It’s nearly 3,000 miles from Walla Walla, Wash., to Washington, D.C. And an educational background in English literature, music and economics from the University of Puget Sound may not immediately suggest a career start on Capitol Hill. But it makes sense when you consider Heidi Brock’s current role, as CEO of the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), which represents manufacturers of wood and paper products.  

With a family background in forestry — her grandfather owned a small tree farm — Brock worked on environmental and natural resources issues for Sens. Daniel Evans and Slade Gorton, both Republicans representing Washington State. She then kicked off an 18-year career at timber, land and forest products giant Weyerhaeuser as manager of government affairs, rising to vice president of federal and international affairs.  

Brock got into association leadership as chief staff executive of the Aluminum Association in 2011, succeeding longtime leader Steve Larkin. But she returned to her roots in 2019 to lead AF&PA, this time succeeding another long-tenured CEO, Donna Harman. 

“Heidi Brock is an outstanding leader with a long career in advocacy,” her nomination for CEO Update and Association TRENDS Association CEO of the Year reads. “She is a strategic thinker, able to bring together diverse perspectives to strengthen the paper and wood products industry. She is a role model for young professionals, demonstrating the importance of work-life balance daily. She prioritizes safety and wellness within the organization and seeks opportunities to have challenging discussions around diversity, equity and inclusion.” 

CEO Update interviewed Brock via Zoom from her home on a recent snowy day. Below are excerpts from the interview, edited for length and clarity.  

How would you describe your tenure with the association and the changes that you’ve made? 

I was fortunate to step into a very strong organization with strong membership support, strong board commitment to the purpose of the organization, and a very strong staff. But then six months into the job, we had a pandemic. So, one of the changes is that we’re more agile as an organization. We’re more nimble. I am so proud of how our team was able to execute safely and effectively in a remote work environment and do tremendous things on behalf of our members, especially in those early days of the pandemic when every day was a new day. One of the things we worked on then was including our industry as an essential industry. We’re much more agile but it’s important to remind our team of the purpose that drives us, and how much we value being a partner and a thought leader on policy because that’s really what our superpower is, policy influence for the industry. 

You have followed long-tenured CEOs like Steve Larkin (at the Aluminum Association) and Donna Harman at AF&PA and achieved success. What do you attribute that to? 

It’s so important to honor the past and look to what’s changing in the future. I am proud to say I continue to have good relationships with both Steve and Donna. They’re good friends. My advice to incoming CEOs is to stay curious because those were two leaders who cared a lot about their industries. They had years of experience and they had been through a lot with their members. Being able to tap that knowledge is invaluable. 

You must have to listen very closely to the board for any cues on how much change they want. 

Definitely. They were certainly open to ideas for change. But boy, when you’re going down that path, you want to make sure that you’re clear on what you don’t want to lose. 

Where do you stand now in terms of a hybrid work environment?  

We’re in a hybrid environment right now and that’s working for us. We’re working to be a bit more office-centric without being full-time, and keeping a lot of flexibility for our team. Because everybody’s circumstances are a bit different. So, trying to look at what’s an equitable approach but also what is an approach that is supportive, where we can be, of people’s situations.  

How many days a week are AF&PA staff in the office now? 

I’m in the office every day that I’m not traveling — unless I have a snow day, like today (laughs). But we’ve asked team members to be in at least two days a week. 

Have you been able to increase membership? 

We have. It’s been exciting to see how engaged the industry is. Our industry has a long record of understanding the role that government plays because we’re highly regulated. They want to provide a thoughtful voice. We have grown membership significantly over the last five years, having welcomed more than 16 new members into the association. 

In a 2013 interview, you said it was getting harder to get things done in Washington, D.C., with the middle ground disappearing. It’s only gotten worse. How are you dealing with that? 

It can feel challenging when you read the news, but where I get a lot of energy and optimism is when I go up to Capitol Hill and I sit down with Republicans and Democrats and talk about our issues. So often, you would not know which party you’re speaking to. They are so united, especially when they represent a district where one of our paper mills has been a community partner for many years or even generations. They know what comes by way of the tax revenue, the jobs, the community support. These are outstanding, living wage jobs. So, both parties are committed to finding workable solutions. 

How do you strike the right balance on environmental and industry issues? 

When you’re working with policymakers, make sure that you’re listening carefully and looking for common ground, and that you’re bringing science and data to the conversation wherever possible. Those are essential. 

You are vice president of the International Council of Forest & Paper Associations. Tell us about that organization.  

I will be stepping into the chair role in the summer. The Council is made up of colleagues who run paper and wood products associations around the world. There are 16 member associations representing 27 countries. We partner with one another to identify trends or issues. We meet in person at least once a year and virtually two or three times throughout the year. It’s a valuable way to tap into the expertise of colleagues who are dealing with similar trends or dynamics around the world. One of the exciting things we’ve done in the last several years is, we have a program called the Blue Sky Young Researchers Innovation Awards. Last year, our annual meeting was in Amsterdam, and we presented three young researchers with awards in recognition for the work they’re doing to help solve some of the greatest climate-change challenges. We’re trying to plant the seeds for future innovation in the industry.  

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

In five years, we’ll be close to our 2030 sustainability goals. We’ll be celebrating that success, and we will be celebrating our 35th anniversary as an association. We just celebrated our 30th anniversary. We’re going to have a lot of things to celebrate, and I expect to be joining in those celebrations.  

Where do you think the next generation of association leaders is going to come from? 

I am so optimistic. There are many places for those leaders to come from, including from association members themselves. My years at Weyerhaeuser (and my MBA) gave me the business acumen that I need to run a business, or at least to know the questions that I should be asking in running an organization like this. It also gave me the experience of what it’s like for a company to rely on its trade association, because Weyerhaeuser was a member of many associations. So, that membership network will be in place, but we all need to think openly and creatively about where our talent will come from. The future is bright if your organization has a strong mission and sense of purpose that’s going to speak to a young person. In the leadership role I play with the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), I’m seeing a lot of exciting leadership coming through from the members of ASAE, as well. 

You are chair-elect of ASAE and a board member at DC Central Kitchen. What are the benefits of volunteering like that? 

It’s a wonderful way to give back, and whenever I’ve had the chance to serve on a board, I have learned so much from the leader of that organization. In DC Central Kitchen’s case, it’s Mike Curtin and he’s a tremendous leader. Then with ASAE, it’s an exciting opportunity to work with Michele Mason and support her. I feel like the association community has given me a really rich part of my career. If I can help in some way to strengthen that for the next generation of leaders, I’m all in. I still believe in the work that they’re doing to help with good research, best practices, educational content and networking events to help us all be the best at strengthening our respective memberships or industries. 

UP CLOSE WITH HEIDI BROCK 

Pivotal career moment: “I had a fabulous mentor at Weyerhaeuser, and he said, ‘We’d be happy to work with you on a graduate degree, but you need to choose between an MBA and a law degree. It’s not going to be both,’” Brock said. “What was calling me was the strategy and the business dimensions. That led me to the MBA program. Then it was a bittersweet conversation with my father when I told him I was not going to become a lawyer and hang a shingle with him.” Brock earned the degree from Georgetown’s International Executive MBA program. 

Free time: A son in high school keeps Brock and her husband busy, but she also enjoys reading, cooking and traveling. “Last fall I had a chance to take a milestone anniversary trip with my husband to London where we saw the Abba Voyage concert. I’m a fan, and they’ve put together a concert experience (using avatars). That was a lot of fun. Looking for those kinds of fun opportunities is something I’ve enjoyed.” 

Scouting success: A former Girl Scout, Brock received the John H. Graham IV Association Executive Award from the Boy Scouts of America National Capital Area Council. The family of the late John Graham, longtime ASAE CEO and former Eagle Scout, presented the award to her. “To receive it from John’s family was especially touching,” Brock said. “John was one of the first leaders that Steve Larkin introduced me to when I was stepping into the role with the Aluminum Association. Steve said, ‘This is somebody you need to get to know and support. And he’ll be a great support to you in your role.’”