Forest Service International Foundation was recognized in 2023 by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service as a Section 509(a)(3) Supporting Organization and incorporated in 2022 as a nonprofit organization in the District of Columbia.
Zachary (“Zac”) is the Executive Director for the Forest Service International Foundation. Zac brings twenty years of international program management and compliance experience to the Foundation, including three years as the United States Forest Service Office of International Program’s (USFS-IP’s) International Compliance Advisor. In this role with USFS-IP, Zac works directly with partner organizations to develop their operations and management capacity. Prior to his work with USFS-IP, Zac served as Compliance Officer and Technical Director for a legal aid program in Iraq with a large international development contractor. Zac has a Masters Degree in International Affairs and recently completed an international law program at Temple University.
For thirteen years, Doug Crandall was Director of Legislative Affairs with the U.S. Forest Service, including four years as Acting Assistant Secretary for USDA Secretaries Vilsack and Perdue. Before that he served for eight years as Staff Director for the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health, with jurisdiction in the U. S. House of Representatives over legislation and oversight concerning the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management. He also held roles as Vice President of the National Forest Foundation, Policy Director for the Society of American Foresters, and served on the boards of numerous forestry, conservation, industry, and community organizations. He spent ten years managing a lumber company in Livingston, MT, and four years on the Brazilian Amazon where he worked as a forester, float-plane pilot, and plywood mill manager. Doug graduated with a BS in Forestry from Oregon State University.
Kathy Alison brings more than 30 years of experience as a senior management and organizational development consultant, trainer, and facilitator. She has designed and led multi-sector training programs, team-building initiatives, and collaborative workshops engaging executive-level staff, senior government officials, donor agencies, and technical institutions in more than 65 countries.Before her recent retirement, Kathy served as Senior Training Adviser and Deputy Technical Chief of Party on the USAID-funded Africa Lead II project. Her expertise includes organizational and institutional capacity building, training needs assessment and curriculum development, strategic planning, consensus building, and knowledge management. She has supported programs across sectors such as agriculture policy, health systems strengthening, water and sanitation, and environment and natural resource management.
Anthony is the Dean of the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture at the University of New Hampshire, leading initiatives to address climate and sustainability crises. He is also a professor in restoration ecology, renowned for his research on native plant seedling quality and outplanting success. Originally from Canada, Anthony holds a degree in Forestry from the University of New Brunswick and an MS and PhD in Forest Biology from Purdue University.
Daryn is an educational creative, facilitator, and producer with expertise in peacebuilding, international education, nonviolent action, civics education, leadership development, and community organizing. Since 2018, he has been an organizational development and training consultant at Training Resources Group, Inc., supporting clients such as USAID, the World Bank Group, and the National Institutes of Health. Previously, he worked at the United States Institute of Peace, where he helped launch USIP’s Global Campus and produced the Peace Frequency podcast. Daryn has also worked for the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict and has been serving as an adjunct professor at American University since 2009, teaching courses on peace education and nonviolent action.
Melissa is the Natural Resources Law Enforcement Advisor to the Asia Pacific Natural Resource Law Enforcement Program with the US Forest Service International Programs Office and oversees the Cambodia portfolio. She has dedicated over 25 years of her career to international forestry and forest governance. Her background is developing and implementing environment/forest/conservation programs and analyzing and supporting countries to better understand forest market trends, forest legality, and strengthening supply chains. Melissa also has strong experience working with the private sector, civil society, and governments to strengthen legislation, sustainability, and conservation policies.
Steve is a volunteer organizational development advisor to the Board of Directors of Forest Service International Foundation. With over 30 years of experience, he has designed and implemented development activities for both private and public sector organizations globally. He has worked extensively with national government ministries, non-government organizations, and U.S. government agencies, including USAID and the U.S. Forest Service, providing expertise in organizational assessments, leadership development, and strategic planning.
Kent is the Assistant Director for Trade at the US Forest Service Office of International Programs and Trade. Since joining International Programs in 2012, he has also served as the Assistant Director for the Asia Pacific region, Chief of Staff for Technical Cooperation, Indonesia Program Specialist, and Lower Mekong Program Assistant. Before joining the Forest Service, Kent served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in northeast Thailand. He has a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service degree from Georgetown University.
