122nd Annual Meeting
April 26 to April 30, 2026
Embassy Suites by Hilton
in Downtown Asheville
North Carolina, USA
Join us for AWPA's 122nd Annual Meeting taking place in Asheville, North Carolina
April 26 - April 30, 2026
AWPA is pleased to announce the meeting will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Downtown Asheville.
Asheville is a vibrant, eclectic mountain city nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, known for its stunning natural beauty, thriving arts scene, diverse culinary landscape (especially breweries and New Appalachian cuisine) and historic Art Deco architecture. It has a lively, walkable downtown and is a gateway to the Blue Ridge Parkway, offering a blend of mountain charm and bohemian culture. The meeting hotel is truly in the heart of it all with restaurants and entertainment just a few steps away.
AWPA Meeting Registration
Register to attend the meeting by April 10th! On-site registration will be available in Asheville, but at higher rates and only if space is available.
Regular registration: Until April 10, 2026 (Members $800, Non-members $1,100) Those registering after April 10th will not be on the printed pre-registration list.
On-site registration: Until April 29, 2026 (Members $850, Non-members $1,150)
Downloadable Registration Form
If you need to register multiple people at once, please contact us and we will be glad to help with the process.
https://awpa.com/about/contact
Hotel Reservations
The meeting will take place at the Embassy Suites by Hilton at 192 Haywood Streeet in Downtown Asheville, North Carolina. Rooms are also available at the Doubletree by Hilton just across the street at 199 Haywood Street. Breakfast will be offered at both hotels for guests registered in the AWPA room block. Be sure to check out the rooftop bars and restaurants during your visit--the Doubletree rooftop bar has one of the best sunset views in the whole city!
Room rates at either hotel in the AWPA block are $199 for single or double occupancy, plus applicable taxes, including breakfast (Those staying at the Doubletree in our room block will be given vouchers for their breakfast at that hotel). DUE TO HIGH DEMAND THE ROOM BLOCK CUT OFF DATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO APRIL 10, 2026.
Rooms at the Embassy Suites have sold out, but many remain just a few steps away at the Doubletree. The Doubletree will offer the same perks as the Embassy!
You can also call the reservations department at 828-407-0422 and note you are looking for the AWPA room block.
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 Embassy Suites/Doubletree in regards to this meeting it is NOT legitimate.
Getting to Asheville
Asheville Regional Airport is 15 miles from the hotel. Car rentals are available. The Embassy Suites offers discounted valet parking only at a rate of $10 per night for AWPA guests. The Doubletree offers valet and self parking for $10 per night.
Guest Options
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. This includes all receptions and a special guest outing to the historic Biltmore Estate for a self guided tour. Lunch and a wine tasting on the estate grounds is included. Enjoy the romance of the Gilded Era on the gorgeous Biltmore grounds and walking through one of America's true castles. It will be a day to remember!
The 2026 Hacker's Classic Golf Tournament
The AWPA Golf Committee is very excited to present the Springdale Resort as this year’s location for the Hacker’s Classic. Nestled within the Appalachian mountains, the Springdale Golf Course offers a journey through time on its historic grounds. The picturesque Cold Mountain landscape, evolving from an organic farm to an educational landmark, has been a source of wonder for 148 years. Here, each stroke tests your skills against the backdrop of rolling valleys and breathtaking views. Welcome to where tradition meets challenge!
Pickler's Prance 5K Fun Run/Walk
The 2026 Pickler’s Prance 5K Fun Run/Walk is a great way to start the day! Pack your best running and walking shoes for this one--Asheville is a hilly but beautiful city (and there are plenty of places to stop for a great cup of coffee along the way if the hills are just a little to hilly--just make sure the organizers know you have taken a detour ;-) )
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. Display Table Flyer
Looking forward to these display set-ups:
Applied Rigaku Technologies
BigonDry Thermal Modification Kilns
Carolina Machinery Sales
Do2
Hitachi High-Tech America
IWT-Moldrup
Maverick Corporation
MidSouth Tag and Label
Mississippi State University
Polesaver
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 display 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 at email@awpa.com or take a look at our Sponsor Flyer.
Thank you to our Annual Meeting Sponsors thus far:
Arxada
Koppers
Viance
American Chemet
Lanxess
Rain Carbon
Genics
Nisus
American Wood Technology
Osmose
Southern Pine Inspection Bureau
Wood Quality Control
Maverick Corporation
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.
Individuals who have contributed to the 2026 Scholarship Fund thus far are:
(arranged by amount of contribution, highest to lowest
Will Cox
Brian Stults
Felix Mendoza Suarez
Goksen Elkas
Greg Traczek
Kyle Cassidy
Scott Hoffman
Tom Kyzer
Paul Merrick
Colin McCown
Beth Stokes
Bill Abbott
Craig McIntyre
David Williams
Hal Bumby
Jim Fixsen
Jun Zhang
Kendall Stovall
Mark Clark
Matt Anderson
Michael Reimer
Nicole Butler
Randy Gross
Randy McGough
Raymond Sheepwash
Ronny Montgomery
Shekaib Adab
Stacey Carr
Steve Bryant
Steve Quarles
Justin Duma
Kris Owen
Marcela Cordeiro Barbosa
Raphael Arbelaez
Sarath Vega
Things to See and Do in Asheville
The official website of the Asheville Visitors Bureau has so much information on all there is to see and do while in town. Visit their site now to begin planning your trip:
122nd Annual Meeting Schedule of Events
Meeting General Chair: Glenn Larkin
General Vice Chairs: Sarath Vega and Beth Stokes
Program Chair: David Jones
Click Here for Abstracts (they will be posted as they are received)
Tentative Schedule:
Sunday, April 26, 2026
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm - Executive Committee Meeting (Location: French Broad 1 & 2)
Monday, April 27, 2026
Breakfast offered at Embassy Suites/Doubletree for registered hotel guests
8:00 am - Hacker's Classic Golf Tournament (Tee Time is 9am)
8:00 am - Pickler's Prance 5K Fun Run/Walk - Meet in the hotel lobby
1:00 pm - 5:00 pm - Registration Desk Open
Task Group/Other Meetings:
Location: French Broad 3
9:00 am - 10:00 am T-7 Task Group on M4
10:00 am - 10:30 am Glu-Lam Sampling Task Group
10:30 am - 11:00 am Borate Framing Topical Treatment Task Group
11:00 am - 12:00 pm P-1 Penta Phase Out Task Group
1:00 pm - 3:00 pm RTA R&D Meeting
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Treated Wood Council Meeting
Location: French Broad 1 & 2
10:00 am - 11:00 am P-9 Thermally Modified Wood Task Group
11:00 am - 12:30 pm T-2 Naturally Durable Wood
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm P-9 Barrier Protection Task Group
3:00 pm - 4:30 pm ANSI ASC O5 Meeting
4:30 pm - 5:30 pm AWPA Utility User's Group
5:30 pm - 6:00 pm - New Member Reception at Soprana Rooftop Restaurant (Invitation only)
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm - President's Welcome Reception at Soprana Rooftop Restaurant (Badge Required)
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
Breakfast offered at Embassy Suites/Doubletree for registered hotel guests
8:00 am - 4:00 pm Registration Desk open
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Exhibitors in Ballroom Pre-Function Area
10:00 am - 4:00 pm Spouse/Guest Tour (for those registered for the tour option) - Meet in the hotel lobby
Blue Ridge Ballroom all day:
8:30 am - 10:15 am Combined Opening and Business Sessions
10:15 am - 10:30 am Break
10:30 am - 11:30 am Colley/Hartford Memorial Lecture: Kathryn Fernholz, President and CEO of Dovetail Partners
Wood as a Green Resource: Leadership for all 3 dimensions of sustainability. Portion of abstract below:
Wood is the world’s most versatile and renewable material. It is a climate‑positive, socially beneficial, and economically resilient resource that requires innovation and advocacy for the benefits to be fully realized. This presentation explores how leadership across the sector advances all three dimensions of sustainability - economic, environmental, and social - and leads to more opportunities for embracing wood as a strategic green resource. Emerging market trends, innovations in wood-based materials, and the expanding role of forests in the circular economy offer great potential. Supporting rural livelihoods, strengthening workforce pathways, and ensuring that communities share in the benefits of a growing bioeconomy are the responsibilities of today's sustainability leaders. Drawing on insights from Dovetail Partners’ research and cross-sector collaborations, Kathryn Fernholz will highlight actionable insights for industry professionals, partners, and leaders seeking to align environmental integrity, social well-being, and economic prosperity to support growth in the responsible use of wood.
11:30 am - 1:00 pm Lunch (on your own)
11:30 am - 1:00 pm Women of AWPA Luncheon (French Broad 1 & 2)
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm Keynote Speaker: Dr. Dan Tingley, Global Senior Structural Engineer and Wood Technologist at Wood Research & Development
Durability and Extension of Life in Outdoor WOOD Structures – The Old Stays New! Portion of abstract below:
Timber is one of the oldest materials used for construction of bridges, marine structures, and other outdoor structures which are often exposed to very harsh environmental conditions. This presentation will discuss modern and historical methods for improving the service life of wood structures. It will bring modern timber products to the forefront with discussions about mass timber in outdoor structures and how such structures as parking garages and bridges are now utilizing mass timber in outdoor or harsh environmental conditions utilizing advanced pre-machining and post treatment strategies to improve longevity. It will specifically focus on methods of decay prevention in these harsh environmental conditions. Dr. Tingley will demonstrate how experienced timber designers and builders can implement proper design, construction, treatment, and maintenance practices to extend the durability of wood structures.
2:00 pm - 2:30 pm Dallin Brooks, NHLA
NHLA 1st Annual Report on the North American Thermally Modified Wood Market – 2025
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm Student Poster Spotlight
Students will be available to present and answer questions on their posters in the Ballroom Pre-Function Area
3:00 pm - 5:00 pm Research Symposium:
Moderated by Beth Stokes, Mississippi State University
Joel Wallace, Tennessee Technological University
Moisture Analysis of Wood in Timber-Concrete Composites During Concrete Curing
Gerald Presley, Oregon State University
A Laboratory Study on DCOI Decomposition in Soil
Jeff Morrell, Adelaide University
Predicting DCOI Migration from Overhead Decking
Anjila Lamichhane, Clemson University
Evaluation of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Three Thermally Modified U.S. Wood Species
Jeff Lloyd, Nisus Corporation
Integrating Boron Based Protection in Framing and CLT for Minimizing Carbon Footprint and Improving Climate Resilience
Aleria Story, Mississippi State University
Evaluating the Durability of Preservative-treated Glulam Through Nondestructive Time of Flight Measurement
Dr. Kent Wheiler, University of Washington
Effect of Five Treatments on Three U.S. Softwood Species to Prevent Termite Damage in Thailand
Sailesh Adhikari, NHLA
Development of a North American Industry Standard for Thermally Modified Wood
Sarath Vega, Hexion Inc.
Use of the Multi-Chamber Modular Environmental Conditioning System (MCMEC) as a Tool for Accelerated Weathering
Xinfeng Xie, Michigan Technological University
An Update on the Durability Testing of Pressure-Treated Domestic Hardwoods in the Tropical Rainforest
Ershad Ahmmed, Mississippi State University
Evaluation of Water Ingress into Various Retentions of Creosote-Treated Gum (Liquidambar styraciflua) via Wetting Angle after Weathering
Grant Kirker, USDA Forest Products Laboratory
Continued Evaluation of Mold Treatments for Wood Based Military Packaging
Wednesday, April 29, 2026
Breakfast offered at Embassy Suites/Doubletree for registered hotel guests
8:00 am - 4:00 pm Registration Desk open
8:00 am - 5:00 pm Exhibitors in Ballroom Pre-Function Area
8:00 am - 8:30 am Student Poster Spotlight in the Ballroom Pre-Function Area
Technical Sessions - Blue Ridge Ballroom
8:30 am - 9:30 am
FEMA Flood Zone Regulations & Residential Treated Wood Products:
Moderated by Paul Merrick, AWPA President
Grant Kirker, USDA Forest Products Laboratory
Resiliency of Treated Wood Products to Flooding and Natural Disasters
Chris Barber, Kop-Coat
Pre-treatments of Building Materials Exposed to Potential Flood Zones
Jeff Lloyd, Nisus Corporation
Protecting Homes and Health from Moisture after a Flood
9:30 am - 10:30 am
Resiliency of Non-Residential Treated Wood Products to Natural Disasters:
Moderated by Kyle Cassidy, Stella-Jones
Richard George, Polesaver
Building Resilience into Treated Wood Poles
Noah Babik, Koppers, for Nate Irby, RTA
Wood Railroad Tie and Timber Resiliency in Natural Disasters
Emmanuel Osei-Bonsu, University of Georgia
Biopolymer-Based Wood Protection: γ-PGA for Fire and Fungal Resistance
10:30 am - 11:30 am
Quality Control:
Moderated by David Jones, Timber Products Inspection
David Jones, Timber Products Inspection
How Are You Maintaining Your Curves?
Kim Merritt, Southern Pine Inspection Bureau
Wood Happens: Managing Variability in the Real World
Will Cox, Wood Quality Control
Quality Control & Inspection of Wood Utility Products
Brad Crawford, Stella-Jones, for Nate Irby, RTA
Wood Tie and Timber Quality Control Best Practices
11:30 am - 1:00 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Innovations in Wood Preservation:
Moderated by Sarath Vega, Hexion Inc.
Stephen Uphill, Arxada
Technological Advances in Wood Protection
Kaelin Quigley, Oregon State University
Quantifying the Environmental Performance of Treated Wood: Laboratory Aquatic Migration of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) from Creosote Treated Wood
Glenn Larkin, LarChem LLC
Portable Methods for the Analysis and Characterization of Treated-Wood Products
Opeyemi Odule, Oregon State University
Developing Mass Timber Inspection Methodology for Early Decay Detection Using Resistance Drilling Data and Artificial Intelligence
Rick Embry, Embry Automation & Controls
Beyond the Retort: What’s Coming to Plant Operations and Why It Matters
Paul Merrick, AWPA President
Modified Above Ground Termite Test Method
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Demo Workshop: Moderated by Glenn Larkin
Participants: Glenn Larkin - LarChem LLC, Justin Duma - Arxada and Doug Herdman - Koppers
An AWPA Workshop: Understanding and Applying the AWPA Visual Rating Scale
The AWPA visual rating scale, as described in multiple AWPA E-Standards, is central to the standardization process. Data sets generated from efficacy studies are essential in establishing the performance of wood preservative systems, and this data is critical to the initial standardization process. The visual rating scale is also used to demonstrate continued wood preservative system performance for reaffirmation of existing standards. In this workshop, participants will gain an understanding of the rating scale and have the opportunity to apply it to different representative samples. The workshop provides insight to those who would not ordinarily be engaged in the hands-on use of the rating scale and will demonstrate what the data means and how it can inform the decision-making process.
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Closing Reception at Soprana Rooftop Restaurant (Badge Required)
Thursday, April 30, 2026
The Oregon State University Environmental Performance of Treated Wood Research Cooperative Annual Meeting - Location: French Broad 1 & 2