FLA Staff

Scott Jones, CEO

Scott Jones joined the Forest Landowners Association in 2003 and has a Bachelor of Science degree in forest resources from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia and has been a SAF Certified Forester as well as a Georgia Registered Forester.  Scott was recognized as a Distinguished Young Alumni of the Warnell School and was the first graduate of the program to receive the 40 under 40 award from the UGA Alumni Association.  Scott brings a diverse background of forest land management, procurement, land ownership, and advocacy at the state, national and international levels to FLA.  Scott serves on the Standards Committee for the Sustainable Biomass Program based in Hamburg Germany and is a member of the Advisory Committee on Sustainable Forest-based Industries of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome Italy.  With 20 years as the CEO of the Forest Landowners Association, Scott is well versed in advocating on issues of importance to private forest landowners that help them access markets and preserve property rights that will sustain the next generation of forest landowners.

Dr. Lauren Ward, President of the Forest Landowners Foundation

Lauren Ward is an interdisciplinary leader in forestry, natural resources, and collaborative conservation with a proven track record working on behalf of private forest landowners to build innovative, real-world solutions to challenges landowners face both today and into the future.

An Atlanta native, Ward earned her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and also holds a Master’s in Natural Resources and a Ph.D. in Forest Resources from the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at UGA. As a doctoral student, Ward was honored as the inaugural Rob Olszewski Fellow in Forest Policy and Analysis by the Forest Landowners Foundation, which supported her research leveraging social science to understand forest landowners, their contributions to wildlife conservation, and the critical need for regulatory certainty. Following this fellowship, Ward served as the Director of Stewardship Initiatives, General Counsel, and Director of Regulatory Affairs for Forest Landowners Association. After several years leading national- and regional-level initiatives supporting working lands and private landowners, she returned to Forest Landowners in the role of Foundation President in 2023.

Ward lives in Monroe, GA with her husband, their two sons, their two dogs, and their two ducks.

Michelle Cain, Director of Communications

Michelle Cain joined the FLA team as the Director of Communications in May 2021. She worked for the state of Indiana for 15 years serving as the Director of Communications for the Department of Revenue, Wildlife Information Specialist, and Assistant Fisheries Biologist for the Department of Natural Resources. She has a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Biology and a master’s degree in Aquatic Biology and Fisheries Management. Her passion has always been the outdoors, and she thrives on communicating often complex subjects to varied audiences. Michelle lives in Fishers, IN with her husband, son, and two dogs.

Amy Palmer, Director of Administration

Amy joined FLA as the Director of Administration in 2017. She oversees the daily operations of the FLA offices, managing association memberships, coordinating the annual National Conference of Private Forest Landowners, and supporting the activities and programs of the Association and The Forest Landowner Foundation.

Amy is a graduate of the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia and has worked for the Georgia Department of Audits as a program auditor and Delta Airlines in a human resources capacity.

Pete Williams, Magazine Editor

Pete has served as editor of Forest Landowner magazine since 2013 and has moderated panel discussions at the National Conference of Private Forest Landowners since 2012. Under his direction, Forest Landowner magazine won a “Tabby” Award in 2018, given by Trade Association Business Publications International (TABPI). A private forest landowner, he is the author or co-author of a number of books and has written about business, fitness, and sports for publications such as The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, and Men’s Journal. The Virginia native lives in Central Florida. 

Katie Moss, Director of Stewardship Initiatives and Regulatory Affairs

Katie Moss joined the FLA team as the Policy and Legislative Assistant in November 2020. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, concentrating in law and administration. While in college she interned for the Federal Forest Resource Coalition in Washington, D.C., and upon graduation, interned for the National Wild Turkey Federation in their government affairs department. She has also worked with The Nature Conservancy and AmeriCorps in an education and outreach capacity. She is still relatively new to the industry but anticipates using her unique background and skills to be an advocate for private forest landowners across the US.
Katie currently lives in Pontotoc, MS with her husband and their two dogs.

Craig Anderson, Director of Government Affairs

Craig Anderson is a seasoned public policy professional that has worked in both federal and state politics. He began his career working for Congressman Austin Scott in Washington, DC where he worked for nearly 8 years. Most recently, he served as his legislative director overseeing significant bipartisan achievements including provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill and the Disaster Relief Act of 2019. Additionally, Craig was the director of government affairs for the Georgia Forestry Association where he assisted in passing two bills into law and led their advocacy initiatives. Craig is a graduate of the University of Alabama and resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

Deborah Jones, Finance Manager

Deborah joined FLA in 2018 as Finance Manager.  Deborah is a graduate of the University of GA where she holds a liberal arts double major A.B.  She has over 15 years of experience in risk management brokerage/client services where her focus was national accounts property and liability insurance placements as well as risk mitigation and claims management.  Deborah left the brokerage industry in 2009 to focus on her family.  Deborah handles the day-to-day financial transactions for both FLA and The Forest Landowner Foundation.  She lives in Bowdon, GA  with her husband, Scott, and their two children.

Lauren Pace, Grants and Program Administrator

Lauren Pace brings a diverse background in marketing, partnership development, and event planning to her role as Grants and Program Administrator at the Forest Landowners Foundation. Known for her ability to create impactful connections across industries, Lauren is committed to fostering growth and enhancing the Foundation’s mission. Her diverse experience allows her to oversee the Forest Policy Institute and Grant submissions from copy writing, funding and approvals, all while supporting a vibrant future for the Foundation.