The FSC Canada Board of Directors has decided to pursue a change of leadership for the organization, in order to take advantage of the continuing growth of FSC. With Antony Marcil’s departure from FSC Canada on February 14th, we believe it is critical to keep open channels of communications with our stakeholders. To that end, we are writing with an update on our progress and next steps.
First we want to offer recognition and appreciation for the leadership Tony Marcil brought to the organization over the last five years. During this time, FSC Canada focused on generating market demand and recognition of the FSC logo, on strengthening FSC’s forest management standards, and on increasing the availability of FSC products. And FSC Canada has had remarkable success:
- The area of FSC-certified forests in Canada has grown by 360% to 40.6 million hectares (100 million acres).
- The number of FSC-certified product suppliers in Canada has grown by 1,500% to over 1,000 Chain of Custody certified companies.
- Thousands of companies now specify and purchase FSC products, with dozens stating their procurement preference in corporate policies.
While FSC’s growth is the result of efforts on the part of many individuals, funders, organizations and companies, FSC Canada’s accomplishments would not have been possible without Tony’s efforts.
As we look to the future, our primary focus now is on securing new leadership for the organization. To that end, we have enlisted an executive recruiter and are beginning a nationwide search for the right visionary leader to build on FSC Canada’s strengths and grow the organization and its reach.
In this interim period, the board of directors is playing a more direct role in organizational management, with administrative support from FSC US. And, of course, the FSC Canada staff continues to move our work forward on a day-to-day basis.
Every change brings opportunity. And it is through this lens that we are looking to the future, charting the course for FSC Canada with optimism and commitment to our mission. We will continue sharing updates and encourage you to share your thoughts with us.