Sep 05, 2007. /Lesprom Network/. The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) is pleased to announce Jan W. Poling as its new vice president and general counsel. With over two decades of experience as an attorney in federal service, Ms. Poling brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the AF&PA leadership team. Most recently, Ms. Poling served as Associate General Counsel for Natural Resources in the U.S. department of agriculture, where she managed legal issues for 175 national forests and grasslands, and supervised more than 60 attorneys working on conservation and natural resource issues in 11 offices around the country. Before joining the department of agriculture, Ms. Poling served as an Alabama Assistant Attorney General, and as an attorney in the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Solicitor’s office and in the the Department of Interior’s Congressional and Legislative Affairs office. Ms. Poling received her Juris Doctorate from the University of Alabama School of Law and her Bachelor of Arts degree from Auburn University. “We are extremely fortunate to have a person of Jan’s caliber join the leadership of AF&PA,” said AF&PA President and CEO Donna A. Harman. “Jan's experience managing complex legal issues will add great value to AF&PA and its public policy mission." The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) is the national trade association of the forest, pulp, paper, paperboard, and wood products industry.