Dec 07, 2006. /Lesprom Network/. NCT Forestry Co-operative Limited (NCT) has appointed Graeme Freese, Mike Woodburn and Andre van Rooyen to its board of directors. The newly-appointed directors are members of the co-op and bring to the NCT board a diverse collection of knowledge and experience in the industry. Graeme Freese hails from Crammond and has had 26 years forestry experience. He manages a FSC-certified family farm which was recently awarded a long service award for 45 years of membership with NCT. Freese is the present KZN regional chairman for SAWPA (the South African Wood Preservers’ Association). Mike Woodburn has been in the timber business for 11 years. He holds an MSC Agric Economics degree from the University of KZN and manages the family farm – a mix of timber, sugar cane and citrus - with his brothers and father in the Ixopo district. Andre van Rooyen, obtained his B.Sc (Eng.) Civils degree in 1976 and is a former director of Basil Read (Pty) Limited. He is also past winner of the SAICE (SA Institute for Civil Engineering) gold medal for outstanding contributions to civil engineering. Van Rooyen has had a versatile career ranging from construction and civil engineering, to the harvesting and transport of timber with 17 years experience in forestry. Today he manages his own timber farm in the Lothair area. “Our new directors are influential members of their respective communities and have over 50 years of timber farming experience between them. This can only add value to our board’s decision-making process,” says Dr. Carl Seele, NCT’s chairman. In addition to directors being elected by members at NCT’s annual general meeting, the co-op’s statute makes provision for the NCT board to appoint additional directors.