FLA Staff

Scott Jones, CEO

A graduate of the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry, Scott has been entrenched in the forestry industry for more than 25 years, with a keen insight of owning and managing timberland, supply chain management and the impact of state and federal policies.

Scott’s early career included managing a 60,000-acre tract of timberland owned by Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation and serving as a procurement forester responsible for purchasing wood for a pulp mill. He then left the woods to begin his career in the forestry association realm, working for the Georgia Forestry Association and the Southern Lumber Manufacturers Association where he gained experience on policy issues from the local, state and federal level impacting the ownership of private forests, sawmills and the entire supply chain.

Awards and Certifications: Scott is a Georgia Registered Forester, SAF Certified Forester, the 2002 Warnell School of Forest Resources Distinguished Young Alumnus and the first recipient of the UGA Alumni Association 40 Under 40 recognition from the Warnell school. Scott lives on a small farm in Bowdon Georgia with his wife Deborah and 2 children.

Melinda Gable, Vice President

Melinda Gable has been advancing natural resource policy issues for 25 years. Her focus is on accomplishing measured results benefiting the stakeholders, the economy, and the environment. She is well regarded for taking ideas from conception to execution and the facilitation of bringing federal, private and NGO partners together to develop programs to achieve common goals.

Melinda has worked with the Archery Trade Association, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, National Sporting Library & Museum, Outdoor Channel, The Land Report, Southern Group of State Foresters, and Assoc. of Consulting Foresters.

Lauren Ward, Ph.D., J.D., General Counsel & Director of Regulatory Affairs

Lauren joined the FLA staff as Director of Stewardship Initiatives in 2017, after serving as the Forest Landowner Foundation’s first Rob O Fellow in Forest Policy and Analysis. Lauren earned her doctorate in Forest Resources at the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, where she researched the perspectives of private forest landowners on the Endangered Species Act. She also earned her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law in 2007 and is a member of the State Bar of Georgia. Her interdisciplinary expertise in law and forestry provides her with a unique perspective on forest policy, stewardship, and advocacy.

Pete Williams, Magazine Editor

Pete has served as editor of Forest Landowner magazine since 2012. A private forest landowner, he has written for The Washington Post, USA Today, and The New York Times and is the author of a number of books on sports, business, and fitness. The Virginia native lives in Central Florida.

Forest Landowner magazine, was honored by Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI) with a “Tabbie” award for editorial excellence in the category of “Best Single Issue.” Judges recognized the March/April 2017 issue of Forest Landowner, which was dedicated to the “Next Generation of Forestry.”

Amy Palmer, Dir. of Administration

Amy joined FLA as the Director of Administration in 2017. She oversees the daily operations of the FLA offices in Smyrna, GA, managing association memberships, coordinating the annual National Conference of Private Forest Landowners, and supporting the activities and programs of the Association and The Forest Landowner Foundation.

Amy is a graduate of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia and has worked for the Georgia Department of Audits as a program auditor and Delta Airlines in a human resources capacity. Amy has been married for 24 years and has 2 children in college.

Heidi Van Voorhis, Director of Communications

Heidi joined FLA in November 2019 as Director of Communications. With more than 25 years experience in brand strategy and marketing communications, Heidi brings to FLA a broad background from large multi-national high-tech companies to a smaller regional land preservation association. A self-described “lifelong learner”, she focuses on the target market with a passion for trying new technologies and providing strategic and engaging content.

Katie Moss, Policy and Legislative Assistant

Katie Moss joined the FLA team as the Policy and Legislative Assistant in November 2020. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, concentrating in law and administration. While in college she interned for the Federal Forest Resource Coalition in Washington, D.C., and upon graduation, interned for the National Wild Turkey Federation in their government affairs department. She has also worked with The Nature Conservancy and AmeriCorps in an education and outreach capacity. She is still relatively new to the industry but anticipates using her unique background and skills to be an advocate for private forest landowners across the US.
Katie currently lives in Pontotoc, MS with her husband and their two dogs.