John Murphy Jr., executive vice president of Murphy Company, has been elected vice chair of the APA Board of Trustees. He succeeds Chris Degnan, who has retired from the board after more than five years of dedicated service. Degnan became a trustee in 2019 and served as vice chair for the last two years. He also chaired the Engineered Wood Technology Association Advisory Committee for the last five years.

“We sincerely thank Chris for his years of support to APA and EWTA,” said APA President Mark Tibbetts. “He brought strong leadership, insight, and commitment to improving the industry as a whole. His contributions have made a real difference, and we wish him all the best.”

John Murphy Jr. began his career at the family’s veneer mill in White City, Oregon. In 2010, he assisted with the startup of the company’s plywood mill in Rogue River, Oregon, learning the business firsthand. Since joining the company's headquarters in 2013 as part of the executive team, he has been involved in all aspects of the family business, including timber sourcing, engineered wood production and sales. Murphy holds a degree in wood science and engineering from Oregon State University.

New Board Members Join APA Leadership

Jon Rashleigh, vice president of panels at Weyerhaeuser, oversees the company’s oriented strand board (OSB), medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, and Montana lumber operations. With a career spanning more than 30 years, Rashleigh began with Plum Creek in 1991 and continued with Weyerhaeuser after the merger. He has held a range of leadership roles in timberlands and wood products across the U.S., with responsibilities in marketing, procurement, and business development. He brings great industry knowledge and experience to the board, having also been an active supporter of APA and EWTA throughout his career.

Rob Johnson, senior vice president of manufacturing operations at Boise Cascade, leads operations for more than 18 wood product facilities across the country. Since joining the company in 2014 as a business optimization engineer, he has held numerous leadership roles, including Eastern region manager and senior vice president of engineered wood sales and marketing. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran with over 20 years of prior industry experience, Johnson holds a finance degree from the University of Oregon and is actively involved in veteran-focused nonprofit and community initiatives.