Structural wood composites are the primary construction materials in the light-frame construction industry and play a major role in promoting green buildings. This session will focus on the raw material characterization, process improvement, product performance, manufacturing efficiency, alternative construction methods, and energy code development. The 2012 technical session will also address challenges to improve thermal, moisture, structural, fire, and acoustic performance of structural composite panels.

Information on biomass quality, rate of production, delivery production and cost are required to rationally plan future biorefineries and biomass electrical generation facilities.  Knowledge of the contribution of these activities to carbon mitigation is a planning requirement.

3:00-4:50 pm

As wood scientists and technologists we are often called on to work on problems that involve disputes between companies or people. Many of those problems involve the application of basic wood physics or the interpretation of codes and standards. Often, by the time a technologist is summoned, the ability to function as a peace negotiator is also required. Those who have worked on interesting cases where wood physics has been applied are encouraged to submit topics for a presentation.

CORRIM SPECIAL SESSION

A report on progress in quantifying LCI/LCA impacts affecting carbon mitigation and energy independence objectives, given the hierarchy of options from different wood utilization strategies (based on DOE funding for FY 11). The presentations will be captured on interactive video to support making the information more useful for education, outreach and future research.

Federal Direction in Forestry and Forest Products

Arthur "Butch" Blazer
Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture
Natural Resources and Environment

In 2003, Governor Bill Richardson appointed Butch as "State Forester" of New Mexico, the first Native American to hold that position. During his tenure as State Forester, Butch was also named as Chair of the Council of Western State Foresters and Co-Chair for the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition. A member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Butch has been intimately involved in Tribal issues throughout his life.

Prior to his service as State Forester, he served 27 years in the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs as a Range Management Specialist, Natural Resources Manager, and Agency Superintendent. Mr. Blazer is the former owner of Blazer Conservation Connections, a consulting company that specialized in connecting clients with the resources needed to enhance and protect the environment. He is a co-founder of the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society, and has served on their Board of Directors and as the organization's National President. In 1998, Mr. Blazer was elected to and served two consecutive terms on the Mescalero Apache Tribal Council. An avid outdoorsman when he can get to it, Mr. Blazer enjoys hunting, skiing, and just "hiding-out" in the vast wilderness of his beautiful Mescalero Apache Reservation.

Funding Direction for Biomass by Department of Energy

Valerie Reed
Acting Program Manager
Office of Biomass Programs
US Department of Energy

Prior to this position, Dr. Reed was Team Leader for Platforms Research and Development within the Office of Biomass Programs. She has been responsible for research and development for conversion technologies that include biochemical and thermochemical pathways to produce biofuels and bioproducts, as well as for algal biofuels.

For over 18 years, Dr. Reed has lead efforts on utilization of biomass for fuels and chemicals, resulting in significant cost reductions in cellulosic ethanol from above $7 per gallon to a current projected cost of approximately $2.15 per gallon. She has helped initiate research pathways that now include technologies that are projected to reduce the cost of diesel and jet fuel to less than $3 per gallon by 2017. Dr. Reed has twice been named to Biofuels Digest's "Top 100 People in Bioenergy" for her roles to date.

She is a founding member of the Metabolic Engineering Working Group, which is an interagency effort to advance metabolic engineering technologies for industrial, agricultural, and human needs. Dr. Reed also co-chairs the Interagency Working Group on Conversion Technologies established through the Biomass R&D Board, to coordinate the Federal effort on bioenergy. She holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Importance of Forest Products in Green Buildings

Chase W. Rynd
Executive Director
National Building Museum

Mr. Rynd is a nationally recognized leader in the museum and arts communities. Prior to his current position, he was executive director and CEO of the Tacoma (Washington) Art Museum and held the same position at the Frist Center for the Visual Arts in Nashville, Tennessee.

Mr. Rynd was the founder of Equivalents Gallery in Seattle, Washington and operated it for eight years. He served two consecutive terms as Chairman of the Seattle Arts Commission; was recruited by Security Pacific Bank to develop a public gallery space; served on numerous boards; and served as chair of the design committee for St. Mark's Cathedral in Seattle.

A graduate of Georgetown University and active in the museum community, Rynd is a member of the International Council of Museums; American Association of Museums; and Mid-Atlantic Association of Museums. He sits on the boards of the American Friends of Chantilly, France; the Downtown DC BID; Penn Quarter Neighborhood Association; and the Richardson Architecture Center, Buffalo. He also is a member of ACE Mentor Program's National Advisory Board; the ASCE Industry Leaders Council; and the vestry of St. John's Lafayette Square in DC. Mr. Rynd resides in Washington, DC.

Miles Drake

Senior Vice President, Research and Development
Chief Technology Officer
Weyerhaeuser

Mr. Drake has held his current position since he joined Weyerhaeuser in 2006. Prior to that, he was Vice President, Research and Development and Chief Technology Officer of Air Products and Chemicals Inc. (industrial gases) for 5 years, and before that held numerous other leadership positions with Air Products and Chemicals Inc. since 1986.

Jim Reaves

Deputy Chief
Research and Development
USDA Forest Service

Dr. Reaves' career spans 30 years in the Forest Service, where he has served in a number of executive positions. In his current position, he provides leadership for Forest Service research and development, covering a broad range of biological, physical, forest products, and social science fields to promote sustainable management of the nation's diverse forests and rangelands. Among his other duties, Dr. Reaves serves as the Co-Chair of the Sub-Committee on Ecological Systems for the White House Office of Science and Technology; as the Chair of the USDA Agroforestry Steering Committee; and as a member of the Forest Service Executive Leadership Team.

Prior to becoming Deputy Chief, Dr. Reaves served as Director of the agency's Southern Research Station in Asheville, North Carolina. He also held a number of high-profile assignments, including leading a group of scientists to China as the Ranking Forest Service Official; and participating as a U.S. delegate to the United Nations Forum on Forestry in Geneva, Switzerland, and the Forest Landscape Restoration Conference in Seoul, South Korea.

Dr. Reaves received his B.S. in biology from Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in biology/plant pathology from Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Paul Winistorfer

Dean
College of Natural Resources and Environment
Virginia Tech

Prior to his appointment as Dean in 2009, Dr. Winistorfer served as head of the Sustainable Biomaterials department (formerly the Wood Science and Forest Products department) at Virginia Tech.

Prior to his time in Virginia, he was at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for 16 years, teaching and conducting research in wood composite materials. Dr. Winistorfer holds a US Patent, twice received the American Museum of Science and Energy award for Technological Advancement, and received several research and teaching awards. He was the founding director of the Tennessee Forest Products Center, recently renamed the Center for Renewable Carbon. He was also one of the founders of Quintek Measurement Systems, Inc., a manufacturer of x-ray-based measurement equipment for the wood industry.

Dr. Winistorfer served as Forest Products Society President from 2003 to 2004, during which time he organized strategic visioning sessions and authored several articles on the future of the Society. He is an elected fellow in the International Academy of Wood Scientists. He served as President of WoodLINKS USA from 2006 to 2008. Dr. Winistorfer received his BS and PhD degrees from Iowa State University.

Bob Johnston

Executive Director
Tropical Forest Foundation

Bob Johnston is Executive Director of the Tropical Forest Foundation (TFF) based in metropolitan Washington, D.C. TFF is an international, non-profit, educational institution committed to advancing environmental stewardship, economic prosperity, and social responsibility through sustainable forest management in tropical regions.

He was a member of the founding Board of Directors of TFF and served as Board President when he was Director of Corporate Relations for the office furniture manufacturer Herman Miller, Inc. His work at Herman Miller led to formation of the company's internationally acclaimed Environmental Quality Action Team and to the company receiving a White House award for its environmental practices. As a member of the U.S. government delegation to the renegotiation of the International Tropical Timber Agreement under the United Nations, he negotiated an international trade agreement for tropical forest products among 53 nations, pushing to increase supplies from sources adopting sustainable management. He has served as chairman of Government Affairs Committees for the International Wood Products Association, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association, and the Center for Office Technology.

He was also involved in the launch of the U.S. Green Buildings Council, recruited 30 manufacturers into the EPA's Green Suppliers Network, and developed a third-party incentive program for companies wanting to drive sustainable practices throughout their supply chains.

Bob lives in Alexandria, Virginia where he enjoys jogging, playing guitar and bass with local acoustic musicians, and having intelligent discussions on current events with people on both sides of the aisle.

Chief Tidwell Will be Introducing the Keynote Speaker, Rep. Glenn Thompson, PA

Thomas L. Tidwell
U.S. Forest Service Chief

Tom Tidwell has spent 37 years with the Forest Service. He has served in a variety of positions at all levels of the agency, including as District Ranger, Forest Supervisor, and Legislative Affairs Specialist in the Washington Office. As Deputy Regional Forester for the Pacific Southwest Region, Tom facilitated collaborative approaches to wildland fire management, roadless area management, and other issues. As Regional Forester for the Northern Region, Tom strongly supported community-based collaboration in the region, finding solutions based on mutual goals and thereby reducing the number of appeals and lawsuits.

In 2009, after being named Chief, Tom set about implementing the Secretary's vision for America's forests. Under his leadership, the Forest Service is focusing on restoring healthy, resilient forest and grassland ecosystems-ecosystems that can sustain all the benefits that Americans get from their wildlands, including plentiful supplies of clean water, abundant habitat for wildlife and fish, renewable supplies of wood and energy, and more.

Such benefits are at risk from the effects of climate change, and Tom has led the way in forging a national response. Under Tom's leadership, the Forest Service has charted a national roadmap for addressing climate change through adaptation and mitigation. The Forest Service is taking steps to help ecosystems adapt to the effects of a changing climate while also taking action to mitigate climate change, partly by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Tom has facilitated an all-lands approach to addressing the challenges facing America's forests and grasslands, including the overarching challenge of climate change. Such challenges cross borders and boundaries; no single entity can meet them alone. Under Tom's leadership, the Forest Service is working with states, Tribes, private landowners, and other partners for landscape-scale conservation-to restore ecosystems on a landscape scale.

Tom is married to Kim, and they have one daughter, MacKenzie.

Importance of Forest Products and Natural Resources to the Future of the United States

Rep. Glenn Thompson, PA
Fifth District, Pennsylvania
U.S. House of Representatives

Congressman Thompson is in his second term as his district’s U.S. Representative, is Co-Chairman of the Congressional Healthcare Caucus, and is a member of the House Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Education & Workforce Committees focusing on Conservation, Energy, and Forestry; Rural Development, Research, Biotechnology, and Foreign Agriculture; Energy and Mineral Resources; and Higher Education and Workforce Training.
 
Prior to being elected to Pennsylvania's most rural district, Congressman Thompson spent 28 years as a therapist, a rehabilitation services manager, and a licensed Nursing Home Administrator. He is a 30-year veteran with his local Boy Scout Council, and was that Council's President during 2007-2009. He has also been a school board member; a vice-chair of the Private Industry Council of the Central Corridor; and a volunteer firefighter
 
Congressman Thompson earned a BS from Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania; and a master’s degree in education from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Discussion of current code practices related to wood design. Changes to codes including the IBC 2012.

Evaluation of environmental impacts of production and use of wood products and wood energy. This includes but it is not limited to life-cycle assessment research and its applications involving green building codes and standards, policy issues, and environmental product declarations.

The paper industry is well on the road to reinvent itself. Achieving the green and sustainable concepts, the industry is expanding to produce new high-tech products, it is expanding past the conventional print and read paper product industry. After decades, new mills are being built to produce nano-materials and other cellulose-based products.. The 2012 technical session will describe fiber supplies, properties, and availability for the changing fiber procurement industry.

This session will present recent advances in material processing, and thermal, chemical and nano modifications of wood and fiber materials for biomass composites. Some of the topics that will be discussed include thermal and chemical treatment of wood and fiber materials for particleboard, fiberboard, MDF, insulation materials, and wood-plastic composites. Innovative fibrous materials, agricultural residuals, and fundamental properties of biomass composites will also be discussed. Nanotechnology provides new opportunities and perspectives on wood and fiber products. This session will also present novel research on nano wood and fiber composites, such as nano reinforcement, dimensional stabilizer, fire retardant, hydrophobicity and superhydrophobicity of biomass materials.

This session is focused on improving the understanding of environmental issues facing the forest and bio-based products industries.  Topics will focus on research that addresses effective solutions to the most critical environmental issues facing the forest-based industries.  Presentations are encouraged on life-cycle assessment (LCA) or cradle-to-grave analyses for forest and bio-based products.  Topics will also include relevant research on environmental emissions and other discharged pollutants that impact the sustainability of the forest and bio-based products industries.

Presenters in this session will provide attendees with new discoveries in product and material developments, process improvements, and significant organizational changes leading to an increase in business profitability and customer satisfaction levels.

New designs and wood material uses. Includes discussion of wood material properties and structural concepts.

New methods of converting biomass to biofuels, pellets, and biochemical products are needed to increase the products derived from biomass.  Higher yields and development of more valuable products are required for successful commercialization.  Models utilizing inputs on conversion metrics and increased growth and yield are required to allow planning based on developed conversion methods and their emissions.

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Insect pests of wood products are an increasing important concern. Globalization increases the risk of spreading insects on green wood packaging materials as well as finished products such as flooring. Several recent, high profile invasive exotic insect introductions are motivating a search for more effective protection options.

There are many factors that are currently affecting the forest products industry. Environmental policies, climate change, economic challenges, and advances in technology are just a few. This session will focus on extension and technology transfer in this era of change.

The US International Trade Commission and its Importance for the Forest Products Sector

Alberto Goetzl
International Trade Analyst
US International Trade Commission

Since joining the U.S. International Trade Commission in 2009, Mr. Goetzl has contributed to several reports and investigations involving trade in forest products and other types of goods. Prior to that, he was the founder and a principal of Seneca Creek Associates, LLC, a consulting firm that specialized in resource economics and policy. In 2007, Mr. Goetzl led a team of collaborators in conducting a risk assessment of the legality and sustainability of US hardwoods. In 2004, he collaborated with Wood Resources International to author a landmark study on illegal logging and its impacts on U.S. industry competitiveness.

Mr. Goetzl has written on subjects ranging from sustainable forest practices to trends in world forest products supply and demand. He has a Master of Forestry degree in Natural Resources Economics & Policy from Duke University and holds a B.A. in Government from Bates College.

When he's not "working" professionally, Mr. Goetzl manages a horse farm that his family owns in the Frederick, Maryland area. The farm has a small woodlot of mixed upland hardwoods that he is bringing into a more productive condition.

The US Department of Commerce, Office of Materials Industries: Connection to Forest Products

Gary Stanley
Director
Forest Products and Building Materials
International Trade Administration
US Department of Commerce

In his current position, and as the department's senior building materials and forest products industry and trade policy specialist, Mr. Stanley monitors domestic and international industry trends and developments, and actively participates in trade policy issues that affect those industries.

He works closely with the US building materials industry through the Commerce Department's Industry Trade Advisory Committees on Building Materials and Forest Products. The committees comprise senior-level industry executives who advise the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Commerce Department, and other US Government agencies on all trade issues that affect the US industry.

International Trade and Policy: Industry's Perspective

Brent McClendon
Executive Vice President
International Wood Products Association

Before taking on his current responsibilities with the International Wood Products Association, which represents mostly small American family-owned businesses that import and export wood products, Mr. McClendon spent the past 22 years in the forest products industry, with variety of work experiences in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. He's worked as a field forester and a sales manager; was responsible for $35 million in international and domestic sales for a large hardwood veneer manufacturer; and has lobbied for multiple domestic wood products trade associations.

The US Government's War Against Rock and Roll and Gibson Guitar: Latest Developments

Henry Juszkiewicz
Chairman and CEO
Gibson Guitar Corp.

Mr. Juszkiewicz is committed to sustainability and conservation. He lives his commitment to a better world by leading numerous philanthropic endeavors under the Gibson Foundation banner and through his active participation in the Environmental Defense Fund, the Clinton Global Initiative, the Rainforest Alliance, and many other environmental causes. Mr. Juszkiewicz is also passionate about Nordoff-Robbins, which provides music therapy for severely handicapped children; the T.J. Martell Fund for Leukemia Research; the Teenage Cancer Trust, and the We Are Family Foundation. He is a board member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum; a co-founder of Music Rising, a campaign to help aid musicians, schools, and churches of the Gulf Coast; and a member of the Society of International Business Fellows.

In 1986, Mr. Juszkiewicz and his partners acquired the faltering Gibson guitar operation and within a month's time, Gibson became profitable. He concentrated on the consumer rather than the retailer - a reflection of his personal experience as a guitar player, and Gibson has regained worldwide respect with annual average growth of 20 percent over the last decade.

Mr. Juszkiewicz worked his way through school playing guitar - a Gibson, of course - in various rock bands. He attended the General Motors Institute, began his MBA at the University of Rochester evening program, and completed the MBA at Harvard University on a General Motors Fellowship.

The Lacey Act - A WINNER for US Jobs and Healthy Forests Worldwide.

Jamey French
President and CEO
Northland Forest Products, Inc.

The French family has been in the hardwood industry, based in New England, since the 1880s. Mr. French is also a Director of Meadowsend Timberlands, LLC, which is the family land management company. He played a key role in bringing together a unique coalition of environmental groups and industry associations -- the driving force behind the Lacey Act amendments of 2008, which have led to the decline in the unfair competition related to criminally sourced wood and wood products from around the world and to a reduction in the devastation to international forests posed by illegal operators. Mr. French has held leadership positions with many organizations, including the Hardwood Federation, the Forest Stewardship Council (US), the American Hardwood Export Council, the Hardwood Manufacturers Association, and other state and regional nonprofits. He is currently on the boards of the Land Trust Alliance, the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund, the Quebec-Labrador Foundation, the Nature Conservancy NH Chapter, the Foundation for Seacoast Health, and the NH Fiscal Policy Institute.

This session will focus on the technologies, manufacturing processes and products that lead to a more sustainable use of our temperate and tropical hardwoods.

With questions of sustainability, green building, and quality of products, softwood lumber may hold the answers. Most softwood lumber is produced in a sustainable manner that qualifies it in many of the green building programs, but what could be done to increase its acceptance and use? In increasing the sustainability of softwood lumber, have we sacrificed quality to meet demand? Presentations will answer these questions and other questions related to the production and use of softwood lumber worldwide.

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This session will focus on conversion of renewable biomass resources, such as bark, extractives, tannins, lignin, proteins, and other agriculture and plant materials for making adhesives and other chemical products. Studies dealing with all aspects of feedstock preparation, adhesive and chemical synthesis, and characterization and application of these biomass-derived adhesives and other chemical products are invited for submission. Papers covering chemistry, modification, performance of the traditional wood adhesives and bonded wood products will also be considered in the session.

Information on harvesting and transportation technology capability to deliver biomass is required to plan future biomass utilizing industries.  Plant location analysis has been hampered by unrealistic assumptions that require evaluation in future location models.  Likewise, biomass availability and transportation capabilities require more advanced models developed at less cost to make accurate estimates for rational decisions regarding site locations.

This session will focus on green marketing, strategies for green product markets, and other general market-related issues in forest products.

This session will focus on the technologies, manufacturing processes and products that lead to a more sustainable use of our temperate and tropical hardwoods.

We have known for a long time that understanding how wood is formed and how wood quality is defined by the user affects how forest products are manufactured and used and how they behave in service. This session is focused on how formation and quality interact and ultimately affect utilization. Papers related to wood formation, wood quality, or related topics will be considered.

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This session will present recent advances in bioenergy and biofuels research. Topics will include thermal and chemical conversion to bioenergy and biofuels. Innovative processing of woody biomass and agricultural residuals, and fundamental properties of biofuels conversion will be discussed.  Bioenergy and biofuels research is an important and emerging field for the conversion and utilization of renewable cellulosic feedstocks.

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Imported materials, slumping housing and lumber markets, and manufacturing reductions are just some of the factors impacting the U.S. wood furniture sector. Presentations that will provide attendees a greater understanding of the novel technologies and processes being developed for maintaining production costs while at the same time delivering added consumer benefits.

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Exclusive, Behind-the-Scenes Tour for IC Goers and Guests (optional)

Limited capacity - Register today!

Wednesday, June 6, 8:15 am - 4:00 pm

Peek behind the scenes at two very influential organizations that shape how we do business today: the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center.

On Wednesday morning at the Convention hotel --the Omni Shoreham--we’ll board a luxurious coach for a short ride to NIST, our first destination. At NIST, our escort will take us on a customized, detailed tour of this impressive, independent facility, which is not typically open to the public. We’ll take another hop by coach to the NAHB Research Center, where we will enjoy a delicious lunch before beginning our tour of this world-class research campus. After that, we head back to the Omni and the tour concludes with plenty of time for your own night on the town in remarkable Washington, DC.

We have a limited capacity, so add the tour to your IC registration today. Remember to include your guests!

More information about our tour sites:

National Institute of Standards and technology Gaithersburg, Maryland

Through its measurement-focused research and services, NIST Engineering Laboratory (EL) supplies critical enabling solutions to US manufacturers, the con­struction industry, and the broad array of businesses and other organizations that build, own, operate, or maintain the nation’s vast physical infrastructure.  Many of EL’s responsibilities have been assigned to NIST by Congress.  These include fire prevention and control, earthquake hazards reduction, sustain­able manufacturing and construction, manufacturing enterprise integration, and construction safety.

EL serves as the NIST lead for conduct­ing studies of disasters and failures, a job spelled out in several laws.  Since 1969, EL has investigated about 40 earthquakes, hurricanes, building and construction failures, tornadoes, and fires—all with the ultimate aim of identi­fying improvements in codes, standards, practices, and technologies.

National Association of Home Builders Research Center, Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Created in 1964 as a subsidiary of the NAHB, the NAHB Research Center is a full-service product commercialization company and offers a full range of material and structural systems testing services.  The ISO 17025 accredited laboratory conducts ASTM and ANSI tests on material properties, structural systems and components, building envelop, plastic plumbing and fixture, and ANSI ADA compliance.  The NAHB Research Center also provides market research service, quality assurance consulting service, land use and development research service, home building and remodeling service, and assessment and planning services to their clients.   

Tour schedule:

8:20 am Board bus at the Omni Shoreham Hotel for NIST

9:00 am – 11:00 am NIST tour

11:00 am Board bus for NAHB Research Center

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch at NAHB Research Center

1:00 pm – 3:00 pm Tour NAHB Research Center

3:00 pm Board bus for return to Omni Shoreham Hotel

3:50 pm Arrive at Omni Shoreham Hotel (end of tour)