Executive Bios

A native of Fort Bragg, Cal., Brian received his bachelor’s degree in forestry from Humboldt State University and completed the Executive Development Program at the University of Tennessee. Prior to joining The Westervelt Company as President and CEO in 2017, Brian held multiple positions during a 29 year career with Louisiana-Pacific (LP) Corporation.

His experience includes his most recent position with LP as Executive Vice President and General Manager, Siding, in Nashville, Tenn. He also served as the Senior Vice President and General Manager, Engineered Wood Products, and Vice President, Procurement, Logistics and Supply Chain, as well as many other forestry and production related positions with LP.

Over the course of his career, Brian has served on many industry association boards and committees, including the American Wood Council, the Wood Products Council and the Forest Resources Association. Most recently he joined the Board of Directors for the National Alliance of Forest Owners and the Softwood Lumber Board. Brian is a past board member of Autism Tennessee, a non-profit organization, and a past member of the College of International Business Advisory Board, Belmont University.

Brian and his wife Nancy have three children and three grandchildren.

A native of Tuscaloosa, AL., Cade received a bachelor’s degree in commerce and business administration from the University of Alabama, a master’s in business administration from the University of Alabama and a master’s degree in forest resources with a specialization in forest business from the University of Georgia. In addition, Cade is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA®), Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA®), and Financial and Modeling Valuation Analyst (FMVA®) professional designations and has completed courses in Managerial Leadership and Sustainable Finance and Investments through Harvard Extension School.

His experience includes his most recent position as Chief Operating Officer, where he is responsible for the five business operations of The Westervelt Company – Forest Resources, Wood Products, Ecological Services, Real Estate and New Zealand, as well as Business Development and Information Services. He works closely with President and CEO Brian Luoma in overseeing operations and implementing the strategic plan of The Westervelt Company. He also serves as President of Durable Resource Partners JV.

Before assuming his current role, Cade was Chief Sustainability Officer, where he was responsible for leading Sustainability efforts across the organization, as well as responsibility for Westervelt Ecological Services, Westervelt New Zealand and Westervelt Real Estate businesses. He previously served as Director of Business Development and Improvement where he was responsible for the company’s strategic planning, business development and business improvement functions, and as Continuous Improvement Manager where he oversaw the development and implementation of the company’s continuous improvement program, Growing Excellence.

Prior to joining The Westervelt Company in 2017, Cade held multiple positions with Conservation Forestry, a leading conservation themed timberland investment management organization. Cade has gained a breadth of experience in other sectors of the forestry and investment industries through intern positions with Hancock Natural Resource Group, the United States Senate Banking Committee, the Alabama Forestry Association and The Westervelt Company.

Cade has and continues to be involved with many community leadership groups including Leadership Tuscaloosa, the United Way of West Alabama’s Young Leadership Society, Rotary International, Tuscaloosa Rotary Foundation Board, the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources Young Alumni Committee, the Society of American Foresters and as a University of Georgia Student Mentor.

Cade and his wife April have two children and enjoy spending their time traveling and exploring the world’s natural wonders.

Dave Donaldson, a Registered Forester, was born in Springfield, Ohio, and raised in Dalton, Ga. He joined The Westervelt Company in 1995, and was promoted to his most recent position of Vice President and General Manager of Forest Resources in January 2022. Prior to this, he held several roles including Director of Woodlands, Portfolio Manager and Area Manager.

Dave is a U.S. Veteran, having served in the Alabama National Guard, and a 1995 graduate of Auburn University with a degree in Forest Resources. Additionally, he completed the UNC Executive Development Institute in 2012.

His professional affiliations include serving as Board member of the Forest Landowner Association and the Forest Resources Association; as a member of the National Alliance of Forest Owners and the Alabama Forestry Association; and as a member of the Advisory Council for Auburn University School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. He has been active in the United Way of West Alabama, Adopt-A-School, Church of the Highlands and The Westervelt Foundation.

He and his wife Tammy live in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and they have four children.

Mark is the Vice-President and General Manager of Westervelt Wood Products. He earned a B.S. in Commerce and Business Administration in 1993 from, and an MBA in 1998, both from the University of Alabama. Mark joined what was then Gulf States Paper Company in 1998 in Strategic Planning. He held several roles in that department before moving into Lumber Sales in 2006, most recently serving as the Director of Sales and Marketing. He was promoted to his current position in January 2023.

Mark is actively involved with numerous lumber and wood products associations. He currently serves as a Board member and Chairman of the Southern Forest Products Association, Board member and Treasurer for the Treated Wood Council and is an alternative representative on the American Lumber Standards Committee.

During his professional career, Mark has also taken on leadership roles in the community, including as a former Board member with Junior Achievement of West Alabama and as a former American Heart Association Heart Walk Executive Team Member. He is a Leadership Tuscaloosa graduate.

Mark is married and has one daughter.

A native of Northport, Ala., Alisa received her bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Alabama. She graduated with Summa Cum Laude designation. Alisa was named Vice President, Human Resources in 2017. She has more than 30 years of experience in accounting and human resources responsibilities, primarily serving The Westervelt Company.

Prior to joining the company, she worked with a local accounting firm.

Alisa joined The Westervelt Company in 1987 as internal auditor, and has held several positions in the financial services and human resources groups. In her current role, Alisa is responsible for human resources and the corporate facility.

Alisa currently serves on Tuscaloosa’s One Place Board of Directors, Leadership Tuscaloosa’s Alumni Association and NorthRiver Church.

She and her husband, Kent, have two children and three grandchildren.

A native of Talladega, Ala., Ray is an honors graduate of the University of Alabama, where he received his bachelor’s degree in finance. Ray received his Juris Doctorate from the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, and an LLM in Taxation Law from the University of Florida. He joined The Westervelt Company in 2007 as Assistant General Counsel.He became the organization’s Secretary and General Counsel in 2009, and was named Vice President in January 2012.

Ray serves on the Greater Alabama March of Dimes Board of Directors.

He and his wife Hope have twin daughters, and are members of First Baptist Church of Tuscaloosa.

Born and raised in Vernon, Ala, Susan joined The Westervelt Company in March 2017. She has a B.S. in Business Management and an M.S. in Marketing Management from the University of Maryland, and an M.S. in Human Environmental Science from the University of Alabama, and is Accredited in Public Relations. As the Corporate Marketing and Public Relations Director, she is responsible for corporate marketing efforts and coordination, public and community relations, including charitable activities, internal communications, branding and facilitating communication for programs throughout the organization. She is a certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, having focused on projects that improve communication within organizations and demonstrate project and program effectiveness.

Susan has more than 20 years of experience in marketing, communications and public relations. Prior to joining Westervelt, she was the global manufacturing communications manager for International Paper. Her experience also includes roles as a public affairs director, marketing manager and positions with embassies in Croatia and Chile with the U.S. Department of State.

During her career, Susan has been involved in many organizations, including the United Way, Leadership Tuscaloosa and Leadership Autauga County, Junior Achievement of West Alabama, the Prattville-Autauga Character Coalition, YMCA, Rotary and the Family Support Center of Prattville. She is currently President of the Public Relations Council of Alabama, a Board Member of the Southern Public Relations Federation, Vice-President of Projects for the West Alabama Chapter of the Public Relations Council of Alabama and a member of the United Way of West Alabama’s VAT team.

Susan is married to Jeff, who she followed around the world during his U.S. Marine Corps career, and they have three children.

A native of Houma, Louisiana, and raised in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, Diana Russell is Financial Services Director for The Westervelt Company. She began her career with Westervelt in 2011, and has held roles including Tax Manager and, most recently, Corporate Controller. Prior to joining Westervelt, she worked for five years in public accounting on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, specializing in income tax.

Diana earned a B.S. in Business Administration with Accounting form the University of Southern Mississippi, and is a licensed CPA. She is a member of the AICPA and the Alabama Society of CPAs. Diana is a 2019 graduate of Leadership Tuscaloosa.

Diana is married to Josh and they have two sons.