Forisk Team

Brooks Mendell, Ph.D.

President & CEO
bmendell@forisk.com

Dr. Brooks Mendell has three decades of consulting, operating, and research experience in the forest products and timber industries.  His experience includes roles in harvest operations and procurement with Weyerhaeuser, in management consulting with Accenture, and as a faculty member in forestry and finance at the University of Georgia. A Fulbright Scholar in Uruguay, Dr. Mendell founded Forisk in 2004. He has broad domestic and international experience supporting small businesses, Fortune 500 corporations and public organizations.  An inductee in the Georgia Foresters Hall of Fame, he earned B.S. and M.S. degrees at MIT, an MBA at the University of California at Berkeley, and a Ph.D. in Forest Finance at UGA.


Amanda Hamsley Lang

COO & Vice President of Client Services
ahlang@forisk.com

Amanda Lang is a Partner and, as COO and VP of Client Services, she leads all of Forisk’s operations, including consulting project management and Forisk Subscriber Support activities. She leads Forisk’s forest industry capital investment research program and she also teaches workshops and delivers presentations related to tracking and evaluating markets and forest industry capacity. Prior to working with Forisk, she interned with International Paper and conducted award-winning forestry operations research at the University of Georgia under Dr. Dale Greene. In 2016, she was named one of the UGA Alumni Association “Forty Under Forty”, and was named the Warnell “Young Alumni of the Year.”  She previously served on the Georgia Forestry Association Board of Directors.  Ms. Lang received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Forest Resources from the University of Georgia.


Shawn Baker, Ph.D.

Vice President of Research
Product Manager of the Forisk Research Quarterly (FRQ) 
sbaker@forisk.com

Dr. Shawn Baker is the Vice President of Research at Forisk Consulting and manages the Forisk Research Quarterly (FRQ) research and publication. In this role, Shawn leads Forisk’s entire research portfolio in addition to continuing his forest operations research in the US and Canada. He also supports delivered wood cost projections for the Forisk Research Quarterly (FRQ) and for custom timber market studies. Shawn has over 15 years of forestry and operations research experience. Prior to joining Forisk, Shawn conducted and coordinated forest operations research at the Center for Forest Business at the University of Georgia under the direction of Dr. Dale Greene. Previously, he conducted forestry research and internships with Virginia Tech, the US Forest Service, Mead Paper Company, Stone Container and the Virginia Department of Forestry. An award-winning researcher and frequent presenter at forest industry conferences, he serves on the Forest Resources Association’s Board of Directors. Shawn earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in forestry from Virginia Tech and a PhD from the University of Georgia.


Heather Clark

Vice President of Business Support Services
hsclark@forisk.com

Heather Clark serves as Forisk’s Vice President of Business Support Services, and she is also the Director of the Forisk Continuing Education Program. In these roles, Heather leads Forisk’s human resources and accounting duties, manages client subscriptions, oversees all facets of Forisk’s educational events, and assists with sales and marketing activities for the firm. Heather joined Forisk in 2011 after several years of business management and customer service experience in the aviation industry. Ms. Clark earned a B.S. in Psychology from the University of Georgia.


Nick DiLuzio

Vice President of Business Development
ndiluzio@forisk.com

Nick DiLuzio joined Forisk in 2024 as the Vice President of Business Development. In this role, Nick leads the development and deployment of plans to meet Forisk’s product and education revenue and client satisfaction objectives. Prior to joining Forisk, Nick served as the Vice President of the Georgia Forestry Foundation. Nick received his Masters Degrees in Environmental Management and Forestry from Duke University, and he received his B.S. in Biology from Davidson University.


Matt Camp

Project Manager & Consultant
mcamp@forisk.com

Matt Camp joined Forisk in 2023 as a Project Manager and Consultant. Prior to joining Forisk, Matt spent 15 years in the timberland investment sector in various roles including portfolio manager, fund manager, and ultimately managing partner for a start-up timberland investment fund. Matt received his MFR from the University of Georgia and B.S. in Finance from Auburn University.


Pamela Smith

Administrative & Marketing Assistant
Continuation Education Coordinator
psmith@forisk.com

Pamela Smith joined Forisk in 2021 as an Administrative and Marketing Assistant, and she also helps run Forisk’s Continuing Education Program. Ms. Smith has an extensive background in customer service, and she helps support Forisk’s clients and continuing education events. Prior to joining Forisk, she was an administrative assistant and customer support representative for an IT firm. Ms. Smith earned her BBA in Marketing from Georgia State University.


Pat Jolley

Forest Industry Analyst & Consultant
Product Manager of Forisk’s Mill Capacity Database 
pjolley@forisk.com

Pat Jolley is a Forest Industry Analyst and Consultant with Forisk, and he is also the Product Manager for Forisk’s North American Forest Industry Capacity Database (Mill Database). In these roles, Pat tracks and maintains datasets related to capacity and capital investments in wood-using mills, supports Forisk’s research of forest products markets and forest management, and assists clients with timber market assessments and analyses. Pat has two decades of forest industry experience in the U.S. South and Lake States. Prior to joining Forisk, he worked as a regional manager in Arkansas and inventory analyst in Georgia for Larson & McGowin. Pat started his career as a forester in Montana with Plum Creek, and later started and sold a forestry consulting firm in Wisconsin. He has a B.S. in Forest Management from North Carolina State University and an MFR from the University of Georgia.


Stephen Wright

Project Manager
Product Manager of the Forisk Wood Fiber Review (WFR)
swright@forisk.com

Stephen Wright is a Project Manager at Forisk, and he also serves as the Product Manager of the Forisk Wood Fiber Review (WFR). In these roles, Stephen manages consulting projects and manages the collection and analysis of wood fiber pricing. He also supports Forisk’s research of wood bioenergy markets/projects and pulp/paper industry investments. Prior to joining Forisk, Stephen worked as a Sustainability Forester for Drax Biomass in Mississippi and Louisiana. Stephen earned Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Forestry from the University of Georgia.


Vickie Swanton

Associate Editor of the Forisk Wood Fiber Review
Western Region Representative
vswanton@forisk.com

Vickie Swanton is an Associate Editor of the Forisk Wood Fiber Review and is also Forisk’s Western Region Representative. Vickie is based in Kennewick, Washington. Prior to joining Forisk, Vickie served as a Region Manager for the Forest Resources Association (FRA) for sixteen years in the U.S. West and Lake States. Prior to FRA, Vickie held roles with International Paper and Champion International. Vickie earned a B.S. in Business Administration from California Coast University.


Associates of Forisk

Eric Kingsley

Eric Kingsley is a partner in Innovative Natural Resource Solutions LLC (INRS), a forest industry consulting firm with offices in New Hampshire and Maine. Since joining INRS in 2000, he has worked with dozens of parties on the development of new forest industries, and often works to deploy or create unique financial tools to support the industry. Forisk partners with Eric to collect data and market intelligence for the Forisk Wood Fiber Review. Eric has a Master’s Degree in Resource Economics from the University of New Hampshire, and served for five years as executive director of the New Hampshire Timberland Owners Association, a trade association representing all sectors of that state’s forest industry.