Joshua has worked for more than two decades as an advocate in the field of conservation and social justice and spent 18 years fostering cooperation and collaboration among a global network of not-for-profit organizations with a collective vision to accelerate the transformation of the pulp and paper industry. With this background, Joshua has extensive experience with paper and packaging supply chains, industry trends, responsible forest product procurement policies within corporations and governments, and forest conservation challenges and opportunities globally.
More about me
I’m a father of three children (including twins) living in the southern Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States, home to some of the most beautiful and biodiverse forests in the world and tremendous opportunities for forest retreat and recreation. We enjoy getting on the trails with bikes and boots, paddling down wild rivers, camping under the stars, spotting salamanders and bears, and getting out beyond where mobile phones have a signal. I’m driven to work for change by a hope for a livable, secure future for my children.
I became involved in the conservation movement as a passionate volunteer with local grassroots groups seeking to protect the last wild areas of forest on U.S. public lands while completing my Masters in Public Administration at the Paul O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. My professional journey led me to the American Lands Alliance, as an advocate for robust citizen participation and conservation outcomes in U.S. public land policy and management. And then to Stand.earth (then ForestEthics), where I encouraged companies to understand their direct responsibility for knowing what’s in their paper and where it comes from, and their ability to make a difference. As the first staff of the Environmental Paper Network, that journey continued, helping organizations work together and find synergy and solutions to reduce social and environmental harm in the pulp, paper, and biomass industries.
I enjoy making art, enjoying live music, dancing and photography. As a creative, I see beauty and find joy in packaging quite often. As a conservationist, I am horrified by knowing the environmental impact it can have if not responsibly sourced.
Why forests are important to me
Forests are important to me for both their essential functions in sustaining life on this planet for future generations, including cleaner water, cleaner air, and a more stable climate, AND for their remarkable power to nourish, heal and inspire our souls. They bring me a sense of peace and serenity I cannot find elsewhere. They bring vital sustenance to forest peoples and to forest wildlife on our beautiful planet.
Why Canopy
Canopy has achieved, again and again, what others would have said was impossible, and in this pivotal decade for humanity, that is what we need to do to ensure a healthy and sustainable planet. In addition, Canopy’s relentless optimism in problem-solving and the tenacious pursuit of solutions is inspiring and necessary.
Ask me about
How 44 hours traveling in the rainforest in Sumatra changed my life.
What ruffles my feathers
Greed, waste, and excess in a world where so many struggle to have enough. And also bullies.
As I lean into my experience and wisdom and trust my intuition I am embracing the owl as an animal alter ego. I feel safe in the trees in the forest, and move quietly but with strength, seeing in every direction and far into the distance, and fiercely protective of my young ones and their future.
