NHLA: A New Saga is Beginning

Every organization has defining moments and new chapters that set the course for the future. For NHLA, the past 127 years have been marked by steady leadership, a commitment to hardwood rules and education, and a focus on supporting the industry through changing times. Today, we stand at another such chapter.

I learned this lesson early, when I was 15 years old and serving as the youth leader for my Boy Scout troop. That year, we decided to do something ambitious: retrace Alexander Mackenzie’s historic crossing of North America. It wasn’t just a hike; it became a year-long project of preparation and perseverance. We didn’t just buy gear, we made it. We brain-tanned buckskins, steambent wood for backpacks and canteens, dried our own food, and trained until we could hike 42 km before school. The number of participants dropped from 20 to 5, but those who stayed committed experienced something unforgettable.

When we finally hiked the 360 km “grease trail” through British Columbia, we carried 80-pound packs and relied on the gear we had built with our own hands. It was hard. We battled mosquitoes, wet gear, and exhaustion, but it was also transformative. Each night, we read Mackenzie’s journal and marveled at how our experiences matched his from 200 years earlier. In the end, standing on the rock where Mackenzie carved his name, I learned something about leadership: if you are going to lead, you must commit fully, prepare well, and set a vision that others can believe in. The reward of hard work and good planning is not just reaching the destination; it is creating an experience that changes those who take the journey with you.

NHLA is in a similar moment now. Our industry has relied on time-tested tools and traditions: our rules, inspector training, and advocacy, to keep us strong through recessions, wars, and technological change. Like my troop’s journey, much of our work is in the preparation: planning ahead, building the tools our members will need, and getting our industry “in shape” for what’s to come.

But now it is time to start the next chapter of NHLA’s saga. We must use the wisdom and traditions that have served us for generations while also embracing innovation, new markets, and new ways of telling the hardwood story. Some of what we try may not work perfectly, just like our rain gear didn’t, but the effort will move us forward. What matters most is that we are committed to the journey, together.

NHLA is already taking action: strengthening partnerships, growing educational offerings, advocating for our industry, and launching initiatives like Real American Hardwood™ to increase market demand. Every step is about preparing for a future where hardwood remains vital and valuable.

As Executive Director, my role is to guide the NHLA staff and board — your elected representatives — in leading this next journey. We are not abandoning our roots; we are using them as the foundation to grow stronger and reach further. Together, we can ensure that the next “hardwood saga” is one of renewal, growth, and pride for generations to come.

Let’s honor the past by building a future that those who come after us will look back on with the same sense of accomplishment I felt on that rock in Bella Coola. The journey starts now. The Hardwood Saga is not complete, but the NHLA saga is common ground on which we can build.

Dallin Brooks

NHLA Executive Director

dallin@nhla.com | 901-377-0182