Avrim Lazar

President and CEO

Avrim Lazar is President & CEO of the Forest Products Association of Canada, since January 1, 2002 and he is chair of the Advisory Committee on Paper and Wood Products (ACPWP) to the United Nations.

Mr. Lazar has held senior policy positions in the government of Canada in the Ministries of Justice, Agriculture, Environment and Human Resource Development. During this period he was responsible for national policy in areas as diverse as climate change, biodiversity, child poverty, employment insurance and labor force training.

Mr. Lazar was Chair of the Committee of the Whole of the Second UN Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1995. He also chaired the National Business Association Roundtable and is the Past-President of the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA).

Mr. Lazar taught high school in Vancouver and Zambia from 1969 to 1973. Over the years, Mr. Lazar has given many courses in the graduate studies programs at the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.

Mr. Lazar holds degrees in science and education, including a B.Sc (1968) from McGill University, a B.Ed (1970) and a PhEd in Ed (1976) from the University of Ottawa. 

Mark Hubert

Vice President, Climate Change Leadership

As the Vice President of Climate Change Leadership, Mark is focused on strategically positioning the sector to respond and take advantage of marketplace challenges opportunities presented by climate change. Corporate forest products buyers, politicians, NGOs, the public and the scientific communities all engaged in this fast changing social, environmental and political environment and Mark is challenged to help understand and reconcile competing and complimentary objectives for the forest industry. He is the former Director, Sustainable Forest Management for FPAC, and prior to joining FPAC was an advisor with the British Columbia Ministry of Forests Economics and Trade division, International Relations Unit.

Mark has an operational forestry background in fire management, and also holds a degree in International Relations from the University of British Columbia.

Paul Lansbergen

Association Secretary    
Lead Director, Regulatory Affairs

Paul joined FPAC in February 2002 as Director, Taxation and Business Issues, and was appointed Association Secretary later in the same year.  Since joining FPAC, some of Paul’s contributions include securing federal tax policy changes related to bioenergy and playing an integral role in climate change negotiations with the federal government.  In the fall of 2008, Paul’s role at FPAC shifted to become Director, Energy, Economics and Climate Change, signaling more focus on energy and climate change issues.  Most recently, in May of 2011, Paul was promoted to Lead Director, Regulatory Affairs, expanding his responsibilities to other regulatory issues, such as air and water.  Paul is also deeply involved in FPAC’s efforts on industry transformation and leads the Association’s management of the Biopathways Partnership Network. Paul has two degrees in Economics.

Robert Larocque

Director, Environment

Robert Larocque joined FPAC in April 2011 as Director, Environment.  Bob works with members companies on policy and technical issues relating to environmental regulations.  He is also responsible for environmental data collection and sustainability reporting for the pulp and paper and wood products sectors.

Before joining FPAC, Bob held several positions at Environment Canada in regard to mitigating the risk of toxic substances on the environment.  He also worked previously as a process engineer in a large pulp mill.

Bob holds a B.Sc. in chemical engineering from the University of Ottawa.

Jon Flemming

Director, Economics and Trade Policy

Jon joined FPAC in November 2008 as Director, Economics and trade policy. In this capacity Jon works closely with the FPAC team and member companies in the development of policy positions and initiatives affecting Canada's pulp, paper and wood products sector. His work focuses on fiscal, R&D, energy, and tax policy.

Prior to joining FPAC Jon most recently served as Senior Policy Advisor to the federal Minister of Natural Resources who he advised on forestry and energy issues. He has worked in finance and risk-management roles with RBC Royal Bank and the New Brunswick Power Corporation. He holds a B.Sc. from the University of New Brunswick and a MBA from the University of Guelph. He is a native of Bath, New Brunswick.

Andrew DeVries

Chief Biologist

Andrew’s position involves working with FPAC member companies, government agencies and stakeholders on key federal forestry regulatory issues such as the Species at Risk Act, Migratory Birds Convention Act and Fisheries Act.  He is also responsible for FPAC’s aboriginal affairs committee which is implementing an MoU with the Assembly of First Nations with a focus on economic development opportunities for First Nations and aboriginal people.

Andrew  has worked in Canada, the USA and Costa Rica on forestry and environmental projects. He has on-the-ground experience with environmental assessments, forestry certification systems and managing large research and inventory projects related to fish, wildlife, archaeology and other resources.

Andrew holds M.A. and B.Sc. from the University of Calgary.

Étienne Bélanger

Manager, Forestry Issues

Étienne Bélanger is a graduate of Université Laval in forest management and environment, and joined the FPAC in 2008 after completing a master’s degree on the topic of forest certification. During his studies, he actively participated in the sessions of the Summit on the future of the Quebec forest sector. Étienne sat on the committees addressing governance and integrated resource management. He also served as the spokesperson for students during the Summit.

Cheryl Miltimore

Manager, Market Relations

Cheryl Miltimore has worked at the Forest Products Association of Canada in a variety of roles since 2002. She currently works with members, customers, governments and other key stakeholders on issues related to the market acceptance and market access of Canadian forest products in North America, Europe and Asia. She manages events around the world and is responsible for maintaining FPAC’s library of communications materials. Prior to working at FPAC she worked at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in the International Education Marketing Department.

Catherine Cobden

Vice-President, Economics

Catherine Cobden is the Vice President of Economics for FPAC.  With over 20 years experience, she is responsible for files affecting economic competitiveness in Canada’s pulp, paper and wood products sector.  She supports FPAC member companies on issues ranging from forest sector transformation, taxation, competition, energy and rail policy.  Catherine is also responsible for the bio-pathways project, an innovative look at the opportunities available for the forest products industry in the emerging bio-economy.

Before joining FPAC, Catherine was a lobbyist with Fleishman Hillard where she represented the interests of the natural resource sector on Parliament Hill. In this capacity, she helped shape environmental policy for mining, coal, electricity, and forest products industries.  She has also held several positions with the pulp and paper industry including as Director, Environment for a global newsprint producer.

Catherine is a chemical engineer who attended the University of Toronto and is a graduate of that university’s Pulp and Paper Centre.

Andrew Casey

Vice-President, Public Affairs and International Trade

Andrew Casey joined FPAC in March 2004 as the Association’s Vice President, Government Relations and Communications.  In that capacity, he was responsible for FPAC’s media relations, public advertising and government advocacy.  In September 2009, Andrew became FPAC’s Vice-President, Public Affairs and International Trade, with responsibility for FPAC’s government relations and international trade files.

A native Montrealer with a degree in Political Science from Ottawa’s Carleton University, Andrew came to FPAC from the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA) where he was responsible for the Association’s government relations department for over ten years.  Andrew joined CLHIA after spending 4 years as a Press Secretary and Legislative Assistant to a Minister of the Crown.

Isabelle Des Chênes

Vice President, Market Relations and Communications

Susan Murray

Executive Director, Public Relations

Susan is responsible for media outreach, communications and public relations. Susan brings three decades of journalistic and international experience to FPAC. She worked for CBC throughout Canada and as a foreign correspondent, served as a political commentator for TV networks including TVO and won the Charles Lynch Award in recognition of her successful career in journalism. Susan was also Director of Communications for a federal minister and most recently served as senior communications strategist for the International Development Research Centre.

Joel Neuheimer

Director, Transportation

Joel has almost two decades of both federal government and industry experience working with the Canadian forest industry and its partners worldwide.

In his current role, Joel works with FPAC members and their partners to continually improve the global cost competitiveness of transportation issues for FPAC members. This includes changes to transportation legislation and regulations to reduce costs and improve service, and to accelerate port and border infrastructure improvements.
 
Joel holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from McGill University and a Master of Arts in Communications from the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.

Monica Bailey

Director, Marketing Communications

Monica is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of all of FPAC’s communications, new media, marketing and promotions activities. Prior to this role Monica was responsible for FPAC’s communications, media and public relations.  Previously, Monica worked for a public relations firm as a communications and government relations advisor on community and stakeholder engagement issues; as a ministerial aid for Industry Canada; as a project manager for the department of Industry Canada; and as a policy analyst and researcher for a national association.

Monica holds a degree in Political Science from the University of Ottawa and is working on her MA in Environmental Education and Communication.

George Wamala

Director, Government Relations and Policy

George Wamala joined FPAC in September 2008 as an Economic Policy Analyst and since joining has become Manager, Government Relations and Policy. In this capacity he plays a key role in supporting FPAC in its interactions and close working relationship with the Government of Canada and federal Members of Parliament. Additionally, he supports FPAC’s policy development process and advocacy effort through economic policy analysis and statistical research.

Prior to joining FPAC George served as a legislative assistant to a federal Member of Parliament and as a political advisor to a City Councillor at Ottawa City Hall. George has a degree in Commerce from the University of Ottawa.