Starker Forests has appointed Elizabeth “Lizzie” Marsters as its new chief executive officer, the family-owned forestry company announced Tuesday.
Marsters, who started in the position this week, succeeds Randy Hereford, who will continue with the company as senior adviser through at least this fall.The leadership transition comes as Starker Forests celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2026.
“She is a true champion for the things we care about most — sustainable forestry practices, deep community involvement and the cultivation of a strong, supported workforce,” said Anna Starker May, a fourth-generation owner and board member.
Marsters joins Starker from the World Resources Institute, where she led efforts in wildfire resilience and ecological disaster risk reduction while working remotely out of Portland. She holds master’s degrees in business and forestry from Yale University and a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College, bringing more than a decade of experience in conservation and natural resource management.
Starker May said Marsters’ people skills and ability to connect with diverse groups distinguished her during the hiring process, which used a recruiter focused primarily on the Pacific Northwest while also conducting some national outreach.
“She’s been on different side of the industry in terms of conservation finance and some innovative ideas about additional ways that we can using our lands and thinking about our business structure and other possibilities that maybe aren’t part of traditional forestry to complement what we’re already doing,” Starker May said.
Marsters’ initial priority will be learning about company operations, employees and the community before working with the board and owners on generational transitions within the family ownership structure.
“I’m here actually working in the office, but my cousins aren’t and so there’s some new communication flows we need to set up to keep people who aren’t here day-to-day still involved and informed in what’s happening,” Starker May said.
The fourth generation of Starker ownership — Starker May (daughter of Bond Starker), Sally Starker and Wendy Starker Little (twin daughters of the late Barte Starker) — serves on the company’s board and is becoming the primary ownership decision-making group.
“I think Lizzie’s focus will be kind of figuring out how the three of us work together as guiding owners and how to continue that transfer of values from us to the business,” said Starker May, who works part-time for the company.
Hereford will remain with Starker through fall to complete industry board appointments and other projects while helping Marsters establish contacts and providing mentorship on both the industry and the company.
“Throughout his tenure, Randy has been a pillar of the forestry community, not only with our organization but through his significant contributions to public policy and the industry at large,” Sally Starker said.
The company, which employs 19 people full-time locally, does not anticipate operational changes under the new leadership.
“We just felt like it was a good time where things are really stable and going well that it’s kind of that time to work on maybe a little bit of the behind-the-scenes stuff as far as the ownership piece more,” Starker May said.
Starker Forests has been a family-owned operation since T.J. Starker purchased the company’s first forestland in Oregon’s Coast Range in 1936.
“I am thrilled to be joining the Starker Forests family,” Marsters said. “I’m excited to learn from the incredible people here, build on the outstanding work of today, and help lead us into tomorrow. I look forward to bringing my passion for working forests, innovation and community impact to this next chapter at Starker.”