Hayes joined TIR in 2009 after serving as a Portfolio Manager with Regions Timber Fund, a timberland investment management organization, where he managed assets valued at more than $180 million. Earlier in his career, he worked with Heath Forestry Services in Alabama managing contract logging, timber cruising and harvest management projects. Hayes began his career in forestry by holding various field forestry positions with Stimpson Forest Products, LLC, where his responsibilities included managing silvicultural operations and timber cruising projects. As a graduate student, Hayes completed an assistantship with Timber Mart-South, where he assisted in the preparation of quarterly pricing forecasts and maintained client data. Hayes earned his BS in Finance at the University of Alabama and holds an MFR (Master of Forest Resource Management) with a concentration in Forest Business Management from the University of Georgia. He is a member of the Society of American Foresters and the Alabama Forestry Association.