Our Team
Leadership
Phil Woolery
Executive Director
Phil joined IFWOA as the new executive director in July 2025. In this position he is responsible for events planning, communication, and board management. Phil brings a strong background in forestry, with degrees from Iowa State University and Purdue University. His work has included a wide range of projects- from maple syrup production and farm succession planning to invasive species management and teaching the 8-week Forest Management for the Private Woodland Owner – in his role as an Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator with Purdue Extension.
Lee Huss
President
Lee is a woodland owner in Owen County, growing trees and enjoying wildlife, hunting and fishing with his wife Karen. He retired from a career with City of Bloomington as their urban forester. Lee has been president of IFWOA since 2022. He joined the board in 2018 and is a 30+ year member of IFWOA.
Judi Brown
Vice President
After earning a B.S. in Forestry at Purdue University, Judi Brown served as Executive Director for the Dubois County (Indiana) Soil and Water Conservation District for more than two decades. Judi and her husband Doug, a consulting forester, live in Dubois County. They are long-time members of IFWOA and Judi has been on the board since 2020.
Steve Wertz
Treasurer
Steve and his wife Carolyn live in Tipton County. He graduated from Purdue University and retired as an engineer in the automotive industry. They own woods in Tipton County with a mix of recently planted trees, warm season grasses, and mature timber. The Wertz’s have been members for about 15 years and Steve has been on the board since 2022.
Steve encourages anyone with a forest to get involved with IFWOA early and learn as much as you can. The people involved are a great source for learning!
IFWOA Board of Directors
Our board of directors is made up of woodland owners and those interested in forestry who are IFWOA members. The board consists of two members from each of the IFWOA five districts and at least five at large members. They serve for staggered terms of three years each and are elected at the annual business meeting at the Indiana Woodland Owner conference.
They hail from all over Indiana, have different interests and goals for their property, but are united in their interest in supporting woodland owners and the mission of IFWOA. We are always interested in hearing from members who might be interested in the board. Contact us if you would like to learn more.
The Board of Directors includes:
Claude Diehl, Warsaw
Lenny Farlee, Lafayette
Raoul Moore, Crawfordsville
John Stambaugh, Bedford
Dan Lynch, Indianapolis
Judi Brown, Birdseye
Jim Hochgesang, Jasper
Richard Newton, Marengo
Lee Huss, Spencer
Don Fry, West Lafayette
John Roark, Pittsboro
Steve Wertz, Goldsmith
Curtis Ewbank, Corydon
Rich Solano, Akron