A pair of foresters from Thunder Bay are receiving national recognition for their contributions to the industry.
Tom Ratz and Christa Campbell, who both work for Resolute Forest Products in Thunder Bay, have received Awards of Excellence from the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC).
The acknowledgement came during National Forest Week, which is being celebrated across the country Sept. 23-29.
Tom Ratz, a registered professional forester who is currently Resolute's forestry manager for Ontario, received FPAC's Member of the Year Award, which goes to a member who has “gone above and beyond in advancing the values of environmental stewardship, strengthening forestry communities, and supporting forest sector colleagues and partners.”
Over 40 years, Ratz has sat on several committees and groups, including the Ontario Professional Foresters Association NW Ontario Section; FPAC's Forestry and Indigenous Committees; the Ontario Forest Industries Association, as Woodlands Chair; and the OFIA's Indigenous Committee.
He has embraced new technology, such as drones and LiDAR, in an effort to improve management decisions, and provides mentorship and leadership to others in the industry.
A full synopsis of his contributions can be found here.
Christa Campbell received the Rising Star Award for bringing passion and pride to her workplace and for making unique contributions, according to FPAC.
Campbell started her career with Resolute in 2020 as a forestry coordinator and has since become a registered professional forester.
Working primarily on the Boundary Waters Forest in Fort Frances, Campbell liaises with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, stakeholders, and the public. She has also been a councillor for the Northwestern Ontario Section of the Canadian Institute of Forestry since 2018.
An advocate for educating Ontario's youth about sustainable forest management, Campbell has worked on many outreach projects and, as a result, the Northwestern Ontario Section received the CIF’s 2021 Section of the Year Award.
A full synopsis of her contributions can be found here.
