Maria Janowiak is deputy director of the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science, led by the USDA Forest Service. Her biggest project is to coordinate the Climate Change Response Framework activities in New England and northern New York, an area that includes more than 40 million acres of forest stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the peaks of the Appalachians. She has also assisted in expanding adaptation work to new topics, including agriculture and carbon management. Maria has more than ten years of experience in helping natural resource professionals understand and adapt to climate change, with particular emphasis on the northern forests ecosystems. She has led multiple ecoregional vulnerability assessments, created decision-support tools, taught courses, and provided direct outreach to thousands of people.

Amanda Mahaffey is deputy director of the Forest Stewards Guild. This role builds on seven years serving as the Forest Stewards Guild’s Northeast Region Director. From her base in Maine, Amanda supports the national Women Owning Woodlands network, expands the Foresters for the Birds program begun in Vermont, organizes learning events for the North Atlantic Fire Science Exchange, grows New England’s forest climate adaptation community of practice, and supports Guild members in advancing ecological forestry. Amanda is a licensed forester and holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Southern Maine. She has been an active member of the Forest Stewards Guild and the Society of American Foresters since her student days, and is passionate about supporting succeeding generations of forest stewards.