About Us

Todd came on to lead the Southern Loggers Cooperative team in 2012. He is a 1989 graduate of Louisiana Tech University with Bachelor's degrees in Forestry & Business. Forestry/Logging has always been a part of his life with roots dating back over 100 years in his family. His background includes 35+ years of business experience specifically suited to our industry. He has worked in virtually every link of the forest industry supply chain such as forest management, forest procurement, forest products processing, logging operations, forest products trucking, forest products sales and corporate management. Aside from his work with the SLC, he also manages approximately 1,500 acres of his privately owned timberland consisting of mostly mixed pine and hardwood stands.

Since joining the SLC Staff in 2012, Jason has provided sound financial expertise along with operational and project management skills to guide our daily practices. Jason is a 2003 graduate of Louisiana Tech University with a Bachelor's degree in Forestry, and also earned his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Louisiana Tech in 2005. Jason's background in forestry and construction has had valuable influence on his position at SLC. With his direction, we are able to manage a large volume of business consisting of approximately 6,000 members, over 34 fuel locations, and roughly 60 million gallons of fuel sales annually with a staff of nine full-time employees.

If you are in the forestry industry in the Southeastern U.S., you likely already know him or at least have heard of him. Bill's love for the industry and his extensive contacts have allowed him to locate sustainable areas of growth for the SLC. His guidance is a necessary part of the SLC's continued growth throughout the U.S. His 45+ years of experience in forest management, logging, forest products processing, and association management brings a wealth of knowledge and a direct connection to over 95% of the SLC's member base. Prior to joining the SLC staff in 2009, he served as Executive Director of the Alabama Loggers Council. His educational background includes a Bachelor's degree in Forestry from Auburn University. In 2019, Bill was awarded the National Logger Activist of the Year by the American Loggers Council for his longstanding dedication and service to the industry.

David Abbott is a seasoned communications and industry-relations professional whose career has been shaped by a deep commitment to the forestry and logging community. After more than two decades with Hatton Brown Publishing, where he became a respected voice in timber industry journalism, David now serves the Southern Loggers Cooperative, bringing his experience, insight, and relationship‑building strengths to one of the most trusted member‑driven organizations in the sector.
 
During his tenure at Hatton Brown Publishing, David contributed to several of the industry’s most widely read publications, helping elevate conversations around logging innovation, safety, workforce development, and the evolving challenges facing timber producers. His ability to connect with loggers, mill operators, equipment manufacturers, and association leaders earned him a reputation as a thoughtful communicator and a steady advocate for the people who keep America’s forests working.
 
In his role with the Southern Loggers Cooperative, David supports the organization’s mission to provide meaningful economic benefits, strengthen member operations, and promote long‑term industry sustainability. He is known for his collaborative approach, his genuine respect for the logging community, and his dedication to advancing initiatives that help members thrive in a rapidly changing environment.
 
David’s career reflects a consistent theme: amplifying the voices of those who work in the woods and ensuring their stories, challenges, and successes are understood and valued. His work continues to strengthen the cooperative spirit that defines the Southern Loggers Cooperative and the broader timber industry.
 

With our massive growth over the past several years, especially in 2022, it was obvious that the SLC needed a full-time Controller/CPA. Shortly after that decision was made, Kathryn joined the SLC Staff in late 2022. She received a bachelor's degree in accounting from Louisiana Tech University in 2018 and a Master of Accountancy in 2019, also from Louisiana Tech. She received her CPA certification in 2022. In January of 2024, just 14 months after she joined the SLC Staff, she was promoted to Chief Financial Officer (CFO). As CFO, she leads the accounting team in the production of accurate financial information for sales of products and services approaching $250 million annually. She provides critical financial insight and analysis that allows the SLC Executive Team and Board of Directors to make sound decisions that assure our members that we are as efficient as possible, while "cutting their cost of doing business." Prior to coming on board with the SLC, Kathryn's professional background included audit services and financial institution accounting. Kathryn is a member of the LCPA and Calvary Baptist Church of Alexandria, Louisiana.

Lisa joined the SLC Staff in 2014 and fills one of the most critical and demanding positions within the SLC, maintaining our relationship with members. Her many years of corporate customer service and natural pleasant disposition has been put to work for our members. She plays a vital role in setting up new member accounts, maintaining member information for roughly 6,000 members, managing our marketing/advertising, SLC website management, and handling issues promptly and with a smile.

Since joining the SLC Staff in 2016, Maryan has quickly become the much-needed assistance in our accounting department. With her extensive bookkeeping experience with a wide range of corporate businesses, she provides essential assistance on the accounts receivable (AR) side of the accounting department for as many as 3,500 fuel transactions daily for roughly 6,000 members, and approximately 60 million gallons in fuel sales per year.

The pleasant and accommodating voice that you hear answering a majority of the calls to the SLC office is that of Executive Assistant - Tina Young. Tina joined the SLC Staff in 2017 bringing with her an extensive background in executive level assistance. Tina's organizational skills and her never ending willingness to help others in any way that she can are very valuable in her role with the SLC. Aside from her assistance with the executive team, she also takes the lead role in monitoring fuel and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) storage capacities of over 900,000 gallons with approximately 550,000 of inventory on a daily basis assuring that the SLC always has product available to our members.

Accounting Clerk - Joy Mercer joined the SLC Staff in 2021 bringing with her many years of experience in bookkeeping for a wide range of corporate businesses including legal, collections, real estate, and waste management. With her focus on the accounts payable (AP) side of our accounting department, Joy works daily to make sure that the SLC's many vendors and partners are paid for products and services approaching $250 million in sales per year in a timely and seamless manner. Her dedication to the SLC's mission is very apparent in her connection with our members and vendors as she is always willing to do whatever she can to assist and help them resolve any issues.

Prior to coming on board with the SLC in 2020, Jon worked 32 years for Petron, LLC constructing and maintaining fuel stations across the country. Many of those stations were SLC stations. Jon was part of Petron's construction team for the first SLC station that opened in Winnfield, Louisiana in 2005. His 36 years of experience in maintaining and managing PeroVend Fuel Systems, play a massive role in the onsite management and efficiency of our stations. Jon's daily duties include the maintenance of our 34 fuel locations pumping around 60 million gallons per year, maintaining our parts inventory, maintaining our security camera systems, and coordinating with our part-time custodians for each station. Jon also serves as SLC's project manager on the construction of all new stations. With his sound technological skills, he also assists with all things "I.T." for the SLC. Jon's knowledge, skills, and experience assures SLC members that quality fuel is pumped from our stations with efficiency and timeliness.