101 NHTOA Annual Meeting May 19, 2012

More than 130 people attended the 101st Annual Meeting of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association on Saturday, May 19, 2012, at the Common Man Inn and Restaurant Claremont in Claremont, New Hampshire.
Bright skies and a light breeze ensured perfect conditions for the tour of the city of Claremont’s Whitewater Reservoir in Cornish, New Hampshire, and the tour of Preferred Building Systems (PBS), a builder of modular homes, in Claremont.
Attendees of both tours agreed that they were informative and well organized. The tour leaders and the The Association’s annual business meeting started promptly at noon in the Sugar River Ballroom at The Common Man.
By unanimous vote, members approved a slate of board of directors and officers. They also unanimously adopted the updated Strategic Plan, which will guide the work of the NHTOA’s staff and board of directors for the next five years.
“With celebrating its Centennial and updating its Strategic Plan, 2011 was a busy, productive and rewarding year for the NHTOA,” said Ann Davis, president. “While marking our first 100 years of service to the forest products industry, the NHTOA ensured its continued viability by updating its Strategic Plan. In 2011, the organization and its members appreciated the past while planning for the future.” Jasen Stock, executive director of the NHTOA, recognized members of the Strategic Plan Committee for their nearly two years of work updating the organization’s strategic plan. Members of the committee who attended the Annual Meeting were Susan Bryant-Kimball, John Caveney, Ann Davis, Marcella Perry, Peter Powell and Ned Therrien. Each received a hand-crafted wood item made in New Hampshire.
Other committee members were Darrel Covell, Donny Hardwick Jr., and Steve Mongan. Stock also thanked all the people who ensure the organization’s continued success in the realm of advocacy, training, and service to the forest products industry.
      “We’ve had a tremendous year. And we wouldn’t have accrued this success without the commitment of time, expertise and financial support of our members,” Stock said.

No one walked away hungry from the delicious lunch buffet including ham, quiche, salads, fresh fruit, cookies, brownies, and beverages. Two cakes, donated by Dick Gassett, long-time NHTOA member from Newport, congratulated the NHTOA on its 101st meeting.
Each year the NHTOA honors leaders in the forest products industry at the Annual Meeting. Each honoree received a trophy carved by Damon Loiselle.
The 2012 award recipients were: Ned Therrien, Kendall Norcott Award; Dan Cyr, President’s Award; and Dan Duclos, Logger of the Year. Duclos will be nominated for regional awards including those presented each year by the Northeastern Loggers Association (NELA) and the Forest Resources Association Inc. (FRA).
Todd Carmichael, owner of High-Tech Harvesting in Loudon, N.H., recipient of the NHTOA’s 2011 Logger of the Year Award, was named by FRA as its northeast region logger of the year for 2011. Joel Swanton of FRA presented the award to Carmichael. The award, sponsored by STIHL, included a handsome wood trophy in the shape of a two-man crosscut saw, a check for $250 from STIHL, and a new STIHL MS model chainsaw.
Carmichael also was honored as the Outstanding Logging Operator of 2011 by NELA.
In the biennial leadership change – presidents of the NHTOA serve a two-year term – Ann Davis presented Dennis McKenney with the ceremonial ax crafted by Don Quigley, a professor at the University of New Hampshire Thompson School of Applied Science.
Chris Fife, Resource Supervisor of the Northern Kingdom Unit for Plum Creek presented Jasen Stock with a check for $5,000 from the Plum Creek Foundation. The funds will be used to support logger training and a workshop for “first responders” on methods to deal with invasive species of plants and insects.
The meeting closed with a silent auction and raffle that raised $2,000 for the NHTOA.