Conference Speakers

2025 Timberland Investment Conference Speakers

Our 2025 Timberland Investment Conference featured experts from economics, artificial intelligence, data management, timber investment, and timber finance.

Dr. Rafal Chudy
CEO & Founder
Forest Business Analytics

Rafal Chudy has over 15 years of professional experience in project management within forest finance, economics, management and investments. During the last years, Rafal worked for private equity and consultancy companies from the United States, Australia, and Norway where he was responsible for ensuring that strong research and evidence-based insights underpin companies’ sustainable investment programs and services in forestry and carbon.

In 2017, Rafal and his wife Karolina established Forest Business Analytics (FBA), where he serves as Chief Economist. A flagship initiative of FBA is the International Forest Business Conference, organized biannually since 2018. Rafal also serves as Executive Editor for the Journal of Forest Business Research and Forests Monitor—both established and published by FBA.

Rafal’s research has appeared in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at international forest and natural resource economics conferences. He has a Master of Science (Forestry) degree from Warsaw University of Life Sciences, a Master of Science (Forestry and Environmental Resources) from North Carolina State University, a Master of Science (Forest Management) from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and a PhD in ecology and natural resource management (specializing in forest economics and sector modelling) from Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Rafal also has a post-graduate diploma in Financial Controlling in Capital Markets Groups from the Warsaw School of Economics. In 2023, he passed a Certified Investment Fund Director program organized by the Institute of Bankers in Ireland focused on sustainable finance and oversight of governance frameworks within their portfolio of investment funds.

Carter Coe
Managing Partner
Chinook Forest Partners

Carter Coe is a Managing Partner at Chinook Forest Partners. He is focused on Investor Relations, Capital Raising, Acquisition Sourcing Outside of the Northwest, and Finance & Accounting/Back Office Oversight. Carter found his way to Chinook through a path of timberland investment experiences that took form in 2009 when Carter left corporate finance in search of an investment career focused on natural resources. Motivation was driven by a desire to recover the tactile sensation of being in the woods as a young boy in search of nature’s finest moments. Carter relishes the opportunity to be outside on timberland assets with the Chinook team, investors, and industry peers.

Carter previously worked in positions that afforded him unique insights into the world of timberland investment management, having held internships at Forest Capital Partners and Forisk Consulting followed by full-time roles with MetLife’s Timberland Finance Group and Stafford Capital Partners’ timberlands business. Carter was fortunate to work for exceptional mentors and make observations unavailable to most industry observers, consequently informing opinions on where the timberland investment industry works well and where it does not. Structuring, compliance, transparency, and alignment became an increasing interest for Carter and ultimately led in part to his decision to join former colleague, Scott Marshall, and former fellow Limited Partner, Kelly Droege, on the Chinook Forest Partners quest to provide a better timberland investment solution for investors seeking a cost-efficient approach with heightened governance.

Carter holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation, a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from The Georgia Institute of Technology, and a Master of Forest Resources in Forest Business from The University of Georgia. He lives in Cumming, GA with his wife, daughter, son, and dog.

Peter D’Anieri, CFA
Senior Resource Consultant
Sewall Forestry & Natural Resource Consulting

Peter D’Aneiri’s career has spanned forestry research, forest investment management and forestry consulting. At Sewall Forestry & Natural Resource Consulting, his responsibilities include forest economic and investment research, forest valuation support, benchmarking studies and reviewing timberland allocations among entities. He also works on litigation-related matters and ad hoc projects suited to his experience in the forest investment business.

Peter’s previous investment experience included roles as an analyst, investment officer and portfolio manager. His work focused on implementing forest investment strategies, quantifying intrinsic value for buy/hold/sell decision-making and managing investor relationships. As an independent consultant, Mr. D’Anieri developed forest investment strategies for prospective investors and was lead researcher and author of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization’s “Timberland in Institutional Investment Portfolios” project. Peter’s research experience included early-stage silviculture and wildlife response to forest regeneration, on which he authored or co-authored technical reports and papers published both in conference proceedings and peer-reviewed journals.

Peter earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation after completing an M.B.A. degree at the University of Notre Dame. His forestry training came from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (M.S. in forestry) and the University of Maine (B.S., majors in forestry and wildlife management).

Dr. Rajeev Dhawan
Carl R. Zwerner Chair of Economic Forecasting, Director, Economic Forecasting Center
J Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University

As director of one of the country’s premiere forecasting centers, Professor Rajeev Dhawan develops forecasts for the U.S., Southeast regional and local metro Atlanta economies. These forecasts are regularly published and presented to business executives and the media at the Center’s popular, well-respected forecasting conferences. Dhawan has received several awards for his forecasting accuracy, including six Pulsenomics Crystal Ball awards for accurate U.S. home price predictions from 2013 to 2019. The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago has recognized him for his forecasting excellence for four years in a row (real GDP in 2016, inflation in 2017, housing starts and private inventories in 2018, Trade Weighted Dollar in 2019). In 2005, he was named the most accurate forecaster for GDP by Bloomberg News. The Bank One Economic Outlook Center at Arizona State University in 2003 named him the most accurate forecaster for US employment.

Dhawan has served as an advisor to several local and state government agencies and numerous publicly held companies including Coca-Cola, Georgia Power, Raymond James and Turner Broadcasting, among others. Dhawan has directed impact analysis studies for Amgen, Northrop Grumman, LA Development Corporation, the California Automobile Import Alliance and the California Energy Commission. He currently serves as the chair of the advisory committee for regional growth for the Atlanta Regional Commission and is also a member of the Georgia Governor’s Council of Economic Advisors since 2003.

Dhawan’s academic research analyzes U.S. business cycles with a special emphasis on the role of credit markets on growth and survival of small firms.  In his recent work, Dhawan has quantified the role and importance of oil prices in U.S. business cycle fluctuations. He is also the author of Firm Size, Financial Intermediation and Business Cycles which explores the effect of liquidity constraints on U.S. economic performance.

Prior to joining Georgia State University in the fall of 2000, he served as director of Econometric Forecasting at the Business Forecasting Project of the Anderson School of Business at UCLA. He has also taught at Pepperdine University and California State University at Long Beach. Dhawan earned a B.A. in Economics, with honors, from St. Stephen’s College in India, a M.A. in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics in India and a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles.

Tracy Buran Evens
Principal
TimberLink LLC

Tracy Evens, along with her partner Gary A. Myers, owns TimberLink LLC.  Her firm has served a diverse group of clients in North America, Europe, and the Southern Hemisphere since 2002, collectively representing over US$10 billion committed to global timber investments.  As an advisor to institutional investors, Tracy brings a unique and conflict-free perspective to the complexities of the asset class.  In short, her firm’s primary goal is to help investors achieve their timberland investment objectives through independent advisory services.

Tracy has over 30 years of industry experience including key positions in the early 1990’s with Forest Investment Associates (FIA), one of the first timberland investment management organizations (TIMOs).  While at FIA, she was instrumental in the development of the NCREIF Timberland Index, a quarterly measure of timberland investment performance.  September 2023 marked 20 years with TimberLink as an independent advisor in a career devoted exclusively to timberland investing.  She earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Georgia State University and a B.A. in Economics from Wake Forest University.

Dr. Lauren Ledbetter Griffeth
Extension Leadership Specialist
University of Georgia

Lauren L. Griffeth is a Senior Public Service Associate at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences where she directs leadership development programs including Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture and Forestry, Extend, and Extension Academy. Over the last 10 years, Griffeth’s programs have graduated more than 240 high-performing individuals with the goal of elevating their personal and organizational leadership. In her role, Griffeth organizes state, national, and international field study tours, aligns with expert speakers to enhance participants’ perspectives and build their networks, and facilitates personality and behavioral assessments. Prior to this position, Griffeth had a 10-year career in fundraising where she led the needs-based scholarship initiative for the University of Georgia Foundation that now awards $9 million each year to 5,000 deserving students.

Today, Griffeth’s research spans generational differences, women’s leadership, and employee engagement in the context of agricultural work. She is an author of more than 50 publications, including features in Rural Sociology, Consulting Foresters Magazine, and the Harvard Business Review. She is an honoree in the 2017 Class of the University of Georgia’s 40 Under 40 and serves on the governance committee for the International Association of Programs for Agricultural Leaders. Griffeth enjoys designing and facilitating customized leadership curriculum and founded Focused Leadership Solutions in 2022 to provide broader support to companies as an organizational development consultant. Griffeth holds a Ph.D. in Adult Education with Certificates in Human Resources and Organizational Development and Qualitative Research, a M.Ed. in Educational Administration, and a B.S. in Agricultural Communications and Certificate of Agricultural Leadership from the University of Georgia.

Dr. Carl Henson
Founder & CEO
MarZeka Consulting

Dr. Carl Henson, The AI Sales Doctor, is an accomplished executive and thought leader with over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, and revenue operations. As the founder of MarZeka Consulting, he specializes in helping organizations integrate artificial intelligence with traditional business practices to achieve measurable growth and operational excellence. Dr. Henson earned his Doctorate in Marketing from the University of Florida, where his research focused on AI’s transformative potential in business strategy. A dynamic speaker and certified Vistage facilitator, he has delivered engaging keynotes and workshops that bridge the gap between academic insights and real-world applications. Recognized among the Top 50 Marketer Icons by OnCon, Dr. Henson empowers businesses and leaders to harness AI for sustainable success.

Kim Kean
Director of Marketing
Orbis

With over 20 years of experience in marketing, event planning, business strategy, and consulting, Kim Kean has built a diverse career across industries including sports marketing, technology, manufacturing, and transportation. While having provided business and marketing consulting for startups and small businesses, Kim has also worked with major global brands and public figures to enhance their products and brand presence. Currently, Kim serves as the Director of Marketing and Business Strategy at Orbis, Inc., where she works alongside the leadership team to drive growth and innovation across the organization’s services and operations.

Doug Long
EVP & Chief Resource Officer
Rayonier

Doug Long is a 5th-generation member of the forest industry and serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Resource Officer of Rayonier. In this position, he oversees Rayonier’s global forestry operations, including emerging business opportunities in land-based and nature-based solutions. Doug is also responsible for Rayonier’s sustainability, health & safety, research, business development, public affairs, and communications functions. He joined Rayonier in 1995 and has held multiple positions across the United States and New Zealand with increasing responsibility within the forestry division. Doug has held leadership roles in state and national associations and currently serves as the Vice Chair of the International Sustainable Forest Coalition. Doug holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Forest Resources and Conservation from the University of Florida.

Garrett Mack
Director, Portfolio Management
Forest Investment Associates

Garrett Mack serves as a Director, Portfolio Management within FIA’s Investment Management Team (IMT).  Garrett is responsible for developing and managing the investment strategies for several accounts, including all of FIA’s commingled Funds. Previously, at FIA, Garrett served as a Portfolio Analyst, leading the analytic and data management function for FIA’s U.S. assets. Prior to joining FIA, Garrett had extensive forest planning experience serving analytical roles for other U.S.-based timberland investment organizations.

Garrett serves on FIA’s Board of Directors as well as the firm’s Valuation Committee and ESG Committee. Garrett holds a Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources and Master of Forest Resources from the University of Georgia. He continues his involvement with UGA as a current member of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources’ Alumni Steering Committee and previous member of the Dean’s Advisory Board and Young Alumni Committee. Garrett was named an Outstanding Young Alumnus for Warnell in 2022 and a University of Georgia 40 Under 40 recipient in 2024.  Garrett currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Georgia Forestry Association and is a 2019 graduate of Advancing Georgia’s Leaders in Agriculture & Forestry (AGL).

Danan Margason
Founder & CEO
Aarden AI

Danan Margason is a technologist & entrepreneur with extensive experience innovating at the intersection of carbon management and land-use practices. He has just launched a new venture focused on maximizing land value via energy and carbon credit opportunities. Most recently, as co-founder and former Chief Product Officer/GM at Carbon Direct, Danan spearheaded the development of cutting-edge solutions to produce quality carbon credits on underutilized land.

Before Carbon Direct, Danan held senior roles at prominent technology companies such as Booking.com and TUNE.  Danan’s multidisciplinary background—encompassing technology, law, operations, and product strategy—uniquely equips him to navigate complex challenges at the intersection of land management, policy, and technological innovation.

Danan holds a J.D. from the University of Washington, was educated in AI technology at Harvard, and is dedicated to leveraging data-driven insights to foster effective, lasting solutions for climate and land stewardship.

Peter McHale
CEO and Cofounder
Gaia AI

Peter McHale is the CEO and cofounder of Gaia AI, an MIT spinout company applying modern data and AI technologies for the timber and logging industry.  He has technical masters degrees from Carnegie Mellon University (in computer engineering) as well as the University of Michigan (in robotics + AI).  He received his MBA from MIT’s Sloan school of business.  He spent his early career building perception AI for Ford Motor Company and then helped build the foundational perception AI technology at two autonomous vehicle companies that both grew to be worth over $1B: Argo AI and May Mobility.  Accolades include recognition on Forbes’ 30 under 30 list in 2022 and winning second place in the MIT AI competition.

Dr. Brooks Mendell
President & CEO
Forisk Consulting

Dr. Brooks Mendell is President and CEO at Forisk, which provides analysis and education to help senior managers and investors in the forest industry make better decisions. Founded by Brooks in 2004, Forisk publishes the Forisk Research Quarterly, which includes market analysis, operations research, and timber forecasts for North America’s forest products industry; the Forisk Wood Fiber Review, which tracks pulpwood and chip prices in the U.S.; and the North American Forest Industry Capacity Database.

Dr. Mendell is an internationally recognized business advisor, researcher, and speaker in the fields of forest business, timberland investing, wood bioenergy, and business communications. He has broad domestic and international experience supporting small businesses, Fortune 500 corporations, and public organizations. His industry experience includes roles in harvest operations, wood procurement, management consulting, and academia. A Fulbright Scholar and inductee in the Georgia Foresters Hall of Fame, his forestry-related books include “Loving Trees is Not Enough”, “Forest Finance Simplified”, and “Aunt Fanny Learns Forestry: Managing Timberland as an Investment.”

Dr. Mendell earned BS and MS degrees at M.I.T., an MBA at the University of California at Berkeley, and a PhD in Forest Finance at UGA.

Dr. Todd Petty
Dean, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
University of Georgia

J. Todd Petty is Dean of the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia. Prior to joining Warnell in 2024, Dr. Petty served as Chair of the department of forestry and environmental conservation at Clemson University. Under his leadership, the department increased its externally funded grants and contracts tenfold, from $2.6 million in 2020 to more than $20 million in 2023. Enrollment in the department grew significantly to over 400 undergraduate students, nearly 200 graduate students and an additional 100-plus students in a professional master’s degree program.

Dr. Petty previously served as associate dean of academic affairs in the Davis College of Agriculture, Resources and Design at WVU from 2015 to 2020. In that role, he led the revision of undergraduate curricula across five departments and 21 majors, improved graduate student experiences, built a student leadership initiative, and expanded the college’s online offerings.

Dr. Petty earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Virginia. After working for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries as a fisheries technician in Chesapeake Bay, he returned to graduate school and earned master’s and doctoral degrees in forest resources from UGA.

W. Rhett Rogers
Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management
Rayonier

Rhett Rogers was appointed Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management in March 2023, having previously served as Vice President, Portfolio Management since February 2017. In this position, he oversees Rayonier’s land acquisition and disposition activities, rural and HBU land sales, and land information services. He joined Rayonier in 2001 as a District Technical Forester and has held numerous roles of increasing responsibility. From 2005 to 2007 he was a Timberland Acquisitions Supervisor in Hoquiam, Washington. In 2007, he was promoted to Resource Unit Leader of Rayonier’s Coastal Resource Unit based in Yulee, Florida. Rhett served as Director, Land Asset Management from August 2014 until February 2017.  Rhett holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Louisiana Tech University, and both an MBA and an MS in Forest Resources from Mississippi State University.

Dr. Bruno Kanieski da Silva
Assistant Professor in Forest Finance
University of Georgia, Harley Langdale Jr. Center for Forest Business

Bruno Kanieski da Silva is an Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia, specializing in Forest Finance. He holds a Ph.D. in Forest Economics and an M.A. in Economics from North Carolina State University, as well as an M.S. in Forestry from the University of São Paulo, Brazil. His research interests include forest finance and economics, timber markets, and modeling. Dr. Silva has extensive experience in both academia and industry, having worked as a Forest Economist in multiple projects in the U.S. South and Latin America. Dr. Silva believes forest business is a mixed between highly quantitative skills and boots on the ground. In his free time, he practices outdoor sports and enjoys reading books.

Blake Stansell
President & COO
Aurora Sustainable Lands

Blake Stansell is the President and Chief Operating Officer at Aurora Sustainable Lands where he oversees management of the company’s timberland portfolio, including Carbon Stewardship, Portfolio Management, and Sustainability & Impact. Prior to joining Aurora Blake was the President and CEO of The Forestland Group (TFG) where he began working in 2000 as a forestland analyst. He held several other positions at TFG including Director of Investments and Vice President of Investments.

Blake serves on several non-profit Boards, including: The Forestland Group Legacy Foundation, a North Carolina non-profit focused on education and research related to the management of natural forests; Yolany’s Hope, Inc., an international non-profit focused on support and education for children in Latin America; and Newhope Church based in Durham, North Carolina.

Blake is a Certified Financial Planner professional, and he received his bachelor’s degree in biology with a business minor from Presbyterian College and his Masters in Forest Resources in Forest Business Management from the University of Georgia.

Mark Vitner
Chief Economist
Piedmont Crescent Capital

After spending the past 30 years as managing director and senior economist at Wells Fargo’s Corporate and Investment Bank, Mark Vitner founded Piedmont Crescent Capital this past year. At his new firm, Mark provides analysis of the macro economy to clients located throughout the country and writes a series of reports on the US economy, local economies, small business, and residential and commercial real estate. He also provides economic content for CAVU Securities, writing their monthly newsletter, The CAVU Compass.

Originally from Atlanta, Mark earned a BBA in economics from the University of Georgia, an MBA from the University of North Florida and completed further graduate work in economics at the University of Florida. Mark is a member of the National Association of Business Economics and completed the NABE Advanced Training in Economics Program at Carnegie Mellon University. He is also a member of NABE’s inaugural Certified Business Economist (CBE) class.

Mark is active in his community, co-founding the Charlotte NABE chapter and serving as board chair for the Foundation for the Charlotte Jewish Community. Mark also chaired the Economic Advisory Council for the California Chamber of Commerce for several years and currently serves on the Joint Advisory Board of Economists for the Commonwealth of Virginia. His commentary has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and many other publications. Mark also makes frequent guest appearances on CNBC and other major networks.

Constantin Freiherr von Wendt
Managing Partner
Salm-Schulenburg

Constantin Freiherr von Wendt is Managing Partner of the Salm Schulenburg LLC, based in Atlanta, USA and of the Salm Global Timber GmbH, based in Wallhausen, Germany. Constantin is responsible for Fund Management and Investor Relations for all timber and farmland investments of the Salm-Salm Group. He has now been in a management position for over 10 years. With offices in the USA, Europe and New Zealand, the Salm-Salm Group offers a full range of asset management services in this area.

After a one-year study visit to the USA, he successfully completed his studies in philosophy and law (2nd state examination). Constantin gained professional experience at Thyssen Krupp Services and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Düsseldorf, among others. Before joining the Salm-Salm Group in 2009, he worked as a political advisor at the European Parliament in Brussels and Strasbourg.

Dr. Weiyi Zhang
Director, Agricultural Economics
Timberland and Agriculture, Manulife

Weiyi Zhang conducts economic research to support the firm’s business and agricultural investment decisions. In this role, he is integrally involved in farmland investment strategic initiatives and transactional due diligence. In addition, he is responsible for the global agricultural economic, financial, and statistical analytical efforts, including forecasting commodity prices, performing portfolio analysis, and authoring thought leadership publications. Previously, Weiyi served as the senior natural resource economist, where he supported economic research and analysis for the group’s timberland and farmland business sectors. He holds a bachelor of science in agricultural and applied economics, a master of forest resources (M.F.R.), and a Ph.D. in forest finance and economics, all from the University of Georgia.