2025 - 2026 Board of Directors
Coast District
Kristy Swor
Kristy Swor (RPF #3183) grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, but spent most summers visiting her grandma in the redwood forests of Santa Cruz—an experience that planted the seed for her future in forestry. She began her academic path at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo as a biology major, later switching to forestry with a goal to "save the trees"—a mission that evolved into a deeper understanding of the balance between ecological integrity and sustainable resource management.
She gained foundational field experience at Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch (SPR), where she now continues to work through her consulting work with Hamey Woods. Her work remains rooted in the landscapes that shaped her early career, including SPR and San Vicente Redwoods, with a focus on ecological restoration, post-fire recovery, and long-term forest management. Throughout her career, Kristy has been fortunate to be mentored by thoughtful and experienced foresters & professors who shaped her approach to the profession. She feels lucky to be part of the small forestry community in Santa Cruz and enjoys learning from and working alongside others who care deeply about the land.
Kristy is also passionate about mentoring Cal Poly students and volunteering at the Forestry Challenge to help inspire the next generation of foresters. In her spare time, she can often be found pulling weeds and enthusiastically filling up her (and her neighbors’) green waste bins. Kristy recently fulfilled a longtime goal by adopting a spirited German Shepherd/Husky mix puppy who now keeps her on her toes.
Louis Schipper IV – Vice President
Jared Gerstein
Jared Gerstein graduated UC Santa Cruz in 1994 with an BA in Environmental Studies and Oregon State University in 1999 with an MS in Forest Science. After graduate school Mr. Gerstein conducted watershed analysis for PALCO while working at Tetra Tech, then went on to the University of California Cooperative Extension program developing monitoring methods for watershed restoration projects implemented by CDFW. After that he worked at the Northcoast Regional Land Trust developing and monitoring working forest Conservation Easements. This broad background prepared Mr. Gerstein to join BBW and Associates, Inc. in 2007 as RPF #2826. Since joining BBWA Mr. Gerstein has participated in forest inventories, developed forest management plans, written and implemented forest harvest projects under CALFIRE and BIA rules, appraised timber values and helped develop conservation easements. Mr. Gerstein is an owner and managing partner of BBWA and is the Vice President. Managing a forestry consulting business has given Mr. Gerstein insights into the challenges of running a business, managing employees, vehicles, insurance plans, buildings and regulations in California. BBWA focuses on conservation-based forestry, working primarily with clients interested in maintaining uneven aged forests and growing larger, older forest communities, managing fire risk/recovery and seeking income from numerous sources including timber harvest, carbon credits and conservation easements.
Evan Mahoney-Moyer
Evan was raised in Eureka, CA and grew up exploring the woods of coastal Humboldt County. He attended UC Santa Cruz, where he received a B.S. in Biology in 2014. Following graduation, he was hired by Green Diamond Resource Company as a Seasonal Botanical Technician surveying the company’s timber harvest plans for rare and sensitive plant species. This position inspired a love of working in the outdoors on the rugged landscape of northern California’s timberlands. While working in this and a succession of other technician-level botany and forestry positions for Green Diamond, he was fortunate enough to work with several individuals who fostered an interest in forest management and encouraged Evan to become a licensed forester to write harvest plans. Evan passed the RPF exam in 2021 and became Registered Professional Forester 3159. He is currently employed as a plan-writing RPF by Green Diamond.
In his spare time, Evan enjoys mountain biking, camping, playing fetch with his dog Summit, hunting, and fishing.
Northern District
Cole Humphrey - President
Cole Humphrey is a Forester for Hearst Forests in McCloud CA. Cole grew up in Siskiyou County splitting his time between the Shasta and Scott Valleys. Cole holds a Bachelor of Science in Forestry with an emphasis in Forests Operations from Humboldt State University. Cole graduated in 2016 on a Saturday and started his professional career that Monday with Michigan-California Timber Company in Yreka, CA. At MCTC, Cole started out as a technician, timber marking, laying out timber sales, check cruising, and conducting owl surveys. Cole progressed into plan writing and received his registered professional foresters license in 2020. At the end of 2021 Cole was promoted as the inventory forester at MCTC until the timberlands were sold in the summer 2022. Cole stayed with the timberlands joining FWS Forestry and assisting managing Acer Klamath timberlands till 2023. Since 2023 Cole has been with Hearst Forests helping manage their 82,000 acres timberlands. Cole considers himself a generalist but particularly enjoys forest inventory and forest planning. Cole currently serves on the Siskiyou Land Trust Acquisition Committee.
In his free time Cole loves to whitewater kayak, mountain bike, and spent time with his partner and dogs.
Jason Poburko RPF#2769
Jason’s forestry career started in 1996, with his first job being on the exposed western coast of Vancouver Inland for Pacific Forest Products. While finishing his BSF at the University of British Columbia, additional work exposure experiences were obtained with both INTERFOR and the Association of BC Professional Foresters. After graduation in 1999, he accepted a position with the small family consulting firm of Frank and Dean Solinsky Co, Eureka. In 2001, Jason accepted a position with the SPI Weaverville Forest District and practiced in the Coast and Klamath mixed conifer forests for 16 years. In 2016, seeking a new challenge, Jason accepted a position as the Forest Manager at CAL FIRE’s LaTour Demonstration State Forest. In 2022 three new forests were added to his area of responsibility and he now manages the five Demonstration State Forests in the CAL FIRE Shasta-Trinity Unit under the moniker of the SHU Demonstration State Forests. Jason has a strong background in spotted owls, CEQA, Forest Practice, Forest Inventory, technology, building partnerships, and challenging the status quo. Jason previously served 3 terms as a CLFA Board member from 2008-2012, and held the Presidency in 2011. Jason has also served as a member of the Professional Foresters Examining Committee since 2016. By returning to the Board, Jason hopes to help the new board remember its roots, recruit membership, and mentor those starting in the profession
Nick grew up in the Sacramento Valley surrounded by orchards and rice fields. He began working for a consulting forester out of Oroville CA in the summer of 2004 at 18 years old and the rest is history. After graduating from Humboldt State University in the spring of 2010 he moved to Burney, CA and worked for W.M. Beaty & Associates, Inc. until 2018. For the last 5 years Nick has been working for Siller Brothers, Inc. Yuba City, Ca managing their timberlands.
Justin Barrett
Southern District
Matthew Brown
Matt is a proud Cal Poly (the real Cal Poly) graduate, and began his career in 2005 working at Mountain Home Demonstration State Forest cruising timber, and cut his teeth using a 40 BAF for old growth Giant Sequoia, where he fell in love with cruising timber and limiting distances. Upon graduation Matt accepted a position with Mason, Bruce, and Girard based in Auburn, CA supporting THP preparation, inventory, reforestation, and stand improvement projects. During his time with MB&E Matt also worked periodically throughout the western US from Washington and Oregon to Southern California supporting various forest management and inventory projects. Matt also worked for Davey Resource Group from 2009-2011 standing up its diversification into forest management, forest inventory, and fuels reduction planning on private, state, and federal lands in the Western US. In 2011, Matt took his first position with Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) in its Natural Resource Management Department overseeing planning and management of timberlands south of Sonora, vegetation/land management to support hydro operations, and land management at Diablo Canyon Power Plant. Since 2016, Matt has overseen PG&E's compensatory mitigation and conservation activities related to species take (California and federal Endangered Species Acts [ESA]), Lake and Streambed Alteration (LSA/1602), and state and federal Clean Water Act (WDR/GO, CWA 401/404). Matt's role further expanded in 2018 to include long-term programmatic permit development related to CESA, ESA, CWAs, and LSA, including EIR and EA development, to support PG&E's maintenance and operations. In 2017, Matt also established himself as a part-time consulting forester in Fresno and Madera counties. In addition to being a Licensed Forester since 2010, Matt also holds a Pest Control Advisor's license (PCA), a Qualified Applicator License (QAL), and a Project Management Professional certification (PMP). Matt enjoys long walks in the forest, along rivers, and marshes with his two sons (Logan and Aaron) and dog Ember chasing good memories, fish, and waterfoul.
Jim Kral
Jeb Brooks
Jeb started his forestry journey at the age of 25 when he decided to attend Oregon State University (OSU). While at OSU, he gained valuable experience throughout the Pacific Northwest and on Vancouver Island, BC in the silviculture, forest engineering, and timber sale management disciplines. His favorite summer during school was spent in a sleepy old logging town called Gold River, BC where he had the privilege of seeing an area where off-highway logging trucks still roam and foresters got to enter areas for first and second entries, determining the best method to get logs to mills.
After graduating from OSU with a B.S. in Forest Management, he decided to give California a try and became a Procurement Forester for Sierra Pacific Industries, Sonora Division. This was a unique career track that allowed him to learn about the mill side of the industry while administering Forest Service timber sale contracts. From there he did a short stint with a fuel reduction contractor which offered valuable experience in helping to manage a small company that primarily implemented projects in the grant-funded forest health world.
Currently, Jeb is working as the Sonora Team Lead for Mason, Bruce, & Girard, Natural Resource Consultants. Jeb feels privileged to have been given the opportunity to expand MB&G’s reach into the central and southern Sierra Nevada Region in California where he is actively managing a diverse portfolio of projects from Calaveras County all the way down to southern Tulare County.
This is his first term sitting on the California Licensed Forester’s Association and he looks forward to primarily learning from his esteemed peers, and to working for the betterment of the practice of forestry in California.
CLFA Board Officers
Kathleen Burr, Executive Director
Andrea Eggleton, Board of Forestry Liaison
Brian White - KP Public Affairs, Government Affairs Liaison
