IP's Sophie Beckham joins American Forest Foundation board of trustees
The American Forest Foundation (AFF), a conservation organization that empowers family forest owners to improve forest health and fight climate change, announced that it has appointed three new members to its board of trustees, including International Paper’s Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer Sophie Beckham.
The board additions come after AFF announced its new strategic direction which centers on unlocking the power of America’s family forests in the fight against climate change and expanding access to the voluntary carbon market for landowners from all walks of life. As a new board member, Sophie Beckham will help AFF with this new direction by offering vital insight, lived experiences and cultural perspectives.
“I’m honored and excited to join the American Forest Foundation board,” said Sophie Beckham, vice president and chief sustainability officer, International Paper. “Not only is AFF leading critically important work with forest landowners to address climate change, but their values and vision are highly aligned with International Paper’s own approach to ensuring healthy and abundant forests for people and the planet.”
In her role at IP, Sophie works to advance IP’s sustainability strategy and Vision 2030 goals and drive sustainable outcomes through the company’s packaging and pulp businesses. Sophie has dedicated her career to driving sustainable business outcomes through purposeful leadership in the consumer goods and forest product manufacturing sectors.
“Increasing diverse voices at every level of our organization is paramount to AFF's mission,” said Rita Hite, president and CEO of AFF. “I’m proud to work with these new board members and learn from their expertise as we work together to tackle climate change and offer equitable solutions that benefit all of America's family forest owners and the planet.”
The Family Forest Carbon Program, a climate solution AFF developed with The Nature Conservancy – and supported by International Paper – is currently in a state of rapid expansion. Using an innovative and highly credible public-private partnership model that removes barriers to the voluntary carbon market so landowners can improve forest health and generate financial opportunities for their families, the program is now operating in nine states across the nation, with more states expected to be added in the coming months.
Read about AFF’s three new board of trustees members in their announcement.
Not only is AFF leading critically important work with forest landowners to address climate change, but their values and vision are highly aligned with International Paper’s own approach to ensuring healthy and abundant forests for people and the planet.
