AFCA Board of directors

Representing the needs of operators and businesses, as well as demonstrating a strong commitment to the future and sustainability of the industry. 

AFCA is governed by a board of directors elected by members at the Annual General Meeting. The directors’ charter is to focus on governance, association policies, directions and finance, and oversee the general management of the organisation. The Board elects a Chairperson, Vice chairperson and a Public Officer/Secretary of the Association. Directors come from harvest, haulage and silviculture businesses and undertake voluntary roles in addition to operating their own business.  

Meetings

Board members generously give up their time to pursue the objectives of AFCA's Strategic Plan, undertaking targeted advocacy as well as highlighting best practice in all aspects of harvesting, haulage and business management.

The Board meets at least six times a year in regional areas. Potential agenda items are forwarded to Board members for consideration as board members are elected to better understand key local issues and policies impacting on businesses.

Chairperson

Adan Taylor

After a 12 year career in public accounting which resulted in successful completion of a Bachelor of Business Degree from Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, and subsequent qualification as a CPA, Adan became a director and part owner of his parents’ company GMT Logging Pty Ltd in 2004, and purchased the business outright in 2016. GMT now harvests approximately 300,000 tonnes per annum as a contractor for HQ Plantations in the Hoop (Araucaria) & Southern Pine Plantations in South East Queensland. 

The business was started by his father Geoff Taylor (AFCA Hall of Fame inductee in 2014) in 1976. Adan fills the role of a General Manager and is very passionate about the “future” forest industry, focusing on efficiency and innovation in both their ground-based and cable operations. 

Adan became the first Queensland Director of AFCA in March 2014, and then Chairperson in 2016. He also holds board positions with Private Forestry Service Queensland based in Gympie and Timber Queensland. His passion is to see that the interests of Forest Contracting businesses are represented & valued in all stages of the wood product supply chain.

Director

Christian Stafford

Chris is a third generation forestry contractor, who owns and operates Stafford Logging, a successful harvest and haulage business in the native harvesting sector for VicForests in Victoria. 

Stafford Logging was awarded the VicForests Contractor of the Year in 2017 and 2018 and was also recognised by the Victorian Association of Forest Industries with a presentation of the annual Sustainability Award.

Chris is pleased to be on the board of Directors, he is passionate about the industry and recognises the important economic contribution forestry contractors and subcontractors' play in regional communities through direct employment and indirect employment. 

Director

Dale Cameron

Dale Cameron has over 20 years of forest management and forest contracting experience and is currently General Manager – Planning and Operations for C3 Australia Pty Ltd (C3).  C3 operates harvesting, haulage and log marshalling operations throughout Australia for a broad and diverse customer base. As a contractor responsible for a large proportion of Australia’s annual harvest, C3 provides a complete service to their customers, backed by their parent company entity, Linx Cargo Care Group.

He has experience working in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia working across a multitude of different operations ranging from harvest sites to central processing yards, large-scale forest management operations and large export yard and Port operations.  Dale has completed a BSc Forestry at the University of Stellenbosch (1994-97) and also a Master in Business Administration at Edith Cowan University (2011-16).

He previously held roles within industry including FIFWA Plantation Division Chairman (2016-18) and FIFWA Council board member (2016-18).  Dale has a dedicated interest and belief in workforce training and upskilling frameworks and a keen interest in technological advances in harvesting equipment and systems.  He joined the AFCA Board in 2020.

Director

Michelle Corby

Michelle Corby has worked for Mangan Logging her family's business for 13 years. Mangan Logging is a third generation family business started in 1961 by Michelle's grandparents, later run by her parents - Michael and Suzanne Mangan. Currently, the business is run by Michelle and her siblings Matt, Chris and Lisa as her parents transition into retirement. 

Mangan Logging has a focus on providing superior outcomes in harvesting and road transport in terms of productivity, innovation and the safety and well being of their employees and community. Michelle has a background in accounting and finance (Bachelor of Business (Accounting/Finance and a Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting). 

Michelle's expertise as a Management Accountant in their business focuses on productivity analysis, budgeting and forecasting and the general management of the payroll, HR and WHS components. Michelle joined the AFCA Board at the start of 2020. 

Deputy chair

Phillip Dohnt

Phillip Dohnt has been working in the Timber Industry for 40 years, starting with the Woods & Forest Department at Nangwarry Sawmill.  In 1985 he joined the Family Business, L V Dohnt & Co Pty Ltd, and from that time onwards he has been involved with overseeing the transformation of the business from hand fallers through to one of the largest infield chipping contractors in Australia. 

Phillip is a voting member of the Mount Gambier National Institute for Forest Product Innovation (NIFPI) and on the steering committee for the Koala Detection, Cab Protection and Best practice Fatigue Management projects.  Phillip is also a board member of the Green Triangle Forest Contractors Group.  He is a strong believer that the industry needs an effective body to represent the contractors at both State and Federal levels.  

Additionally, Phillip wishes to ensure that AFCA provides its members with an accreditation path that has real worth and is held in high esteem by the contractors’ customers and looking forward to the development of ForestFit. 

Director 

Ricky Leeson

Ricky is the Managing Director of Leeson’s Logging and Cartage. This is a family business started in the 1970s and Ricky is the third generation to work in it. The business works for HVP in Gippsland harvesting approximately 280,000 tonne of pine in flat fall. The business also hauls approximately 150,000 tonne of Plantation Bluegum for Midway and AP Maryvale in the Gippsland and Ballarat area. The business is supported by an office and workshop based in Rosedale with a total employee number of 65. 

Ricky started in the industry in 1997 after completing two years in Melbourne furthering studies following Year 12 VCE.  Like all children of contractors school holidays was based around cleaning the workshop or driving a spare out into the bush. When Ricky started working in 1997 it was delivering fuel to all the machines working for then AP. From there he spent time in harvesters, forwarders and trucks gaining experience. In 2006 the business bought a job in Grafton NSW for which he moved away and ran it for 12 months before returning to look after the day-to-day running of their Gippsland work. Since then Ricky moved from the day-to-day running to the Managing Director’s position. 

Ricky is pleased to be a director of AFCA as it’s something his family has always been a part of since his father and others first started it many years ago.

Director

Theresa Lonergan

Theresa Lonergan along with her husband Peter are Managing Directors’ of Lonergan Logging a forest contracting business that operates out of Tumbarumba.  She joined the forest industry after 12 years in the banking industry working in both the public and government sectors.  The company was formed in 2005 as a heavy haulage contractor. In 2007 an opportunity presented itself to start a harvest and haul contract. Lonergan Logging currently harvest 180,000 tonne a year with FCNSW. 

Theresa managers the office and work health and safety aspects of the business as well as general duties and is also the back up forwarder operator.  The company employs both of their sons and two other employees.  Theresa’s contribution to the industry includes President of the Forest Industry Council between 2011-2014 and again in 2019-2020.

She joined the AFCA Board in 2020. She is passionate about helping and supporting members across the country and giving a local voice to the contractors in the Tumbarumba /Tumut region especially following the 2019/2020 bushfires which significantly impacted the region.

Director

Wayne Shaw-Johnston

Wayne has 40 years experience in the forest industry working across the entire supply chain in various senior management roles and has managed his own successful contracting business specialising in consulting, marketing, harvest & haulage. 

Presently Wayne is in a General Management position with ARTEC Pty Ltd in Tasmania. Wayne has extensive experience in the hardwood and softwood plantation industry as well as the Australian Native forest industry. 

He is passionate about a safe, sustainable and aligned industry. AFCA has a critical role of ensuring the vision of the industry is aligned and contracting businesses that perform the heavy lifting in supply chain are safe, supported and sustainable.