Forests Ontario Plans Senior Leadership Changes

• Forests Ontario is preparing for a transition of its top leadership, which will see longtime CEO Rob Keen step down from his role and be succeeded by new CEO Jessica (Jess) Kaknevicius.
• Rob Keen has served as CEO for Forests Ontario since its inception in 2014, and served as the CEO of its predecessor, Trees Ontario, since 2011.
• Jess Kaknevicius is currently the Vice-President of Education for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and previously served as Director of Forest Education and Awareness at Forests Ontario.

BARRIE, ON, April 13, 2023 /CNW/ - After 21 successful and rewarding years with Forests Ontario, CEO Rob Keen, Registered Professional Forester (RPF), is stepping down on May 5, 2023. Keen will be succeeded by Jess Kaknevicius, who is currently Vice-President of Education for the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). This decision was part of a long-term succession plan that aligns with both organizational and personal milestones.

Keen's departure follows many impressive achievements for Forests Ontario, including the recent signing of a five-year partnership agreement with One Tree Planted, and announcements of significant support by both the Ontario government in February and the Federal government as part of the 2 Billion Trees Program this past November.

"Rob Keen has done an incredible job as CEO and it is to his credit that Forests Ontario has grown into the province's leading charity dedicated to the creation, preservation and maintenance of forests and grasslands under his watch," Malcolm Cockwell, Chair of Forests Ontario, says. "His leadership has put our organization in great position for the future and we are immensely grateful for his dedication to the future of our forests, and the health of our communities."

"During my time with Forests Ontario, we have planted over 41 million trees ? more than one for every person in Canada," Keen says. "We simply could not have done it without our planting partners, nurseries, seed collectors, First Nations, local community groups, municipalities, and landowners, so I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to them all. I would also like to recognize and thank our staff who are all extremely passionate and dedicated to Forests Ontario's mission."

Kaknevicius, a graduate from University of Toronto's Master of Forest Conservation program, spent nearly nine years with Forests Ontario in a range of management and director roles between 2009 and 2018, focusing on growing education and awareness programming, fundraising, and supporting strategic development for the organization. Over the past five years at SFI, Kaknevicius played a critical senior leadership role overseeing philanthropic efforts and government agreements, governance, and supporting strategic planning and communications. She is a well-known advocate for the forest sector and co-founded Women in Wood, a networking group for women in the forest and wood-related sectors to share advice, information, and encouragement.

"We are very fortunate to be able to bring Jess back to Forests Ontario to serve as our new CEO. Her passion for the forest sector and her ability to communicate the importance of sustainable forestry and engage with people of all ages is extraordinary," Cockwell says. "On behalf of the entire Forests Ontario board and staff, we give our thanks to Rob and welcome Jess."

Forests Ontario is the province's leading charity dedicated to the creation, preservation, and maintenance of forest and grassland habitats. Our ambitious, large-scale tree planting initiatives, extensive educational programs, and decades of community outreach result in millions of trees being planted each year.

Together with our national division, Forest Recovery Canada, we work with our many partners across the country to plant native trees and ensure our efforts today thrive and grow into tomorrow's diverse, healthy, and resilient forests.

Forests Ontario is the voice for our forests.

Learn more at www.forestsontario.ca or follow us @Forests_Ontario on Twitter to find out more.

SOURCE Forests Ontario