.
Jody Strickland, Chief Business Officer, EVP, F&W Forestry Services, Inc.
Mrs. Strickland has an array of diverse experience in the forest industry sector. She serves on the executive team at F&W where she is responsible for business development, real estate services, marketing and overseeing international forest operations in the UK and South America. As part of F&W’s executive team, she uses her extensive experience in leadership positions to help set business strategy and develop talent. Previously, Strickland spent 22 years working with Weyerhaeuser and Proctor & Gamble in various leadership positions in timberland acquisitions and sales, forest operations, land management, wood procurement, harvesting, engineering, and manufacturing.
Mrs. Strickland was inducted into the Ga. Forestry Hall of Fame in 2021. Strickland serves on the executive committee of the Forest Resource Association, is a member of the Society of American Foresters, the Forest Landowners Association, and the Ga. Forestry Association Board of Directors. She serves on numerous advisory committees and boards, including the UGA Warnell School of Forest Resources Harvey Langdale Center for Forest Business Advisory Council, the Board of Directors for Superior Pine Products, and Superior Berries, the Ga. FFA Foundation Board of Directors, and the Ga. FFA Sponsor Board. She is also a member of the National Association of Realtors, Realtors Land Institute, the GA Agribusiness Council, and the GA Farm Bureau.
Strickland earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Florida. While in college, she was named Most Outstanding Ag. Engineering Student in the Nation.
Robert M. Hood, Special Operations Combat Medic, ATP, NREMT-P, TCCC
Rob is an 11-year U.S. Army veteran still serving in the Florida National Guard. He enlisted in 2013 as an Army Combat Medic. Since then, he has deployed three times - 1 time to Central Africa, 1 time to Syria, and 1 time to Northwest Africa. He completed the Special Operations Combat Medic course in 2017. Other military certifications include Tactical Combat Casualty Care Instructor (TCCC), Combat Life Saver Instructor (CLS), 74D CBRN Specialist MOS, Hospital Management of CBRN casualties course, Field Management of CBRN casualties, Medical Management of CBRN casualties, Hazmat Awareness, Hazmat Ops, Special Forces Basic Combat Course (SFBCC), Special Forces Advanced Urban Combat Course (SFAUC), Airborne school, among others.
In the civilian world, Rob became an National Registry EMT-B in 2013 and then a National Registry and State of FL EMT-Paramedic in 2017. He has worked in the ER of Orlando Regional Medical Center (Level 1 Trauma Center), for Volusia County EMS EVAC, and currently works in the ER of a small community hospital in Brevard County, FL. Rob is currently working on starting a business that brings medical training catered to individual needs.
Danielle Atkins, Owner & Forester, Land & Ladies
Danielle Atkins is the CEO, founder and owner of Land and Ladies, whose mission is to
equip women landowners across the Southeast with the communicative tools and confidence
to manage their forestland. She specializes in program development and training of forestry
principles for women, blending faith and land stewardship together. Since 2022 has grown as a
social media creator specifically sharing forestry and landownership principles in often skit-like
content. Prior to starting Land & Ladies in 2020, Danielle graduated from the UGA Warnell
School of Forestry and Natural Resources with her B.S.F.R. in wildlife sciences in 2012 and her
Master of Forest Resources (MFR) in 2013 . She then went to work with the Georgia Forestry
Commission in southeast Georgia as a management forester and a stewardship specialist.
Danielle has worked with the nationally awarded Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention
Program, and has been working with women landowners developing women-focused
workshops since 2016. Danielle has held various leadership roles with Society of American
Foresters Blackwater Chapter (2015 – present) and Georgia Division (2017-2019), as well as
participation with UGA’s Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry (2015-2017).
Danielle is a registered forester in Georgia (#2997) and in 2020 was named the Warnell “Young
Alumni of the Year.” Mrs. Atkins currently lives in Brunswick, Georgia with her husband and
three children.
Daniel Atkins, Area Marketing Manager, Weyerhaeuser Company
Daniel manages over 600,000 acres of company land across Coastal Georgia and Florida. A native of Brunswick, Georgia, he enjoys hunting and fishing at every chance he gets. Daniel graduated from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife and a Master of Forest Resources degree. He is happily married to his SMOKE SHOW of a wife, Danielle Atkins, and has three amazing kids. Throughout his career he has managed logging and site prep contractors, managed customer relationships, and most importantly strived to build meaningful relationships with those around him.
Timothy M. Lowrimore, President & CEO, Georgia Forestry Association
Tim Lowrimore was appointed as Director/State Forester of the Georgia Forestry Commission in December 2020. Lowrimore is a registered forester with the Georgia Board of Foresters who has more than 20 years of forestry and professional experience. Prior to his appointment at GFC, he served as public affairs manager for Interfor, one of the largest lumber producers in the world. There, he worked with all levels of government regulatory agencies and community and economic development officials to promote and protect operations and sustainability initiatives. Professional recognition includes SAF Fellow Designation, Georgia Forestry Association Forest Champion Award, and Georgia Trend’s Top 500 Most Influential Georgians. Lowrimore is a University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources graduate. Lowrimore and his wife, Wendi, have two daughters.
Derek Dougherty, President of Dougherty & Dougherty Forestry Services, Inc.
Derek is an operational forester, real estate agent, forest researcher, tree breeder, seedling grower, and small sawmiller. Derek obtained two professional degrees from UGA's Wanell School of Forestry including a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources with a focus in Forest Business in 1993 and a PhD in Forest Resources with a focus on loblolly pine silviculture and genetics in 2018. Derek is a Registered Forester in many southern states and has worked to implement progressive forestry management and/or research for landowners and investors in every southeastern US state over the last three decades. Derek has held business leadership roles as President of Dougherty & Dougherty Forestry Services, Inc., Manager of Progressive Realty Services, LLC, Co-Manager of Progressive Forest Properties Group, LLC, manager of GenTreeXT LLC, and Director of the Forest Owners Research and Technology Exchange. Derek served as President of the Forest Landowners Association (2010-2011). Derek has been a past recipient of the Young Forest Landowner Award and the Society of American Foresters Field Forester Award. Derek lives in N. Georgia with his wife Julie and enjoys Christian Men's ministry efforts and spending time with family.
Veronica McClendon, Attorney, Mcclendon Law & Consulting, LLC
Veronica McClendon is an attorney, speaker, and consultant known for her expertise in matters involving heirs’ property, estate planning, and succession planning. She owns McClendon Law and Consulting located in Macon, GA. Her firm helps farmers, landowners, and their families to build, protect, and transfer their wealth in a proactive and intentional matter. Veronica and her team specialize in clearing title to heirs’ property, developing wills and trusts, supporting families through the probate process, and helping farm and small business owners with formation and governance matters. She lives in Macon with her husband, Shawn, and two brilliant daughters.
Max Nova, CEO, NCX
Max Nova is the CEO of NCX (the Natural Capital Exchange). NCX's mission is to create fair and honest natural capital markets so that millions of Americans can prosper from the carbon, water, wildlife, timber, and other values their land provides. Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Max earned a degree in computer science from Yale.
Max loves being outside and can often be found riding his bike around White Rock Lake in Dallas, TX where he lives with his wife and newborn son. He reads 100 books a year and is always looking for a good book, so don't be shy about sending recommendations to [email protected]!
Roberta Moore, Field Representative, The Conservation Fund
As a Field Representative with The Conservation Fund's team in Atlanta, Georgia, Roberta Moore facilitates land, water, and natural resource conservation throughout the state of Georgia to protect places of ecological, economic, cultural, and historical significance. Roberta works as a real estate specialist, with expertise in navigating complex real estate negotiations and transactions. She works with government, business, and nonprofit partners to accomplish local and regional conservation goals. Roberta also utilizes GIS to help identify priority areas for conservation.
Prior to joining the Fund, Roberta worked as a fundraiser and communications specialist for Atlanta nonprofit Park Pride and served as an environmental educator in California, Wyoming, and Tennessee. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and Studies from Rhodes College and is a Georgia Master Naturalist.
Cade Warner, President and CEO, The Westervelt Company
A native of Tuscaloosa, AL., Cade Warner is the President and CEO of The Westervelt Company. He received a bachelor’s degree in commerce and business administration from the University of Alabama, a master’s in business administration from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in forest resources with a specialization in forest business from the University of Georgia. In addition, Cade is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®), Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA®), and Financial and Modeling Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) professional designations and has completed courses in Managerial Leadership and Sustainable Finance and Investments through Harvard Extension School.
Prior to becoming CEO, his experience included his role as Chief Operating Officer, where he was responsible for the five business operations of The Westervelt Company – Forest Resources, Wood Products, Ecological Services, Real Estate and New Zealand, as well as Business Development and Information Services. Cade also served as Chief Sustainability Officer, where he was responsible for leading Sustainability efforts across the organization, as well as responsibility for Westervelt Ecological Services, Westervelt New Zealand and Westervelt Real Estate businesses. He previously served as Director of Business Development and Improvement where he was responsible for the company’s strategic planning, business development and business improvement functions, and as Continuous Improvement Manager where he oversaw the development and implementation of the company’s continuous improvement program, Growing Excellence.
Prior to joining The Westervelt Company in 2017, Cade held multiple positions with Conservation Forestry, a leading conservation themed timberland investment management organization. Cade has gained a breadth of experience in other sectors of the forestry and investment industries through intern positions with Hancock Natural Resource Group, the United States Senate Banking Committee, the Alabama Forestry Association and The Westervelt Company.
Cade has been, and continues to be, involved with many community leadership groups including the West Alabama Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Leadership Tuscaloosa, United Way of West Alabama’s Young Leadership Society, Rotary International, and the Tuscaloosa Rotary Foundation Board. In addition, Cade also directly supports the industry through board positions on the Wood Products Council | WoodWorks, American Wood Council, National Alliance of Forest Owners, Alabama Wildlife Federation, University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Business Board of Visitors, University of Georgia Harley Langdale, Jr. Center for Forest Business, and the Alabama Productivity Center.
Cade and his wife April have two children and enjoy spending their time traveling and exploring the world’s natural wonders.
Yenie Tran, Associate Director, Portfolio Manager at Manulife Investment Management Timberland & Agriculture
Dr. Yenie Tran is an Associate Director and Portfolio Manager at Manulife Investment Management Timberland & Agriculture. She has previously held positions at Resource Management Service, TimberMart-South, the National Association of Conservation Districts, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She has served as an adjunct instructor in economics at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She holds a doctor of philosophy in forest economics and a bachelor of business administration in marketing from the University of Georgia. She also holds a master of arts in public communication from the American University. She is a member of the Society of American Foresters and currently serves on the Young Alumni Committee for the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and on the boards for Urban Wood Economy and the Junior League of Athens. Yenie and her husband Steve own forestland in South Carolina and reside in Athens, Georgia.
David Foil, Principal & Broker, Forest Resource Consultants, Inc.
David Foil recently stepped away from his role as company President and Board Chairman after serving in the position for twenty years. He continues to serve as the company’s Managing Broker while also supporting the Family Business Planning Services team and assisting with business development efforts. David draws on his decades of experience working with private landowners and his organizational and administrative management skillset to provide invaluable advice to clients.
Prior to joining FRC in 1988, David worked with St. Regis Paper Company and J.T. Strahan Timber Corporation. He is a member of the Association of Consulting Foresters and is a licensed Forester and Real Estate Broker in multiple southern states. David is a member of the Board of Directors for the Georgia Forestry Association and the Forest Landowner’s Association. He previously served as President of the Georgia Forestry Association, the Georgia Chapter of the Association of Consulting Foresters, and is a former Trustee with the Georgia Forestry Foundation. Prior to beginning his professional career, David obtained a Bachelor of Science in Forest Management from Clemson University.
Johnathan Gray, President, CEO, Georgia Baptist Foundation
Since 2014, Dr. Johnathan W. Gray has served as President of the Georgia Baptist Foundation. As president/CEO, he led the
Foundation to create two subsidiary organizations: Ministry Trust and Christian Timber Reserve. Christian Timber Reserve exists to encourage, facilitate, and manage gifts of timber for Kingdom causes. Gospel generosity is a concept that Dr. Gray is passionate about. Outside of his full-time roles, Dr. Gray has enjoyed serving as the National Stewardship Catalyst for the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee and the President of the Stewardship Development Association. Dr. Gray desires to help Christians make an eternal impact on the Kingdom of God through the life, influence, and blessings God gives each believer. He often shares his excitement for stewardship and generosity through preaching and teaching. Most recently, Christian Timber Reserve had the privilege of hosting the prayer breakfast of the Georgia Forestry Association meeting in Savannah, Georgia.
A native of Douglasville, Georgia, Dr. Gray earned business administration degrees from Truett McConnell College and Samford University and a Master of Divinity with Biblical Languages degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas. In 2007, he earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Billy Graham School of Missions, Church Growth and Evangelism at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Prior to serving the Lord in stewardship ministries, he served as a pastor in Georgia and Texas. He is married to Andrea Folsom Gray, and they have four children: Myra Ashley Woodard, Emilyn, Ellie, and Landon. They are active members of the First Baptist Church in Bremen, GA.