121st Annual Meeting

March 30 to April 3, 2025

Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country

Santa Rosa, California, USA

Join us for AWPA's 121st Annual Meeting taking place in stunning Santa Rosa, California March 30-April 3, 2025.

AWPA is pleased to announce the meeting will be at the lovely Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country. This impressive hotel is in a gorgeous location with easy access to hundreds of wineries and it’s just off of Historic Railroad Square, a charming downtown area with museums, fine dining, and shopping. This is a unique location for wine lovers, those looking for a local craft beer, a great cup of coffee, or a chance to enjoy some Charlie Brown-style whimsy.

AWPA Meeting Registration

Please note that pre-registration has closed, if you wish to attend the meeting, please reach out to us directly at
email@awpa.com, or register on-site.

(Members $850, Non-members $1150)

Hotel Reservations

The meeting will take place at the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country at 170 Railroad Street in Santa Rosa, California.

The deadline for hotel reservations has passed but you may call 800-233-1234 to determine if any rooms are available. Please contact us directly if you need any assistance. 

Please be aware that AWPA and the hotel DO NOT share your contact information with anyone. If you are contacted by anyone other than AWPA or the Hyatt in regard to this meeting it is NOT legitimate.

Getting to Santa Rosa

Skip the Bay Area traffic and fly into Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport, served by most major US airlines and located 8 miles/12 minutes from the hotel.

San Francisco International Airport and Oakland International Airport are both 65 miles and approx. 1 hour and 20 min away.

Car rentals are available at all airports. The hotel is offering discounted self-parking for AWPA guests for $9 per night. Valet parking is also available for $30 per night.

Sonoma County also offers some wonderful advice for reaching our destination: How to Get to Sonoma County - Sonoma County Tourism

Spouse/Guest Registrations are closed, if you have forgotten to register your guest, please contact us directly.

Each person accompanying a registered attendee (a spouse or any guests) must be registered to attend the receptions. A badge is required for entry to all AWPA events. There are two options for spouse/guest registration:

1. A Receptions/Hospitality option. This is for those who only wish to take part in the social events at the hotel.

2. A Tour and Receptions/Hospitality option. In addition to attending receptions, we are really excited about this year's guest outing--It begins with a private tour of the Charles Schulz Museum for a glimpse into the innocence, joy, and history of Charlie Brown, Lucy and Snoopy. This will be followed by a private tour of the Korbel Winery with a delightful picnic lunch and a bubbly wine sample to enjoy. This is designed to be a relaxed tour--a chance to enjoy the local scenery and catch up with friends. Meet in the hotel lobby at 10:00 am!

The 2025 Hacker's Classic Golf Tournament--REGISTRATION CLOSED

The AWPA Golf Committee is very excited to present the Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club as this year’s location for the Hacker’s Classic.  Santa Rosa Golf & Country Club is one of the most beautiful private golf courses in northern California. Hackers will enjoy an immaculately groomed and challenging 18-hole golf course in a beautiful park-like setting.  Your registration fee will include access to practice range, 18 holes of golf with cart, lunch, and golf polo.

Thank you to our 2025 Golf Sponsors:

Koppers Performance Chemicals
Nisus
Arxada
Koppers Carbon Materials & Chemicals
Osmose
Viance
Copper Care Wood Preservatives
Genics
Intec
Kop-Coat
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation
Southern Pine Inspection Bureau
Stella-Jones

Pickler's Prance 5K Fun Run/Walk--REGISTRATION CLOSED

The 2025 Pickler’s Prance 5K Fun Run/Walk is a great way to start the day! The run/walk provides a great opportunity to appreciate the valley views and purple mountains majesty of gorgeous Sonoma Valley, California.
**The Pickler's Prance is free of charge, but if you feel like walk/running for a good cause, California Firefighters would welcome your donation through the California Fire Foundation: https://cpf.salsalabs.org/cff-donation/index.html Should you choose to donate, please let us know (email@awpa.com) so we can keep a tally of the money raised. The deadline for registration is March 11.

Display Table Add-on

Would you like a table to display your company's literature, samples, or a tabletop exhibit? If so, please register for the Display Table Add-on which includes a six-foot table, two chairs, and a standard 120 volt outlet. The tables will be arranged in the same area as the coffee breaks for maximum exposure to meeting attendees. We will also be offering an option for a half table which offers enough space for a stand alone poster and other small items. Please reach out to us with any questions. There is limited space available so please register early for table space--the deadline will be March 11 or when space has run out.

Annual Meeting Sponsors

If you are interested in an opportunity to sponsor this can't miss event, we invite you to become a corporate sponsor.  We are happy to share our list of sponsors in all of our meeting collateral, and dispay your logos at our events.  Without all of you, this wouldn't be the premium event that it is.  Please reach out to us to discuss Annual Meeting Corporate Sponsor opportunities: email@awpa.com. Our informational flyer is here:
Sponsorship Flyer

Thank you to our 2025 Annual Meeting Sponsors:

Arxada
Koppers
Viance
Allweather Wood
Genics
Kop-Coat
Nisus
Rain Carbon
Lanxess
Osmose
SPIB

Student Travel Fellowship Fund Contributions

Each year, AWPA is able to pay travel costs for several students to attend the meeting and present their current research. Some of these students have been hired by organizations in the industry after graduation. Please help support our students by contributing to the Student Travel Fellowship Fund. You can contact us at +1-205-733-4077 to request an invoice, or you can contribute during the registration process. Organizations and individuals who have contributed to the 2025 Scholarship Fund thus far are:

Craig McIntyre
Beth Stokes
Steve Bryant
Colin McCown
Tom Kyzer
Brian Stults
Stacey Carr
Mark Clark
Dustin Clary
Will Cox
Gord Gilmet
Greg Traczek
Paul Merrick
Matt Anderson
Rodrigo Besnier
Grady Brafford
Nicole Butler
Goksen Elkas
Jim Healey
Scott Hoffman
John Hussa
Steve Quarles
Navnit Upadhyay
David Wiliams
Larry Lang
Michelle Ciardi
Ken Grace
Pete Gaskin  

(list will be updated as new donations are received)

Things to See and Do in Sonoma

The official websites of the Sonoma Valley and Sonoma County Visitors Bureau have so much information on all there is to see and do while in town. Visit their sites now to begin planning your trip:

Visit Sonoma Valley

Visit Sonoma County

121st Annual Meeting Schedule of Events

Meeting General Chair: Min Chen

General Vice Chair: Glenn Larkin

Program Chair: Paul Merrick

Please Note this is all TENTATIVE and will be updated as it solidifies!

Click Here for Abstracts (they will be posted as they are received)

Sunday, March 30, 2025

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Executive Committee Meeting--Sonoma Mountain

Monday, March 31, 2025

8:00 am - Hacker's Classic Golf Tournament

8:00 am - Pickler's Prance 5k Fun Run/Walk - Meet in the Hotel Lobby
1:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Registration Desk Open

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm - RTA R&D Meeting--Russian River Valley

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Treated Wood Council Meeting--Russian River Valley

10:00 am to 11:30 pm - Barrier Protection Task Group-Dry Creek Valley

12:30 pm to 2:00 pm - P-9 Thermally Modified Wood Task Group--Dry Creek Valley

2:00 pm to 4:00 pm - ANSI ASC O5--Dry Creek Valley

4:00 pm to 5:00 pm - AWPA Utility User's Group--Dry Creek Valley

5:30 pm to 6:00 pm - New Member Reception (by invitation only)--TBD

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - President's Welcome Reception--TBD

Tuesday, April 1, 2025

7:30 am to 9:30 am - Breakfast Buffet-Pre-Function Area

8:00 am to 4:00 pm - Registration Desk Open-Pre-Function Area

8:00 am to 5:00 pm - Exhibitors in the Ballroom Pre-Function Area

8:30 am to 10:00 am - Combined Opening Session and Business Session--Alexander Valley (all day)

10:00 am to 2:00 pm - Spouse/Guest Tour (for those registered for the tour option) Meet in the hotel lobby

10:00 am to 10:15 am - Break

10:15 to 11:45 am Keynote Speakers: John Gross, President of John E. Gross Consulting, Inc. and Tim Strelitz, President of CMX Metals - Discussion About Copper

11:45 am to 1:30 pm - Lunch (on your own)

12:00 pm – 1:30 pm – Women of AWPA Luncheon--Sonoma Mountain

1:30 pm to 2:30 pm - Colley/Hartford Memorial Lecture: Ryan Pessah, Western Wood Preservers Institute - Government Basics and Advocacy Impacting our Industry

2:30 pm to 2:45 pm - Break

2:45 pm - 5:00 pm - Research Symposium; Moderator: Beth Stokes, Mississippi State

Tentative List of Speakers and Titles:

• Alaina Ingram, ICC - The ICC Code Development Process: A Brief Overview
• Kim Merritt, SPIB - Comparative Samples…What’s the Difference Anyway?
• Jeff Morrell, Forestry Centre of Excellence, University of South Australia - Potential for Preservative-Treated Tanoak
• Matthew Burge, BYK USA - Zeta Potential for Pigment Wetting & Dispersing
• Sarath Vega, Hexion - Industry 4.0 for Wood Protection: An Overview
• Grant Kirker, USDA Forest Products Laboratory - Review of Copper-8-Quinolininate and Its Use in Military Packaging Applications
• Kevin Ragon, Mississippi State University - Effects of Simulated Checks and Splits on Yellow Pine Fence Post Strength and Stiffness

Wednesday, April 2, 2025

8:00 am to 4:00 pm - Registration Desk Open

8:00 am to 5:00 pm - Exhibitors in the Grand Ballroom Pre-Function Area

Technical Sessions all in Alexander Valley

8:30 am to 10:20 am – Wood Protection That Delivers: There are always recent or pressing matters that are relevant to the AWPA and larger wood protection industry. This symposium is intended to provide a forum to highlight and share these matters with AWPA membership.

Moderator: Paul Merrick, Louisiana Pacific

Tentative List of Speakers and Titles:

• Richard George, Postsaver Europe - The Effectiveness and Impact of Barrier Protection Systems
• Bill Abbott, Copper Care Wood Preservatives - A Brief History of Barrier Wraps Used In Decay, Animal, Fire and Corrosion Protection
• Samuel Barton, Mississippi State University - Fungal Resistance of Citric Acid Crosslinked Chitosan-Treated Wood
• Abigael Laisa, Mississippi State University - Investigation of Carrier System and Leaching Rate of Guayule Resin as a Natural Wood Preservative
• Mark Clark, Hexion - Development and Verification of Hexion’s ArmorBuilt Wildfire Shield
  
  10:20 am to 12:00pm Burning Issues in Wood Protection: Forrest Gump may have said "fire and wood go together like peas and carrots" and today's reality is that wildfire is an ever-present hazard to wood structures where people choose to live in or near undeveloped places. This is particularly true in California and western North America.

  This symposium will focus on the relationship between wood and fire. There will be presentations on how wood burns, how wood structures are tested for resistance to fire, fire prevention (regulations), and fire retardants.
  

Moderator: Glenn Larkin, LarChem

Tentative List of Speakers and Titles:

• Steve Quarles, University of California Cooperative Extension Advisor Emeritus - Fundamentals of Wood Ignition and Related In-Service Performance Implications
• Greg Dupuis, Intertek - Fire Performance of FRTW: Testing for the Efficacy of Flame Retardants in Wood
• Brian Stults, Flameproof Companies - FRTW and the Codes that Define Its Use
• Aynun Farhabi, University of Idaho - In-situ Biomineralization of Metal Phytates in Wood for Improved Bio-durability and Flame Retardancy
• Shekaib Adab, Genics - Fire Hardening Wood Poles Using Fire Mesh

12:00 pm to 1:30 pm - Lunch (on your own)

1:30 pm to 3:10 pm Residential Wood Protection: Building a Home for All: This symposium will provide a information on wood biodeterioration of residential structures, its implications in a changing climate, and current protection best practices.

Moderator: Min Chen, Arxada

Tentative List of Speakers and Titles:

• Paul Armstrong, American Wood Council - Introducing the 2025 CA Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) Code
• Jeff Lloyd, Nisus - Topical Applications for framing, composites and CLT – How pest management and topical wood protection can work together to increase consumer protection and treater opportunities
• Mike Toth, BYK USA - Surface Protection & Enhancement Options for Wood Substrates (i.e. for Mass Timber & Cross-Laminated Timber)
• Bradia Henfield, Mississippi State University - Biological Durability of Hardwood Cross-Laminated Timber
• Gerald Presley, Oregon State University - The Heat is On: Thermally Modified Wood Cross Laminated Timber for Residential Structures (working title)

3:10 pm to 4:30 pm Wood as a Green Material: From Sea to Shining Tree: The wood protection industry has an imperative to protect the environment as well as wood. This symposium is intended to address environmental impacts, consequences, regulations and responsibilities, innovations, and solutions relevant to wood protection.

Moderated by Gerry Presley Univ. of Oregon,

Tentative List of Speakers and Titles:

• Tom Panella, Michigan Technological University - Evaluating Decay Resistance of Domestic Replacements for an Endangered Rainforest Timber Species
• Butch Bernhardt, Western Wood Preservers Institute - Changing Opinions on Treated Wood, One Garden Box at a Time
• Richa Tungal, Osmose - Thermochemical Conversion of Treated Wood for Biofuel and Value-Added Chemical Recovery: Hurdling the Challenges
• Reis DeLucia, Koppers - The Reality of Treated Wood Disposal

4:30 pm to 5:10 pm – Closing Session, Moderated by Min Chen, Arxada

Patti Metro, National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association - Trends in Wood Utility Products and Grid Improvements to Address Wildfires

Jeff Miller, Treated Wood Council - Navigating New Agendas: Government Initiatives Impacting the Treated Wood Industry

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Closing Reception--TBD

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Nothing scheduled at this time.