The Softwood Lumber Board 2021 Board of Directors Announced

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has reappointed Eric Cremers, Caroline Dauzat, and Hugues Simon to serve second terms on the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB). He has also appointed director Keith O’Rear to his first term. Directors will serve a three-year term of office beginning January 1, 2021.

Mr. Cremers was recently name President & CEO of PotlatchDeltic, the 9th largest producer of lumber in the United States with facilities in Arkansas, Idaho, Michigan, and Minnesota. He brings the added perspective of a timberland owner as PotlatchDeltic owns 1.9 million acres of timberlands. His experience prior to joining PotlatchDeltic in the consumer products industry makes him a valuable resource to the SLB’s communications and marketing campaigns.

Ms. Dauzat is fourth-generation Owner and Manager of Rex Lumber. Rex owns and operates four state-of-the-art southern yellow pine sawmills with locations in Graceville and Bristol, Florida, Brookhaven, Mississippi, and Troy, Alabama. She has shown a strong representative for family-owned lumber businesses in the South as an active member of the Southeast Lumber Manufacturers Association since 1998 and a board member from 2013 to 2016.

Mr. Hugues Simon has a well-rounded background with 26 years of experience in the forest sector and adds the unique perspective of a value added, remanufacturer that makes diverse products including wood fence panels, bed frame wood components, furring strips, and crating products. As a representative of importers and particularly those in Eastern Canada (many of which operate on both sides of the border), Hugues is an effective and valued voice for smaller producers contributing to the Softwood Lumber Board.

Mr. O’Rear has 30 years of experience in the lumber industry including various manufacturing leadership roles at the company’s lumber mills in Dierks, Arkansas, and Idabel, Oklahoma. Now operating from Weyerhaeuser’s corporate office, he has a strong connection with the South, having led the company’s Timberlands operations in Oklahoma and Arkansas from 2013 to 2014. Keith serves on several industry boards, including the American Wood Council, the Wood Product Council – WoodWorks, and Southern Pine Inspection Bureau.

The 2021 Board will have 14 members, including 10 domestic manufacturers and four importers. Members can serve up to two consecutive three-year terms.

“The Softwood Lumber Board thanks Secretary Perdue for appointing a strong slate of new directors who reflect the diversity of the industry and will bring the unique perspectives from their regions,” said Cees de Jager, SLB’s President and CEO. “The SLB would also like to thank our outgoing directors, Adrian Blocker, Don Demens, and Fritz Mason for their leadership, service, and commitment to the industry.”

To read the USDA Notice to Trade, click here.