Western Wood Preservers Names Ryan Pessah Executive Director

The Western Wood Preserves Institute (WWPI) Board of Directors have selected Ryan Pessah as Executive Director following a nationwide search. 

Pessah has served as the Institute’s Government Relations Director. He succeeds Butch Bernhardt, who is retiring but will remain on staff for the remainder of the year to assist in the transition.

Pessah has been with WWPI since 2019 and works from Sacramento, where he is the Institute’s registered lobbyist for California. For the past seven years, he has successfully advocated on behalf of the industry in front of legislators, regulators and others. He is eager to continue fighting for the preserved wood industry in the West. 

WWPI represents preserved wood product producers, preservative manufacturers, wood manufacturers and others serving the wood infrastructure and building industry throughout western North America. For nearly 80 years, WWPI has provided services to the wood treating industry on legislative, regulatory, building codes and market issues aimed at sustaining healthy forests and ensuring critical infrastructure is safe.