Deon Nelson

Deon has been NAFO’s Vice President for Government Relations since 2023, where he helps advance policies that support private working forests and the economic, social, and environmental solutions they provide.

Deon is a passionate outdoorsman who spent his formative years hunting in a working forest located in the East Texas Piney Woods. Before joining NAFO, he worked in various positions at the Department of State and The HALO Trust, where he focused on national security, weapons trafficking, and removing bombs and landmines from post- and active-conflict zones. Deon feels fortunate to have transitioned into the forestry sector, where his skills in government relations merge with his personal passions for nature and wildlife.