John A. Campbell (lumber executive)

Campbell was hired by Ed Carpenter, one-time company president and Campbell's then father-in-law, to work the green chain sawmill. In time and through changes in administration he worked his way up the ranks to executive vice president in charge of forest products, by 1985; he was named as the firm's president after the company was the subject of a hostile takeover by Charles Hurwitz. Campbell was named chief executive in 1993.

In order to pay off the costs associated with the $900 million purchase of the company, Pacific Lumber increased the pace of cutting on the more than 300 square miles (780 km²) of timber it owned which included clusters of old-growth California redwoods. This more aggressive logging incurred the opposition of environmental groups, which staged protests aimed at stopping Pacific Lumber's logging efforts.^[1]

In 1999, Pacific Lumber's parent, Maxxam Inc., signed the Headwaters agreement, in which Pacific Lumber sold 10,000 acres (40 km²) to the federal government and the State of California for $480 million, and the firm agreed to stricter environmental restrictions on logging on its remaining land.^[1]

In October 2001, Pacific Lumber named Robert E. Manne as president and CEO, replacing Campbell, who became chairman of the firm's board of directors.^[2]

Campbell divorced his first wife, and was survived by his wife of 18 years, Margaret R. Campbell, whom he had married in 1991. He died of cancer on October 19, 2008, in his home in Fortuna, California.^[1]

He was elected to the Fortuna city council in 2006 and was selected by his fellow council members to serve as the city's mayor, a position he held until his death.^[3]