Who We Are
Executive Team
Jim Dooley
PhD, P.E., CTO
Dr. James Dooley is the founder of Forest Concepts, LLC, established in 1998 to advance sustainable biomass technologies through engineering innovation. He holds a B.S. and M.Eng. in Agricultural Engineering and a Ph.D. in Forest Resources/Forest Engineering.
Prior to founding Forest Concepts, Dr. Dooley spent 22 years in leadership roles with multinational corporations, including Amfac (tropical agriculture and sugarcane) and Weyerhaeuser (forest products and timber), where he led engineering, business development, and technical management initiatives.
In 2008, he served as President of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) and is recognized as a Fellow in three engineering professional societies, honoring his enduring contributions to the field.
Mike Perry
CEO
Mike Perry joined Forest Concepts in 2006, bringing decades of senior management experience in business development, marketing, and operations. He previously served as Chief Operating Officer at Tessera, Inc., and as Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Marketing at Ostex International, Inc. Over the course of 23 years, Mike held senior leadership roles in divisions of Fortune 100 companies Warner Lambert and AKZO Nobel. He holds a B.S. in Business from Cornell University and continues to apply his strategic expertise to support Forest Concepts’ growth, commercialization, and customer engagement initiatives.
Forest Concepts Staff
David Lanning
Vice President
David Lanning is the Vice President of Forest Concepts, LLC, with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering (2003) from the University of Washington. He leads both the Science and Engineering and Sales and Manufacturing divisions, driving innovation across the company’s core technologies. His work includes the development of rotary shearing systems, biomass handling equipment, and techno-economic models for preprocessing facilities.
An active member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), Dave has chaired multiple committees and co-led a professional development course on biomass assessment. He holds over 27 patents, has earned three AE50 awards, and has authored numerous technical papers, including five peer-reviewed journal articles.
Chris Lanning
Design Engineer
Chris Lanning joined Forest Concepts in 2004 as a student intern and has led innovation ever since. He earned his B.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from the University of Washington and became a licensed Professional Engineer in 2015.
Chris designs research devices that address biomass science challenges, including the Cubical Triaxial Tester and Research Drying Apparatus. He also leads data analysis and system modeling, advancing belt dryer control systems.
An active ASABE member, Chris serves on committees, judges competitions, and mentors future engineers. He taught at Seattle Pacific University and now leads Forest Concepts’ student outreach and university partnerships.
Jason Perry
Operations Manager
Jason Perry earned his B.S. in Business Management from Central Washington University in 2003 and joined Forest Concepts in 2006, initially leading WoodStraw® production. He played a key role in scaling operations, collaborating with veneer mills to streamline manufacturing and logistics for forest fire treatment projects.
Today, Jason manages operations at Forest Concepts’ biomass preprocessing facility, where he optimizes custom processing solutions, including Crumbler® size reduction, orbital screening, and downdraft drying. Known as the “particle size guru,” he’s a trusted expert in fine-tuning systems to meet precise material specifications for diverse client needs.
David Meissner
Software Engineer
Dave Meissner holds a B.S. in Astronautical Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School, where he specialized in unmanned systems control. As a Navy pilot, he flew SH-60F/HH-60H helicopters and led operational testing for the MQ-8C Firescout and MQ-4C Triton platforms. Following his service, he joined the Firescout program office’s Advanced Development Group.
At MathWorks, Dave supported aerospace and defense clients as an Application Engineer. Today, at Forest Concepts, he leads modeling and simulation, system controls, and PLC programming. He is the lead developer of the Simulation of Processing Systems for Techno-Economic Analysis (SiPS TEA) tool for techno-economic analysis of biomass processing systems.
Christopher McKiernan
Mechanical Engineer
Chris McKiernan holds a B.S. in Materials Science Engineering and has specialized in biomass processing and mechanical design since 2020. At Forest Concepts, he designs and deploys both lab-scale and industrial equipment, leveraging his expertise in 3D CAD modeling and 2D engineering drawings to support fabrication, assembly, and documentation.
Chris began his career in aerospace manufacturing as a technician, gaining hands-on experience in machining and fabrication that informs his practical, solutions-oriented design approach. He also contributes to technical reporting and supports commercialization efforts through field testing and direct collaboration with customers
Matt Wamsley
Statistician / Lab Manager
Matt Wamsley earned a B.S. in Statistics from Western Michigan University in 1994. He brings extensive experience in processing a wide range of biomass feedstocks and currently manages the Forest Concepts laboratory focused on material physical properties and flowability. Matt’s expertise supports product development, quality assurance, and performance testing across diverse biomass applications.
Shawn Baugher
Technician
Shawn Baugher earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and serves as Forest Concepts’ lead for electrical design and mechanical systems manufacturing. He specializes in electrical system design, control system assembly, and mechanical fabrication, supporting both prototype development and production-scale equipment. Shawn’s hands-on expertise ensures seamless integration of electrical and mechanical components, contributing to the reliability and performance of Forest Concepts’ biomass processing technologies.