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Wood Utilization
Industry
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AZFRP
Team
"AZFRP
is in the conservation business. This means that our end goal is
the restoration of the northern Arizona ecosystems and
watersheds to a self sustainable and resilient fire adapted
ecology. This also means that we recognize that running a
successful economic engine is the only way to fund now
landscape scale restoration. We value intelligent, dedicated and
driven people, hard work, an action bias,
risk taking, a result oriented contribution, an intense
focus on execution, having fun in what we do, and making a
difference."
The AZFRP
Team
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Company
history
AZFRP traces
its roots to the entrepreneurial dream of a young man, James Stearns, who grew
up in California near the Sierra National Forest and the
Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.
The Rodeo
Chediski fire of 2002 was to be a catalyst for all the AZFRP
team, motivating both Don Walters and Pascal Berlioux to get
involved, but it directly prompted James to form in August 2003
a small company that would ultimately become AZFRP. Supported by his
family, James attempted for over 2 years to attract large wood industry groups
to invest in Arizona. But the conditions were not right, and the
model did not work.
When James
met Don Walters, he convinced him to support his effort. In
February of 2006 Don made a small investment in James' company.
Promptly, Don realized that developing a major industrial
investment would require more than a dream and his financial
support, and by June 2006 when Don and James re-incorporated
AZFRP with Whitney Cunningham's help, Don and Pascal were already making plans.
In August
2006, after fire raged yet again in northern Arizona (Woody
fire, Brins fire), Pascal Berlioux joined AZFRP to create the
AZFRP business plan, lead its execution, assume full
responsibility for AZFRP’s operations and turn the fledgling
company into an economic engine capable of funding landscape
scale forest restoration in northern Arizona. Pascal shifted the
emphasis away from restoration as a wood supplier to business, toward
business as an economic enabler of restoration; and from attempting to attract large wood industry
groups, toward developing a strategy of collaborative
alliance with the communities, the environmental constituency,
the science providers and the Forest Service, in order to identify the
appropriate scale for an ecologically and economically
sustainable Arizona-based private investment independent from
the large wood industry groups.
As partners, Don and Pascal
continued to personally fund AZFRP for 3 years until
December 2009 when John F. Long Properties decided to support
landscape scale forest restoration in northern Arizona. In February
2010 Jake Long and Jim Miller made a substantial investment in
AZFRP, and have since been providing the long term financial strength
necessary to get the AZFRP project across the finish line. |
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 Jacob F.
"Jake" Long
Director
on the Board
Jake began
working in the family home-building business as an apprentice
carpenter when
he was just 18. He then continued learning the
business from the ground up. After learning many trade skills,
he was mentored by the company's construction superintendent,
and upon the superintendent's retirement, Jake became
Superintendent of Construction. Jake continued learning all
facets of the business by moving into the office in 1988 where
his management skills were honed under his father's tutelage.
Jake's business acumen, along with his understanding of the
construction field, have allowed him to advance as General
Partner of John F. Long Properties LLLP and General
Partner of Algodón Center LLLP. His responsibilities include
overseeing all administrative functions, managing company
investments, and managing all real estate operations. Jake is
also head of the John F. Long Foundation Board, and is closely
involved in a number of community and civic activities as a
Banner Health Foundation Board Member, a Luke Air Force Base
Honorary Squadron Commander, a Friends of the West Valley
Recreation Corridor Board Member, and a Fighter Country
Partnership Board Member.
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Pascal Berlioux, Ph.D., MBA
President &
CEO, Director on the Board
Pascal was
born and raised in France where he received his education at the
Special Military Academy of Saint Cyr, the French equivalent to
West Point. Pascal first
worked in the wood industry
in France, including being
Production Manager for a particle boards plant,
Industrialization Manager for the largest wood furniture company
in France, and Project Manager, then Plant Manager for the first
wood & cement panels plant in Europe - an early ancestor of OSB
(see vintage French press). Pascal then came to the United
States to open the subsidiary of a French
electronics company. Soon after, he created his own
optoelectronics company and ran it for 8 years before selling it
to become the starting block of Voltarc Technologies
Optoelectronics Division. As Vice President and General Manager,
he developed and led this business unit for another 8 years,
first as a private company, then through its acquisition by
PerkinElmer, a publicly traded global provider of Analytical
Sciences, Fluid Sciences, and Optoelectronics. In 2002 Pascal
joined the for-profit postsecondary education
sector. As Executive Director, Pascal created the Flagstaff
campus of College America, then, as Regional Director he created
in 2004 a second campus in Phoenix before leading Brooks College
in Sunnyvale, CA. Pascal partnered up with the
AZFRP team in 2006 to
create the Arizona Forest Restoration Products business plan,
lead its execution, and assume full responsibility for AZFRP’s
operations. Pascal earned a Ph.D. in Business Administration (summa cum
laude) from Northcentral University, an MBA from the University
of New Haven, a 6 Sigma Black Belt from Air Academy Associates,
and an Advanced Leadership Certificate from PerkinElmer's
Advanced Leadership Institute. Pascal is a member of the Delta
Mu Delta International Honor Society in Business Administration
and serves on the Governor of Arizona Forest Health Council.
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Donald B. Walters, Jr.
Chairman,
Director on the Board
A native of
Prescott, AZ, Don has an impressive background combining
construction management experience and real estate development
as Division Manager of Southwest Desert Builder, then as owner
of Primary Systems Services Group, LLC. In addition to the
responsibilities inherent in the ownership of Primary Systems
Services Group, Don had a very active role in
operations and oversaw directly day-to-day operations,
coordination of field activities, conformance to customer
requirements, and final approval of all specialty equipment
designs and configurations for a number of major construction
projects for hi-tech leaders in the Phoenix area such as: Acme
Electric, Inc., Motorola, Inc., SGS Thomson Microelectronics,
Intel Corp., etc. Don also successfully completed a number of
non technical projects for major corporate entities such as:
American Express Corp., Phoenix General North Hospital, Borders
Books, Tower Plaza Shopping Center, Air Liquide, etc. Don
received his education in Business Management at the Maricopa
College; in Aeronautical Science at the Embry Riddle
Aeronautical University; and in Leadership at the Leadership
Development Forum. Don is very involved with the Northern
Arizona Building Association (NABA), which he presided in 2004.
He also was a National Director for the National Association of
Home Builders (NAHB), and he is currently a Board Member for the
Environmental Issues Committee of the National Association of
Home Builders (NAHB).
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James J.
"Jim"
Miller, CPA
Secretary,
Treasurer, Director on the Board
As a
resident of Phoenix since 1948, Jim Miller has a long standing
and respected reputation among the business community. Jim
graduated from ASU in 1968 with a degree in Accounting and
received his CPA certificate in 1971. Jim’s volunteer track
record exemplifies one who is dedicated to ensuring a sound
quality of life in West Valley communities and supports economic
development strategies that create jobs to improve the economic
vitality of the area. From being a board member on various
boards (often chairing those boards, as well) such as the Boys
and Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix, to school boards, to
Maryvale Revitalization Corporation, to City of Phoenix Citizens
Bond Committee and West Phoenix Revitalization Community
Advisory Board, to the Governor’s Commission for Military
Affairs, Jim has contributed countless hours to the community.
He is a successful leader who encourages others to follow and
work effectively for the benefit of others. After a brief career
in public accounting and a publicly traded company, Jim has been
employed by John F. Long Properties LLLP since 1977. Starting as
Controller, the management of all of the company and Mr. Long’s
personal real estate were quickly added to his job
responsibilities. In addition to the real estate, Jim also
manages all litigation and tax matters for the family.
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Whitney Cunningham, J.D.
General Counsel
Born and
raised in Flagstaff, AZ, Whitney earned his bachelor’s degree
(magna cum laude) from Northern Arizona University, and received
his Juris Doctor degree (magna cum laude) from The Georgetown
University Law Center, where he also served as Editor-in-Chief
of The Georgetown Law Journal. He returned to Flagstaff in 1993
following a clerkship on the U.S. District Court for the
District of Columbia. Whitney has been practicing in the areas
of corporate, real estate and construction law for 13 years. He
has helped start, and represents, numerous multi-million dollar
companies in the Flagstaff area. Don and Whitney have a long
standing relation of trust and mutual appreciation developed
during Whitney’s representation of Don’s numerous and
substantial interests in Northern Arizona. Whitney is also Vice
President of the Board of Governors of the State Bar of Arizona,
representing the State’s northern counties in that organization,
and is active on the board of several foundations and non-profit
organizations.
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Don MacInnes
Senior
Advisor to the Board, Engineering
Don MacInnes (“Don
Mac”) has extensive experience in the development of Oriented
Strand Board (OSB) manufacturing plants with involvement in
construction, engineering, management services, interfacing and
start-up procedures. Don Mac’s companies have had a peak
employment of over 500 people and have averaged $35 millions in
revenue for the last 25 years. Don Mac is directly responsible
for overall operations, safety procedures and interfacing
engineering and construction tasks at Eugene Forest Systems Ltd.
Don Mac received his education in Mechanical Engineering at the
University Naval Division of the University of British Columbia;
in Fire Protection Design and Trade Certification at the British
Columbia Institute of Technology; and in Fire Protection
Engineering at Purdue University. Don Mac has led to successful
completion the creation of 7 OSB plants in North America,
including: Pelican Spruce Mills Edson, Alberta (1981); Pelican
Spruce Mills Drayton Valley, Alberta (1985); Ainsworth Lumber
Co. 100 Mile House, B.C. (1993); Ainsworth Lumber Co. Grand
Prairie, Alberta (1994); Weyerhaeuser Canada Hudson Bay,
Saskatchewan (1999); Footner Forest Products High Level, Alberta
(2000); Sloan/L.P. Fort St. John, B.C. (2004); and the
modernization of 10 OSB plants in North America, including:
MacMillan Bloedel Hudson Bay, Saskatchewan (1983); Pelican
Spruce Mills Edson, Alberta (1985); Weldwood of Canada Slave
Lake, Alberta (1986); Weldwood of Canada Long Lac, Ontario
(1986); Weyerhaeuser Canada Drayton Valley, Alberta (1990);
Weyerhaeuser Canada Edson, Alberta (1992); Ainsworth Lumber Co.
100 Mile House, B.C. (2000); Ainsworth Lumber Co. Grande
Prairie, Alberta (2002); Ainsworth Lumber Co. Grande Prairie;
Alberta (2004); Louisiana Pacific Swan Valley, Manitoba (2005).
Don Mac is a well recognized leading figure in the North
American OSB industry, and his support, engagement, and
commitment bring tremendous credibility to the Arizona Forest
Restoration Products project.
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 James
O. Stearns
Director on
the Board
James’ grew
up in the mountains of California near the Sierra National
Forest. Spending his youth between the Yosemite and Sequoia
National Parks gave him a great respect for the outdoors. James
spent much of his time working for his grandfather’s company as
well as his father’s tax and bookkeeping Firm. These
opportunities gave him a background in business and a desire to
create his own. James moved to Northern Arizona in 1997 and has
resided here since. As a resident of Flagstaff during the Rodeo
Chediski fire, his family’s entrepreneur spirit inspired him to
look for solutions to this disaster. In 2003 James and his
family formed a company that would eventually become AZFRP, and
started engaging people of different expertise to promote the
creation of an OSB company in Arizona. After over 2 years of
pioneering work, James contacted Don Walters to support his
project and they decided to join forces to further the goal of
forest restoration in northern Arizona. |
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