A new chair, vice chair, finance committee chair and two new members have been elected to APA – The Engineered Wood Association’s Board of Trustees.
Doug Asano, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Roseburg Forest Products, has been elected chair of APA’s Board of Trustees, succeeding Ashlee Cribb. Asano leads Roseburg’s sales, marketing, customer service and fulfillment teams. Asano joined Roseburg in 2020 as director of sales excellence, focused on process and systems improvements and sales training. Before joining Roseburg, he worked at Huber Engineered Woods for more than 17 years in multiple commercial leadership roles, most recently as vice president of sales and marketing. Asano started his career in investment banking at JP Morgan & Co. and then private equity at Berkshire Partners. He earned his bachelor’s degree in economics with honors from Dartmouth College and his MBA from The Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
Chris Degnan, director of commodities and home improvement warehouse for Weyerhaeuser, has been elected to fill the vice chair position. Degnan has a rich and diverse background, having worked in engineered wood product sales, marketing and manufacture since 1997. He began his career as a district forester in Louisiana. Before joining Weyerhaeuser in 2008, he was a sales manager for Willamette Industries. In 2014, Degnan was named director of sales and marketing for OSB and plywood for Weyerhaeuser. He has long supported APA and the industry, serving on both the APA Board of Trustees and Residential Marketing Subcommittee. He has also served as advisory committee chair for the Engineered Wood Technology Association since 2021. Degnan holds a degree in forestry from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Louisiana Tech.
Stephen Williams, executive vice president and chief financial officer of Western Forest Products, has been elected to serve as chair of the finance committee. Williams joined Western Forest Products in May 2014 to assist with implementing Western’s strategic initiatives. He leads the company’s corporate finance, corporate development, investor relations, IT, shared services and legal teams. Williams is a strategic leader with more than 25 years of experience in the forest industry and extensive experience in acquisitions and divestitures. Before joining Western Forest Products, he worked at Interfor. Williams is a chartered professional accountant and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of British Columbia.
Two new members to the board include:
John Murphy Jr., executive vice president of Murphy Company, is part of a family deeply rooted in the wood products industry. Murphy Jr. began his career at the family’s White City, OR veneer mill. In 2010, he assisted with the start-up of the company’s Softwood plywood mill in Rogue River, OR, where he learned first-hand the business of plywood manufacturing. In 2013, he transitioned to the company’s headquarters, where he became part of the executive team. Since then, he has been involved in all phases of the family business, including timber resourcing and engineered wood production and sales. He graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in wood science and engineering. Murphy Jr. replaces his father’s seat on the board.
Rich Babcock has led Rosboro as chief executive officer since 2005. He joins the APA board with a rich background, having been in the industry since 1990. In his time with Rosboro, he has held a variety of positions including corporate controller, senior vice president of administration and now chief financial officer. Babcock received his BBA from the University of Oregon in finance and accounting. “We are so grateful for our volunteer leaders and their service to the industry,” said APA President Mark Tibbetts. “We look forward to adding their experience and knowledge to APA.”
