Bonny Skene, Domtar’s public affairs manager in Canada, receives the Outstanding Member of the Year award from Derek Nighbor, FPAC president and CEO, and Kate Lindsay, FPAC senior vice president and chief sustainability officer.
Bonny Skene, Domtar’s public affairs manager in Canada, has been honored as the 2023 Outstanding Member of the Year in the Forest Products Association of Canada (FPAC) Awards of Excellence program. The FPAC award recognizes her decades-long commitment to the forest products industry.
Skene received the FPAC award during Canada’s National Forest Week, which celebrates all the benefits of forests across the country. She has spent more than 20 years representing Domtar and bolstering the company’s efforts in sustainability and community engagement.
“Bonny is a champion of her home community of Dryden, Ontario, and is a true collaborator and a compassionate leader who puts people and communities first in everything she does,” says FPAC President and CEO Derek Nighbor.
“This award stands as a tribute to not only Bonny’s pride in Canada’s forest sector and community-driven solutions but also how highly regarded she is by her colleagues and peers. Through her unwavering commitment, we see the positive impact that collaboration and a focus on sustainability and community engagement can produce,” he adds.
The FPAC award recognizes her work with a variety of stakeholders, from government officials to First Nations leaders, educators and environmental organizations. Skene brings knowledge and care to her work, collaborating with others to promote practical, sustainable solutions that benefit the sector and local communities.
Additionally, she is a board member of Forests Ontario and serves as the Chair of the Board for the Port of Thunder Bay — Canada’s second-largest export grain port.
Skene also is an advocate for the industry and lifestyle offered in our mill towns when speaking with young people considering a forest-related career. She acknowledges some challenges — cold, dark days in December and January — but also highlights the benefits of a rural, outdoor lifestyle, including wonderful recreational opportunities such as skiing, boating, fishing and more.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this FPAC award. I deeply enjoy what I do, working with colleagues and with people in host communities, regions and governments addressing issues and finding solutions. I am so very fortunate to live, work and play in Canada’s Boreal Forest, where the sustainability of Canadian forestry is tangible, real and noteworthy,” Skene says.
Read more about the FPAC Awards of Excellence.
