Director of Fiber Procurement & Sustainability

KENT A. MIKKELSON

**** *.*. ****** **** • Benton, AR 72015 • 715-***-**** • *******@*****.***

Over 27 years of experience in the forest industry, including leadership and management responsibilities.

Record of success in directing complex programs, managing people and budgets, creating strategic plans, and fostering partnerships with federal, state, and local officials. Excellent crisis and emergency manager.

B.S. in Forest Science; courses towards M.S. degree.

Overview

Supply Chain management

Extensive background in preparing and administering budgets, with an emphasis on cost control

Leadership in forest sustainability.

Maintain open lines of communication with team members, contractors, and external agencies.

Effective interaction with elected officials and staff

Highly experienced in public speaking

Extensive negotiation experience

Skilled in sales/marketing

Experience in leading, supervising, training, and mentoring work teams/employees/individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Highly skilled in fulfilling an organization’s vision and mission through specific, actionable strategies.

Strong understanding of regulatory compliance matters at the county, state, and local levels.

Selected Knowledge & Skill Areas

Forest Sustainability Leadership & Management ~ Contract Administration

Project Lifecycle Management ~ Forest Management Advocacy ~ Cost Reduction

Organizational Change Management ~ Coalition & Partnership Building ~ Forestry Outreach & Education

Sales & Marketing ~ Political & Public Interactions ~ HR Management ~ Resource Allocation ~ Certification Auditing

Program Development & Implementation ~ Collaborations with Forestry Industry Professionals

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Evergreen Packaging, Pine Bluff, AR – April 2015–Present

Manager – Chip Mills/Chips/Biomass & Forest Sustainability

Procurement, budgeting, contract negotiation, coordination, and management of outside primary/secondary chip and biomass fuel purchases. Management of Arkansas Forest Sustainability. Management of operational aspects of the Pine Bluff and Cadron Creek chip mills, and the chip quality lab, including employees, safety, production, quality, and environmental compliance. Also manage production and scheduling of one contractor-owned chip mill. Manage all company woodyards and inventories, over 350,000 tons of capacity. Arkansas corporate governmental affairs representative.

Key Contributions & Achievements:

Arkansas Area Manager for Global Certification Programs, including Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC).

Stabilize chip and fuels/biomass purchases to more effectively match deliveries and inventory storage with mill usage

Reduce annual biomass/fuel costs by $1.5 million

Increase production/efficiencies of chip mills through employment of the Manufacturing Excellence (ME) process

Sales of bark mulch and specialty wood chips

– Negotiate contracts with large mulch market buyers through barge transportation from the Cadron Creek port facility

– Generate increased sales to landscapers/nurseries

– Increasing bark mulch sales program through the reorganization of outside fuel purchases and internal production

– Sales of wood chips to the barbecue industry

Expera Specialty Solutions, LLC (previously Thilmany Papers, LLC), Kaukauna, WI – 2007–2015

Senior Procurement Forester & Forest Sustainability Manager

Lead and manage forest sustainability program. Negotiate and manage over 50 open-market wood contracts across a 4-state region, supervising and evaluating performance of contractors that includes wood delivery scheduling and timber harvest inspections. Establish and maintain relationships with existing and potential contractors. Oversee offsite wood yards in Illinois and Wisconsin, interacting extensively with wood yard supervisors. Manage over 100 company-owned railroad cars. Perform forecasting as part of the budget process for an annual multi-million dollar spend, analyzing expenses during each budget period to establish inventory strategies.

Key Contributions & Achievements:

Serve as company Certification Manager for Global Certification Programs, including Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC).

– Coordinate auditing efforts each year that involve the Marketing Director, Supply Chain VP, Accountant, and administrative team members.

– Update and communicate changes on certification standards to personnel throughout the company as needed to ensure clarity of vision and responsibilities.

– Maintained consistent record of meeting or exceeding standards every year of tenure; received multiple “Notable Practice” notations for efforts.

Manager of company compliance agreements with federal and state agencies to control spread of Gypsy Moth and Emerald Ash Borer

Project Manager for new wood scale system. Coordinated efforts with vendor, oversaw implementation, and led project to on-time completion.

Designed and implemented biomass-use feasibility study involving ground-floor research of a specifically-designed trailer to haul biomass.

Participated in study and research on annosum root rot treatment; recognized as a leader on the subject by forest industry and the State of Wisconsin; member of a state-sanctioned committee to create management application guidelines and policies.

Earned the Forest Resources Association (FRA) 2010 Technical Writing Award for “Annosum Root Rot Treatment” and the FRA 2011 Technical Writing Award for “Compacting System for Biomass Transport.”

International Paper (previously Champion International Corp.), Sartell, MN – 1991–2006

Senior Procurement Forester

Management of Minnesota timberland assets. Purchased standing timber and open-market wood fiber to supply 3 upper Midwest paper mills. Evaluated contractor performance, identified areas for product quality improvement, controlled wood deliveries to the mill, and handled multiple land management responsibilities. Conducted timber harvest on-site audits to ensure environmental compliance. Controlled annual wood volume and costs through strategic planning and execution, including development and administration of budget. Managed rail car traffic to ensure achievement of delivery targets.

Key Contributions & Achievements:

Established and managed 4 satellite wood yards in Wisconsin and Minnesota; negotiated land lease agreements, analyzed environmental impacts jointly with state and federal agencies, established federal and state compliance agreements for gypsy moth; developed delivery and cost budgets.

Directed Stumpage Acquisition Program to support Minnesota mill. Purchased private, county, state, and federal timber sales. Duties included creation of forest management plans, map building, bid development, contract harvest and delivery negotiations, operations administration, marketing, security, and cost management.

Certification Auditor on all company-controlled harvest operations in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Ensured compliance with company’s Environmental Management System (EMS) and SFI guidelines. Wrote audit reports for third party verification of company’s EMS.

Design, develop, and implement the Aspen Quality Program.

Development of hybrid poplar farm operation that included land acquisition, clonal research and plantation establishment.

Prior positions include: Research Forester & Aircraft Fire Surveillance, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; Forest Technician & North Area Operations Forester - Silviculture, St. Louis County, Minnesota

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

Bachelor of Science in Forest Science

University of Wisconsin – Madison

Courses towards Masters in Quantitative Forest Genetics

University of Minnesota – St. Paul

Professional Affiliations & Industry-Related Appointments

Previous -

– State of Wisconsin Annosum Root Rot Committee

– Wisconsin SFI State Implementation Committee (Outreach Program Chair)

– Wisconsin DNR/Industry Leadership Team

– Wisconsin State BMP Advisory Committee

– Wisconsin BMP Audit Team Leader

– Wisconsin Forest Industry Alliance

– Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan Cooperative Group

– Chairperson, Security Committee, Forest Resources Association

– Chair, Minnesota State Committee of the American Tree Farm System

– USFS-Superior National Forest plan revision advisory panel

– Citizen’s Advisory Committee member to the St. Louis River Board

– Guest lecturer at University of Wisconsin-Madison and St. John’s University

Current - Arkansas Forest & Paper Council, Arkansas Forestry Association (currently on Board of Directors); Arkansas SFI State Implementation Committee; Forest Resources Association

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