Our Team
Team Members
Todd Appel
President and CEO
Todd founded Bosland Growth and serves as President and CEO, overseeing landowner and partner engagement, carbon market development, business operations, and growth.
Todd previously served as an executive with Quantified Ventures (QV), where he developed and led QV’s conservation finance, forestry, and land use work. He brings decades of experience in organizational transformation, project development, and multiparty deal structuring. Todd previously worked for IBM, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the Government Accountability Office.
Michael Knoop
Vice President, Landowner Engagement
Michael is responsible for engaging landowners and coordinating project partners to implement successful reforestation projects as Bosland Growth’s Vice President for Landowner Engagement.
He joined Bosland Growth from Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, where he was the Senior Director for Special Projects, and previously served as Land Protection and Planning Manager. Michael is Board Chair of the Riverside Innovation Center, which works to catalyze small businesses throughout Southwest Pennsylvania.
Dane Cunningham
Forestry Project Manager
Dane is responsible for the design, oversight, and monitoring of reforestation projects as Bosland Growth’s Forestry Project Manager.
He has worked in the forestry and restoration ecology fields for over 13 years and has implemented numerous large-scale planting jobs throughout West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Dane also has extensive experience in ecological crediting and was lead author on a publication detailing stream and wetland crediting methodology in West Virginia.
Board of Directors
Seth Brown, Treasurer
Seth is the co-founder and partner of Brown Roots, LLC, a sustainable development company. Brown Roots manages and conserves timberland for improved environmental outcomes and builds infill housing with a mission to improve the connectivity, sustainability, and affordability of middle-class homes in the rapidly growing South.
Seth’s background includes serving 5 years in the US Army as a platoon leader, convoy commander in Afghanistan, and a General’s Aide-de-camp. In his previous role as Vice President of Environment and Resilience at Quantified Ventures - an impact investing consultancy for private, nonprofit, and public organizations - Seth led a team that worked with pioneering organizations to design, fund, and scale investable solutions to improve the well-being of people and the planet. Much of his work centered on building capacity and governance structures that enable communities to obtain capital from various sources for environmental and community infrastructure projects.
Nick Richardson, Director
Nick is the Senior Vice President for Capital Strategies at the Open Space Institute, a leading U.S. conservation NGO. Nick combines a wide range of experience in conservation and climate finance with a passion for strategic and organizational leadership that makes a real difference.
Prior to joining OSI in 2023, Nick spent over 10 years at the Vermont Land Trust, including six years as its President & CEO. Nick has deep project finance and management experience in renewable energy and energy efficiency, with a focus on early-stage ventures.
Nick received his MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College, and his BA from Sarah Lawrence College. He also worked two summers as “Croo” in the AMC's high huts in the White Mountains. Nick serves on the Board of VEIC, a leading decarbonization NGO.
Todd Appel, Board President
Todd serves as Board President, in addition to his role as CEO.
Michael Knoop, Secretary
Michael serves as Board Secretary, in addition to his role as VP, Landowner Engagement.