Our Team
Every great organization is powered by great people.
Meet the team behind the mission—strategic thinkers, passionate doers, and community champions working together to make a real difference. These are the faces you’ll see at events, on calls, and behind the scenes, moving ideas forward and building a stronger region for all.
Kate Forrer, Executive Director
(802) 214-4846 | director@vermontwoodlands.org
Kate Forrer brings over 20 years of forestry, program development, and organizational leadership experience in Vermont to her role as Executive Director of the Vermont Woodlands Association. As a woodland owner and Vermont-licensed forester, Kate has built her career around connecting people to Vermont’s forests and helping them care for the woods. She first moved to Vermont to work as a horse logger, where she developed a hands-on appreciation for sustainable forestry and the hard work of caring for the woods.
Kate holds a Bachelor’s degree from Bates College in Maine and a Master’s in Sustainable Forestry from the University of Vermont. When she’s not advocating, educating, or supporting others in their stewardship journey, Kate can be found out in her own family’s woods in Tunbridge. She shares her love for working on the land with her husband, three kids, and their loyal yellow lab, Huckleberry—who’s always ready for the next woodland adventure.
Susan Culp, Operations Manager
(802) 214-4847 | susan@vermontwoodlands.org
As Operations Manager, Susan Culp plays a key role in keeping Vermont Woodlands Association running smoothly, from managing the membership program to overseeing financial operations. With over 20 years of experience working with natural resource, recreation, and conservation nonprofits, Susan brings a deep well of knowledge and a passion for sustainable forestry to her work.
Susan has a strong personal connection to Vermont’s forests, managing her own woodland property and constantly learning how to become a better steward. A former member of the Vermont Woodlands Association Board of Directors, Susan is thrilled to reconnect with colleagues and members who share her commitment to caring for Vermont’s woodlands. When she’s not supporting the VWA community, you’ll often find her wandering her woods, inspired by the landscapes she works to protect. Susan looks forward to connecting with members and helping them on their woodland stewardship journey!
Kathy Beland, Vermont Tree Farm Program Administrator
Kathy Beland, grew up in the rolling hills of Carroll County, Maryland, and earned an A.A. in Forest Technology from Allegany College of Maryland in 1982. She and her late husband Tom, moved to Vermont in 1986, with no jobs, a full moving truck including thousands of board feet of lumber, a junk car and Ford pickup, and around $500 in the bank. She began working as a consulting forester with Mark Skakel, eventually taking over the business as Not Just Trees, Inc.
During that time she and Tom built a house, raised two kids, and enjoyed a multitude of baseball games, 4 cats, 3 dogs, a Morgan horse, a few beef cows, and nature around their home base in Clarendon Springs. Kathy likes to spend her free time with her family including her 3 grandchildren, whether in person or online. If she isn’t visiting them, she is likely to be digging something with her tractor’s backhoe, working in her garden or attacking invasives - alternating with bird watching, and a little bit of botanizing.
She is also a coordinator of the Forestry Building at the Vermont State Fair, working with a devoted crew of volunteers. In this, as in the rest of her career, she has endeavored to not just work as a forester, but also to educate the public on the importance of management of our forested landscape.
She has been involved in the Tree Farm as an inspector since 1984 while working as a Forest Technician for the Maryland Forest Service. Kathy has been involved in Vermont Tree Farm since 1987, mostly as an inspector, and eventually as Vice Chair of the Tree Farm Committee. She has been an Inspector Training Facilitator since 2009, and has served as the Tree Farm Program Administrator since 2020.