Scott W. Lyon

After working for a few years in the production and marketing fields of the wood products industry, Scott W. Lyon attended graduate school at Virginia Tech and completed his M.S. degree in Forest Products there in 2011. His graduate research applied social science techniques to investigate opportunities for U.S. wood products throughout Central America.

In 2014 he began a career with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, starting as a forest products specialist. He was promoted to Forest Products Program Supervisor in 2024. He manages forest products utilization and marketing, forest inventory analysis, forest economics and forest regeneration monitoring programs.

In addition to leading several programs, he works with industry partners to improve processes, source wood products materials, utilize urban wood, and provide training and assistance to companies and individuals. He recently completed the department’s Leadership Academy, which provided an immersive training to build leadership skills and to work with colleagues from different disciplines on a project-based effort to enhance working lands in Wisconsin.

In 2018, Scott was identified by the Woodworking Network on the Woodworking Industry 40 Under 40 list as an innovator and relationship builder. He has participated in international work experiences in Germany, China, Central America, and Mexico to aid in marketing U.S. wood products overseas and give forestry presentations to international partners. He has taught courses and given lectures on lumber and kiln drying, manufacturing process improvement, and wood products as part of conferences, trainings, and professional meetings throughout the United States. He has published technical reports and extension publications on vacuum kiln drying and the value of urban wood utilization.

Most recently, Scott has collaborated with a consultant on the development of an online and in-person training module related to building forest products utilization and marketing capacity across the USDA Forest Service’s Region 9. This included developing a hardwood sawmill analysis tool for sawmill operators to better understand costs and profits of manufactured forest products.

Scott serves the Lake States Lumber Association as a board member on the Education Committee. He was recently elected Secretary of the Great Lakes Kiln Drying Association and is also Secretary of the Northeast-Midwest State Foresters Alliance’s Forest Markets and Utilization Committee.

Scott is an active member in his community, volunteering regularly as a hunter education instructor in Wisconsin, supporting local businesses and farms through a CSA cooperative program, and taking steps in his own life and at his home to live sustainably as a natural resource professional.

As an undergraduate student, Scott was active in School of Forest Resources (SFR) student organizations and activities. He was President of Tau Phi Delta, a member of the Xi Sigma Pi honor society, and a member of the Society of American Foresters student chapter. Since graduation, Scott has continued to stay connected with fellow SFR alumni and faculty through his work and has supported fundraisers for student organizations by purchasing all the available forestry swag.

Currently Scott resides in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with his wife Amy, and their son. He met Amy at Penn State where they took wood id and German forestry tour study abroad classes together and fell in love with Penn State, the outdoors, and each other. He enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, history, and visiting national parks.
                                                                                                                                                                                   April 2024