Kathy Abusow & Pat Layton

Minneapolis, Minnesota — Kathy Abusow, President and CEO of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) is proud to announce Dr. Patricia (Pat) Layton, Director of the Wood Utilization and Design Institute at Clemson University, as the recipient of the 2025 SFI President’s Award. Presented during SFI’s 2025 Annual Conference, the award recognizes Layton’s exceptional leadership and longstanding contributions to SFI and to urban forestry, forest literacy, and innovation in green building. “It’s especially meaningful that Pat is being recognized with the President’s Award on our 30-year anniversary, since she’s been involved with SFI since its inception,” said Abusow. “Pat has shown what’s possible when sustainable forest management and education come together. Through her leadership, Clemson has become a model for how campuses can manage forests responsibly, engage students in real-world learning, and inspire future environmental stewards.”