WASHINGTON (News release) -- The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) announced the election of International Paper Chairman & CEO Mark Sutton as the new AF&PA Board Chair and released its 2020 slate of AF&PA Board Officers. Paper and wood product industry leaders participated in the association's Winter Board of Directors Meeting in Washington, D.C.

"The U.S. paper and wood products industry plays an essential role in sustainable forest management that helps keep forests as forests," said Sutton. I look forward to advocating for our industry's circular, sustainable, and responsible manufacturing practices and innovations. We are proud to lead important conversations on biomass energy, recycling, regulatory reform and transportation infrastructure that support our commitment to growth and our ability to create American manufacturing jobs."

Sutton became chairman of the International Paper Board of Directors on January 1, 2015, and CEO on November 1, 2014. Immediately prior to becoming CEO, he served as president and chief operating officer with responsibility for leading the company's global businesses. Sutton has been with the company his entire career, having joined International Paper in 1984, as an engineer at the Pineville, La., mill. Sutton also serves on the Board of Directors for The Kroger Company. He is a member of the Business Council, the Business Roundtable Board of Directors, and the International Advisory Board of the Moscow School of Management - Skolkovo. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Memphis Tomorrow and the Board of Governors for New Memphis Institute.

AF&PA President and CEO Heidi Brock said, "The paper and wood products manufacturing industry has an important story to share, most importantly our commitment to sustainable business practices. There's a reason paper products are the most-recycled product by weight in the U.S. - and that there are 20 percent more trees in the U.S. today than there were 50 years ago. These and numerous other environmental successes are a testament to the industry's vision, which was solidified by a comprehensive set of quantifiable sustainability goals in our Better Practices, Better Planet 2020 initiative. AF&PA kicked off the year applauding the bipartisan U.S - Mexico - Canada (USMCA) agreement and its role in promoting forest products jobs and manufacturing. I look forward to continued successes working alongside Mark Sutton and AF&PA's Board Officers."

The additional elected officers are: Michael Doss, President & CEO, Graphic Packaging International, Inc. (first vice chair) and Christian Fischer, President & CEO, Georgia-Pacific LLC (second vice chair). Pete Watson, President & CEO, Greif, Inc. and 2019 AF&PA Board Chair, will serve as Immediate Past Chair.

Also beginning a new term as an AF&PA Board member in 2020 is Michael Haws, President & CEO, Sappi North America.

The AF&PA Board of Directors consists of top industry leaders who represent a broad spectrum of companies in the paper and wood products manufacturing sector.