William F. “Bill” Gillette, President, Forester

ACF #1676, NCRF #916

Bill is a 1979 graduate of Virginia Tech with a B. S. in Forestry. He began working with Union Camp Woodlands Division in 1977. Over the next 23 years his responsibilities included timber cruising and purchasing, logger supervision, wood yard manager, experimental logging supervisor, area manager and district manager. He left International Paper (who purchased Union Camp in 1999) in April 2000 to start Rock Springs Forestry LLC. He has been involved in all aspects of the consulting business since it started. Bill is a member of the Association of Consulting Foresters, a registered consulting forester with the North Carolina Board of Registration for Foresters,  member of Virginia Forestry Association, a Virginia Prescribed Burn Manager, licensed commercial pesticide applicator in Virginia and North Carolina, certified inspector for American Forest Foundation’s Tree Farm Program, and a Technical Service Provider with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. As a member of ACF and NCBRF, he attends training seminars for continuing education credits each year. Seminars include timber tax, quail management, whitetail deer management, understory burning, pesticide application, water quality control, streamside management zones, etc.

On the personal side, Bill has been married to his wife, Cindy, since 1977 and has two sons, Matthew and Jacob. He is a member of Capron United Methodist Church and held many positions from Administrative Chariman, Lay Leader, Finance Chairman etc. He is currently a Sunday school teacher and Treasurer for the church. His hobbies include hunting, woodworking, and working on the farm.

Matthew B. Gillette, Forester

ACF#1677, NCRF #1637

Matthew is a 2006 graduate of Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Forestry. He began working with Rock Springs Forestry, Inc. immediately following graduation. Matthew participates in all aspects of the business, from cruising timber and handling timber sales, to supervising planting, spraying, and pre-commercial thinning crews, conducting prescribed burns, etc. Matthew is a member of the Association of Consulting Foresters and served as the Chair of the Virginia Chapter from 2016 to 2018. He then served on the ACF National Executive Committee as the Southern Region Director from 2019 to 2022. Matthew is also a member of the Virginia Forestry Association and registered as a consulting forester with the North Carolina Board of Registration for Foresters. He has a commercial pesticide applicator license in both Virginia and North Carolina and is a Virginia Prescribed Burn Manager. Matthew is a Technical Service Provider with the NRCS and a Certified Inspector for the American Forest Foundation’s Tree Farm Program.

On the personal side, Matthew has been married to his wife Megan since 2006 and is the proud father of a daughter, Grace, and a son, Ben. Matthew is the vice-president of Indiantown Hunt Club, vice-president of Capron-Drewryville Athletic Association, a member of the Capron Ruritan Club, and on the Southampton Academy Board of Directors. His main hobbies, away from work, are spending time with his family at Lake Gaston and hunting.

Jacob E. Gillette, Forest Technician

Jacob started in April of 2015. He was formerly a road diesel mechanic with a John Deere dealership, and worked exclusively on logging and construction equipment. Jacob is very familiar with the logging industry and the tools and technology available to loggers today from his experience there. Along with his familiarity with the logging industry, Jacob is also familiar with forestry management from his time spent in and around the family business on his time away from being a mechanic. Jacob is a Virginia Certified Prescribed Burn Manager, as well as a commercial pesticide applicator in Virginia and North Carolina. Jacob supervises planting and spraying crews, and also assists in prescribed burns, assists in preparing tracts for sale, assists in flagging lines and marking streamside management zones, and monitors harvesting operations following timber sales.  Jacob is also a licensed real estate agent in Virginia, working as an agent for Windell Francis Realty Inc.

On the personal side, Jacob married his wife, Brittany, in 2016, and is the proud father of their son, Ezra.  Jacob’s hobbies include hunting, fishing, and enjoying his time at Lake Gaston.

Stephen Lewis, Forester

Stephen is a 2021 graduate of Virginia Tech with a B. S. in Forestry. He began working with Rock Springs Forestry, Inc. as a summer intern in 2019, and then started full time in June 2021. Stephen assists in many services of the company such as planting supervision, spraying, boundary marking, and timber cruising. He is a Virginia Certified Prescribed Burn Manager, as well as a commercial pestitcide applicator in Virginia. He has applied to become a Registered Forester in North Carolina.

On the personal side, Stephen enjoys spending his free time hunting, fishing, and spending time with his family.