Charlie Becker is a Wood Innovation Specialist with the USDA Forest Service Washington Office Wood Innovations Program. He is located at the Forest Product Lab in Madison, Wisconsin where he works as a liaison between the Lab, forestry related agencies, cooperators, and stakeholders to expand the use of forest products to improve the utilization and management of our forests. Areas of focus include working with regional State Foresters’ Forest Products Committees, and increasing hardwood, biochar and urban wood utilization and markets.Charlie joined the Forest Service after a 33 year career with the Virginia Department of Forestry managing the Utilization and Marketing Program and has worked on regional, national and international activities related to wood utilization and marketing. Charlie received his BS in Forestry & Wildlife from Virginia Tech and his MS in Forestry from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He is also a Certified Forester and Society of American Foresters member.