As National Forest Week is celebrated across the country, Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) is seizing the opportunity to announce the recipients of its annual Awards of Excellence program. Today, FPAC and MNP announced that Christa Campbell of Resolute Forest Products is being honoured with the Rising Star Award from Canada’s forest products sector.
“The Rising Star Award is presented in partnership with MNP to individuals who bring passion and pride to their workplace and are making unique contributions,” said FPAC President and CEO Derek Nighbor. “This award provides an opportunity for us to showcase the talent and knowledge that young professionals like Christa are bringing to Canada’s forest products sector. She represents the very best of our next generation of forest sector leaders,” he added. “At MNP, we believe the future of forestry is inclusive, sustainable, innovative and something all Canadians can be proud of. People like Christa are actively leading us to that future,” said MNP Advisory Partner and Registered Professional Forester, Jason Fisher.
Christa grew up in northwestern Ontario with a passion for the outdoors. This interest led her to Lakehead University in Thunder Bay where she graduated with an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry. During university, Christa worked in a variety of forestry positions for both industry and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF).
After graduating, Christa worked as a planning forester (in training) and was hired by Resolute Forest Products in 2020 as a Forestry Coordinator. During this time, Christa reached one of her career goals by becoming a Registered Professional Forester and is the second generation in her family to do so.
Christa now works primarily on the Boundary Waters Forest (Fort Frances, Ontario) and is the liaison with MNRF, stakeholders and the public. She has been a councillor for the Northwestern Ontario Section of the Canadian Institute of Forestry (CIF) since 2018, first as a student, and now as an industry representative.
Christa is passionate about educating Ontario’s youth about sustainable forest management and the opportunities for local employment in the forestry sector. She has worked on many outreach projects including outdoor classrooms for National Forest Week, CIF Afforestation Tree Plant, creating a Harvest Operations Education Video, and organizing a Teacher’s Forestry Tour. As a result of some of these activities, the Northwestern Ontario Section received the CIF’s 2021 Section of the Year Award in recognition of increasing awareness of the importance of forestry in Canada.
“I am honoured to receive this award and would like to thank the woodlands team at Resolute Forest Products. My mentors and co-workers should share in this recognition as we truly work as a team, and they have played a key role in shaping the forester I have become. I am proud to work for Resolute and plan to continue to do my part to ensure we are a profitable, accountable, and sustainable company. I am looking forward to a long forestry career where I can grow as a professional and inspire the next generation of foresters by sharing my passion for sustainable forestry.”
To learn more about FPAC’s Awards of Excellence recipients, please visit: https://www.fpac.ca/
About MNP
National in scope and local in focus, MNP is one of Canada’s leading professional services firms — proudly serving individuals, businesses, and organizations since 1958. Through the development of strong relationships, we provide client-focused accounting, consulting, tax, and digital services. Our clients benefit from personalized strategies with a local perspective to fuel success at every stage.
About Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC)
FPAC provides a voice for Canada’s wood, pulp, and paper producers nationally and internationally in government, trade, and environmental affairs. As an Industry with annual revenues exceeding $75B, Canada’s forest products sector is one of the country’s largest employers operating in over 600 communities, providing 225,000 direct jobs, and over 600,000 indirect jobs across the country.
