Paul G. Boynton serves as Interim President and CEO of American Forests, overseeing the organization’s operations and helping to sustain its national leadership in climate-smart forestry, Tree Equity, and landscape restoration. He assumed the role on May 1, 2025, to guide the organization through a key leadership transition. 

He brings decades of leadership experience in the forestry and forest products industries, including serving as CEO of Rayonier Advanced Materials, a global producer of high-value cellulose fibers, and previously as CEO of Rayonier, a leading timberland company with assets across the United States and New Zealand. 

Earlier in his career, Paul spent nearly a decade at 3M, where he led businesses such as Scotch-Brite®, O-Cel-O® sponge products, and Post-it® flags. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Brink’s Company and has held leadership roles on the Board of Directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Jacksonville Branch and on the Board of Governors for the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement. 

A longtime champion of sustainable forestry, Paul has been a member of the American Forests Board of Directors and now leads the organization through a pivotal period of evolution and impact.