Megan is a Registered Professional Forester and a Registered Professional Biologist with over twenty years experience in B.C. forest management.
Our Team
PFLA Board of Directors
PFLA Board of Directors
Manuela Arnold
Manuela (Mani) has been living and working as a forester in the Revelstoke area for the last 10+ years. She has a degree in geography (Bachelor of Science) from University of Victoria as well as a Masters in Sustainable Forest Management from UBC. Her decade long experience working in forest consulting resulted in her current role as Woodlands Manager for Beaumont Timber. She handles all aspects of the 11,000 ha private managed forest in the interior wetbelt, and is a Registered Professional Forester.
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Jeff Czepil
Jeff has over 20 years of experience working in the natural resource sector across oil & gas, forestry and mining operations. Jeff is proud to be part of the responsible development of Canada’s natural resource sector that provides economic activity and raises the standard of living for consumers of these resources. Jeff lives in the Interior of British Columbia, where his Managed Forests are located.
Matthew Merritt
A PFLA Board member since 2019, Matthew is the Area Manager for Manulife Forest Management and is responsible for managing over 20,000 hectares of private forestland on central Vancouver Island. Matthew also sits on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Federation of Forest Owners (CFFO). He is a graduate from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor’s of Science in Forestry and Environmental Management and is a Registered Professional Forester in the Province of British Columbia.
Jon Spalding
In addition to owning a managed forest in the Southern Gulf Islands, Jon is a business consultant with extensive experience in Forest Products and Forestry Operations improvement. He is both the fourth generation manager of his family’s private managed forest, as well as a contract manager for another managed forest, also in the southern Gulf Islands.
Karen Brandt
Karen Brandt is a public affairs professional who has strengthened reputations for companies, governments, communities and non-profits across North America and globally. Over the past 30 years, Karen has held numerous senior positions in the forest sector where she has built common positions and partnerships with First Nations, environmental groups, customers and governments. She is responsible for government relations, strategic communications and Indigenous partnerships at Mosaic Forest Management.
Makenzie Leine
Makenzie grew up in logging camps and forest communities on BC’s Coast. This inspired her career – beginning as a labourer for a logging contractor, she continued on to various positions across Western Canada and abroad working in forest stewardship and certification, environmental management, forest ecology, operational planning, communication, relations, and policy. Makenzie is Vice President of Business Development and Indigenous Partnerships at A&A Trading.
Robbie Preston
Robert grew up in Kelowna, BC during the 40’s and 50’s where small-scale logging was a significant part of the local economy. On graduation from high school he joined the Royal Canadian Navy and received a mechanical engineering degree from Royal Roads and Royal Military College in Kingston. He spent a 38-year career in the Navy with years at sea and in senior positions managing shipbuilding, repair, and fleet operation retiring in Ottawa as the Navy’s Chief Engineer with the rank of Naval Commodore. He has spent his retirement in Victoria with his family acquiring a portion of managed forest 307 in the gulf islands.
Michael Wyse
coming soon
PFLA Staff
PFLA Board of Directors
Megan Hanacek, CEO
Margaret Symon
Margaret is a Registered Professional Forester based in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island.
Sue Handel, Director of Communications
Sue has a Masters in Communications from Royal Roads University and more than twenty five years experience in public and private sector communications.
