The Southern Forest Products Association has been advancing the Southern Pine lumber community since 1915, and a few former team members recently gathered to reflect on their time together and the association’s history.
Seven former SFPA field staffers met at the home of Frank Lesniewski in the Adirondack Park of New York from June 16-18, 2023.
Check out these two photos taken 43 years apart! and learn a little more about some of the SFPA field staffers who made a difference in the association’s and the greater Southern Pine community’s success!
1980 photo
- First row (from left)
- Frank Lesniewski: Frank, who attended the reunion, worked at SFPA from 1969-97 in Albany, New York, and now lives near Wells, New York.
- Jim Wong: While Jim was not able to attend the reunion, he was based in the Chicago area.
- Bob Rembold: Bob, who attended the reunion, worked for SFPA from 1976-80 in Indianapolis and now lives in the Buffalo, New York, area.
- Back row (from left)
- Ron Hufford: Ron was a field staff manager who was not able to attend the reunion.
- Dick Priest: While Dick could not attend the reunion, he was based in the Atlanta area.
- Leo Kammerbeck: Leo was based in the Houston area but was not able to attend the reunion.
- David Rinerson: David, who was not able to attend the reunion, was based in Kansas City, Missouri.
- Jerry Craig: Jerry worked at SFPA from 1976-81 in Montgomery, Alabama, and worked at SFPA’s Kenner office from 1983-84. He attended the reunion, and currently lives near Bedford, Virginia.
- Jim Gogolski: Jim worked for SFPA from 1976-87, the first six years in Columbus, Ohio, the next three years at the Kenner office, and the last two years in Memphis, Tennessee. Jim attended the reunion, and currently lives in Columbus, Ohio.
- Steve Corbitt: Steve worked at SFPA from 1979-87, first in the Jackson, Mississippi, office before moving to the Kenner office. He attended the reunion, and currently lives in the Jackson, Mississippi, area.
- Dave Brown: Dave worked at SFPA from 1976-80, first in the Chicago area before moving to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Dave attended the reunion, and currently lives near Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
- Jay Poindexter: While Jay could not attend the reunion, he worked for SFPA in Montgomery, Alabama.
2023 photo
- First row (from left): Steve Corbitt, Bob Rembold, and Frank Lesniewski.
- Second row (from left): Jerry Craig, Jim Gogolski, Dave Brown, and Durand Darbyshire*.
*Durand, also known as “Darby,” was not with SFPA for the 1980 photo. He worked for SFPA from 1975-76 in Indianapolis, IN, then again from 1985-97 in Columbus.