Auburn announces the 2026 Emmett & ViAnn Thompson Lecture in Forest Economics and Policy will be presented by Cade Warner, president and CEO of The Westervelt Company.
Auburn University’s College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment (CFWE) will present the second annual Emmett & ViAnn Thompson Lecture in Forest Economics and Policy and reception on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, at 2 p.m. at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center in Auburn, Alabama. A reception will be held immediately after.
The lecture series was established in the CFWE by the college’s founding dean, Emmett F. Thompson, and his wife, ViAnn, to advance knowledge and expertise among industry professionals, faculty and students within the areas of forestry and natural resources economics and policy.
The 2026 lecture will feature Cade Warner, president and CEO of The Westervelt Company, an Alabama-based, multinational timberland and forest products company. Warner will present a lecture titled “It Pays to Be Different: The History and Future of One of America’s Most Enduring Forest Products Family Firms” in the hotel’s Dixon Conference Center Auditorium.
During the presentation, Warner will provide a strategic overview of the Alabama forest products industry through the lens of a 140-year-old, family-owned enterprise. The lecture will explore how The Westervelt Company has sustained long-term success by embracing differentiation, innovation, sustainability and disciplined leadership across generations.
“Mr. Warner intends to provide attendees with insights into the company’s historical evolution, current operational model and forward-looking strategy for navigating market volatility, regulatory shifts and environmental imperatives,” said Marc Walley, chair of the lecture planning committee, current Earl H. and Sandra H. Weaver Professor at Auburn and former president and CEO of Atlanta’s Forest Investment Associates, Inc.
He is also expected to share his outlook on timberland and forest products markets, including key opportunities and risks shaped by policy, consumer behavior and global sustainability movements.
“From this perspective, Mr. Warner will leave participants with a deeper understanding of strategic resilience, stakeholder alignment and the unique challenges of leading a legacy business in a modern economy,” said Walley.
The Thompsons established the educational lecture series with the goal of fostering engagement between the distinguished lecturers and forest economics faculty, acquainting the speakers with Auburn’s teaching and outreach activities and encouraging future collaborative research opportunities.
Janaki Alavalapati, the Emmett F. Thompson Dean of the CFWE, says that the lecture series embodies the Thompsons’ dedication to land-grant education.
“Emmett and Vi exemplify Auburn University and its creed,” said Alavalapati. “They are always willing to contribute to something larger than themselves and continue to be friends of the college and its endeavors. We are excited and privileged that they established this educational lecture series in the CFWE.”
The Emmett & ViAnn Thompson Lecture series is a key venue for industry professionals, faculty and graduate students to gain up-to-the-minute forestry and natural resources economics and policy knowledge from national and internationally renowned topic experts.
Invited lecturers encompass diverse expertise in forest economics, forest markets, forest policy and global trade. As part of the multi-day event, opportunities for networking and discussion will foster speaker engagement and knowledge transfer among attendees.
Members of the Auburn community and forest industry professionals from across the region are invited to attend the lecture and reception at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center Auditorium and Legacy Ballroom.
Admission is complimentary and pre-registration is not required. Parking is available adjacent to the conference center in the South College Parking Deck. For more information, contact Marc Walley, chair of the lecture planning committee, at mwalley@forestinvest.com.
(Written by Jamie Anderson)
