Thursday, January 13, 2022
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) announced Bettina Ring as its new Chief Sustainability and Diversity Officer recently. Ring will provide leadership internally and externally on strategic initiatives related to sustainability and diversity. She will also seek to leverage SFI’s scale to drive meaningful change in the forest and conservation sector through collaboration with SFI’s network.
Ring has deep connections to the forest sector, most recently serving as Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia, and to SFI, having formerly served on the SFI Board of Directors and recognized as the SFI President’s Award winner in 2018. Additionally, under Ring’s leadership, 68,000 acres of Virginia’s state forests were certified to the SFI Forest Management and American Tree Farm System Standards, which provide assurance of sustainable practices on managed forestlands.
“I am honored to be joining SFI under the leadership of Kathy Abusow,” Ring said. “I look forward to working with SFI’s dynamic and talented team to help scale their efforts to create healthier forests and more resilient communities across the United States and Canada.”
Ring has been serving as the Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry for the Commonwealth of Virginia since 2018. She helped build a strong Virginia economy in agriculture and forestry, Virginia’s first and third largest private industries, while also protecting the environment. Prior to her appointment as Secretary, Ring served as the seventh State Forester of the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF). Ring was the first woman appointed to both positions.
“Bettina is an extraordinary leader with experience in forest certification, conservation collaboration, community engagement, and environmental education, including Project Learning Tree. She is passionate and experienced at advancing sustainability through forest-focused collaboration, which is SFI’s mission,” said Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of SFI.
Tags: Bettina Ring, Chief Sustainability and Diversity Officer, SFI, Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), woodworking and manufacturing, woodworking industry, woodworking USA
