Update from Dogwood Alliance…

Spring has come to the mountains, bringing with it the promise of growth, the renewal of life, and the reminder that time changes all things. In this spirit, the Dogwood Alliance is embracing the experience of our own change of seasons. We are pleased and excited to announce that Danna Smith, co-founder of the Dogwood Alliance and former executive Director, has accepted the position of interim Executive Director.  Danna brings to the table over thirteen years of experience at Dogwood, where she has played a role in every major campaign at the organization. A strategic visionary with an impressive record of getting the job done, Danna is uniquely suited to lead the organization in taking advantage of new opportunities and effectively addressing existing threats to Southern forests.

The board and staff of the organization would like to acknowledge the departure and successful tenure of Sid Cullipher. Thanks to Sid’s hard work and diligence, we are well positioned on our campaigns and are ready to embrace a bigger and bolder future here at Dogwood Alliance. We have the fast food companies scrambling, some of the largest paper companies in the world are at the table, and we are ready to take the debate on climate and forests to a whole new level.

With new leadership comes a renewed sense of enthusiasm and purpose to address the opportunities and challenges that are before us. Our experienced and talented staff are all incredibly excited about where Dogwood Alliance is headed over the coming year and thank each and every one of you for your continued support. Almost all the major paper companies are committed to the process to find smart solutions that will create jobs and protect our forests. We are also set to launch a major campaign that will highlight the importance of protecting and expanding native forests as a way to sequester carbon and address climate change, as well as to expose the dangers that cellulosic biofuels pose to forests. It will be a large undertaking, and we will need the help of our friends and allies to succeed, but we are confident that we can continue to be the voice for southern forests heading into the future.

Just as the excitement of Spring fills us with hope for the year ahead, we here at the Dogwood Alliance excited about the future and the opportunities we have before us.

For our forests and communities,

Neville Handel

Chair, Board of Directors