Dr. Clint Springer is associate professor of biology at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Clint is also the director of the Institute for Environmental Stewardship and the first faculty director of the Barnes Arboretum at Saint Joseph's University (formerly the Arboretum of the Barnes Foundation). Clint's research has examined the response of plant physiology and development to human-induced climate change. His more recent interests include the intersection of climate change and ornamental horticulture and arboriculture. Clint was born and raised on the Allegheny plateau in West Virginia where he attended West Virginia University for both his undergraduate and graduate degrees. He holds a B.A. in biology and a Ph.D. in environmental and evolutionary plant biology from WVU.

Sophie Nitoslawski is passionate about finding ways to better integrate trees and green infrastructure into the fabric of our cities. Her research centers on the intersection of smart communities and urban forest management, and she works with both private- and public-sector partners to pilot digital-based monitoring and management systems for urban ecosystems.

In addition to her Ph.D. work, Sophie is involved in teaching various urban forestry and sustainability courses at University of British Columbia (UBC) and is currently a member of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Science and Research Committee.

Neil Hendrickson worked for Bartlett Tree Research Labs where he served as their Northeast Technical Specialist for over twenty years before his retirement in 2019. Neil is a New Jersey Licensed Tree Expert and maintains his tree risk assessment qualifications. He now serves as chair of the Readington Township, New Jersey, Environmental Commission and Tree Advisory Committee, is a member of Readington Open Space Advisory Board, and the Hunterdon County Shade Tree Commission. Neil is also on the Executive Board of the New Jersey Shade Tree Federation. He received his Bachelor of Science in Forestry from Cook College/Rutgers University, his Master of Science in Forest Science from the University of New Hampshire, and his Ph.D. in Silviculture and Forest Ecology from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.

Cliff Drouet is a Forester with the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement(OSMRE) which is a federal agency under the Department of the Interior. Cliff is working with the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative(ARRI). The program restores old surface mine sites throughout Appalachia by planting native seedlings and establishing wildlife habitat. This reforestation program was started in 2004 by OSMRE and it has evolved into a highly successful program with good seedling survivability and growth. Having native trees growing on old mine sites greatly improves air, water, and soil quality while providing wildlife habitat and recreation benefits on the site. The ARRI program partners with private landowners, federal, and state agencies, non-profits, academia, and corporations to restore old mine sites back to native forests across Appalachia.

Cliff graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 1980 with a B.S. in Forest Management and he is a member of the Society of American Foresters. His professional background includes working as a Procurement Forester for 11 years in the industrial sector then he worked as a Consulting Forester for 25 years. In 2016 he began working as a Federal Forester in Kentucky.

Cliff is a proud military Veteran who served for 36 years and completed four combat tours. He is a retired Army Lieutenant Colonel with experience as an Engineer and Military Intelligence Officer.

Tom Kimmerer is a scientist, author, and photographer. He is a consulting forest scientist, working with landowners and with other scientists and natural resource management professionals to ensure a future for the woodland pastures of Kentucky and Tennessee. He consults on sustainability issues related to forest management and wood utilization, including carbon sequestration in forests and wood products.

Tom is the author of Venerable Trees – History, Biology and Conservation, and writes for American Forests, Planet Experts, and other publications.

He teaches field courses on forestry, woodland pastures, and sustainability and is a conservation photographer specializing in tree and forest photography.

Tom has a B.S. in Forest Biology (Botany) from SUNY ESF and a Ph.D. in both forestry and botany, with a specialization in tree physiology and biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has done research and has taught tree physiology, forest biology, and urban forestry in the United States, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and was a faculty member at the University of Kentucky. Tom was also Senior Fulbright Scholar in Malaysia and an advisor and consultant on environmental and forestry issues for the governments of Malaysia and Indonesia, the American-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce, the Electric Power Research Institute, and LG&E-Kentucky Utilities.

As the founder, principal, and guiding influence of Viridian Landscape Studio, Tavis Dockwiller leads a team that works every day to make sure they leave more than they take – and have fun while they're doing it. Her belief in the essential and healing power of landscapes drives all of the firm's design projects and ecological master plans. A natural storyteller and gifted communicator, Tavis knows how to build consensus between diverse stakeholders and counsels clients on balancing long-term ecological resilience with memorable placemaking. Her work and ideas have helped reshape cities, transform college campuses, and improve lives for communities all over the country.

Eliza Greenman is a tree crops specialist, horticultural historian and agroforestry practitioner living in Northern Virginia. Her passion is in uncovering our Nation's horticultural tree crops history in order to identify, find, and save a diversity of endangered tree species and cultivars from disappearing. She believes that in giving these trees a human-scale purpose, they have a much better chance of being preserved, understood, and further improved for today's changing times. In 2018, Eliza created HogTree, a farm business which works to offset livestock feed costs through diversified orchards and tree cropping systems. Today she raises pigs for charcuterie in a young, diversified orchard containing pears, apples, persimmons, chestnuts, oaks, and mulberries. Her small batch charcuterie ships nation-wide from her Hogtree website, www.hogtree.com.

CEO & Founder, PlanIT Geo, Arvada, Colorado, USA

Ian Hanou is a trees and technology-loving entrepreneur with 20 years of private sector experience. He earned a B.S. in Forest Management and GIS from Colorado State University and founded PlanIT Geo in 2012. Ian is a thought leader in software design and geospatial analysis for urban forestry, green infrastructure, parks, and ecosystem services. He has led hundreds of projects with clients in government, nonprofits, and the private sector. At PlanIT Geo, Ian directs overall operations, management, strategic partnerships, and vision. He plays a hands-on role in the roadmap for the TreePlotter suite of software and related technology innovation. In 2011, the Society of Municipal Arborists honored Ian with an award for innovation in tree planting prioritization using GIS. He lives in Colorado with his wife and two children, where he has summited all 54 mountains over 14,000 feet.

Douglas Meney is the Director of Horticulture with the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), a position he has held since 2014. Mr Meney serves as the principle Horticultural advisor to the Deputy Secretary for Overseas Operations and to the Superintendents of 26 permanent American military cemeteries and 32 federal memorial, monuments and markers, located within 17 foreign countries.

These military cemeteries and memorials, most of which commemorate the service and sacrifice of Americans who served in World War I and World War II, are among the most beautiful and meticulously maintained shrines in the world.

Mr Meney, who was born and raised in Scotland is a trained and qualified horticulturalist who has worked within the Horticultural industry for 40 years, 33 of which have been dedicated to military cemetery maintenance in the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom and France. He holds an Foundation Degree in Horticulture form West of Scotland Agricultural College and a BA (Hons) in Leadership and Management form Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne.

Amanda Benner is a Principal Program Manager for Vegetation Management at PECO, an Exelon Company, and lives in Philadelphia. Prior to joining the electric utility, she held non-profit leadership positions at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, and was Executive Director at a community organization, UC Green. Her career includes positions in operations and project management at marketing and communications firms. Amanda has an MBA from the University of Maryland, is an ISA certified arborist, and holds the Tree Risk Assessment Qualification.

Dan Herms is Vice President of Research and Development for The Davey Tree Expert Company. Prior to joining Davey, Herms served on the faculty in the Department of Entomology at The Ohio State University from 1997-2017, serving as Department Chair from 2012-2016. His research and outreach programs focus on the ecology and management of trees in forests, urban forests, and ornamental landscapes, including interactions with insects, soils, and climate.

He received his B.S. in Landscape Horticulture from Ohio State University in 1982, his M.S. in Horticulture and Entomology from Ohio State University in 1984, and his PhD in 1991 from Michigan State University in Entomology with a specialization in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Major recognitions for this work include the L.C. Chadwick Award for Arboriculture Research and the Richard W. Harris Author’s Citation Award from the International Society of Arboriculture, and election as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Entomological Society of America.

Anthony Aiello is Associate Director of Conservation, Plant Breeding, and Collections at Longwood Gardens, where he participates in tree conservation, plant exploration and evaluation, and collections development. Previously he served for 22 years as the Gayle E. Maloney Director of Horticulture and Curator at the Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, where he managed the Morris Arboretum’s historic gardens and living collections. These positions have allowed him to travel throughout the U.S., Europe, China, and Japan to find novel plants suitable for growing in the Delaware Valley. He has a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a concentration in Botany from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Horticulture from Purdue University and for many years chaired the North America-China Plant Exploration Consortium (NACPEC) and participated in the American Public Gardens Association taxonomy and plant collections committees.

Tony’s interests include temperate trees and shrubs – in particular oaks, maples, hollies, witch-hazels, and flowering cherries, as well as economic botany and the history of horticulture. He has written extensively about his travels, as well as his historic and plant interests.

Zhaohua (Cindy) Cheng is a Ph.D. candidate in urban forestry at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She has over five years of experience in community and youth engagement, climate change adaptation, student advising and engagement, and project management. Her Ph.D. research focuses on exploring urban forest-based solutions for climate resilience and urban livability.

Edward S. Barnard was for 17 years senior staff editor and managing editor of Reader’s Digest General Books, where he oversaw the production of several dozen books that sold over 1 million copies each. From 1963 to 1967 he was project editor of a 15-volume ecology series, Our Living World of Nature, published jointly by McGraw-Hill and World Book Encyclopedia. He edited the volume on Mars in DK’s Eyewitness series and four volumes in Scholastic’s National Audubon First Field Guide series. Among his writing credits are articles for National Wildlife, International Wildlife, and Audubon, 5 children’s books on animals for Reader’s Digest, and New York City Trees for Columbia University Press. Recently he co-produced with Ken Chaya Central Park Entire, the most detailed map of Central Park available. He is keenly interested in old growth trees and has volunteered as a tree ring technician at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Tree Ring Research Laboratory. One of his recent books is Central Park Trees and Landscapes, a Guide to New York City's Masterpiece published by Columbia University Press in 2016. He also co-authored with Paul Meyer and Catriona Briger a field guide titled Philadelphia Trees published by ColumbiaUniversity Press in 2017. Currently he is producing an updated edition of Philadelphia Trees for the University of Pennsylvania Press for publication in 2023. He is also co-writing and producing a book titled Philadelphia Nature, A Field Guide to Wild Places and Wildlife in the City & the Surrounding Delaware Valley with Anne Bekker for publication by Temple University Press in 2024.

Ned moved from Manhattan to Chestnut Hill in 2010 with his wife Pauline Gray.

Erica Smith Fishman has spent her career connecting people with plants. As the Community Forestry Manager at Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, she is the project lead for the Philly Tree Plan. Erica also supervises the amazing TreePhilly team who provide Philadelphia residents with the resources they need to plant and care for trees in their own backyard. She is an ISA certified arborist and the recipient of the Arbor Day Foundation's 2018 Trailblazer Award. Erica received a B.S. in biology from Haverford College and an M.S. in environmental horticulture from the University of California, Davis.

Joe Hansen is an ISA Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist, Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) and holds numerous certifications through the Tree Care Industry Association including Certified Tree Care Safety Professional (CTSP) and is an Approved Instructor for the TCIA’s Tree Care Academy.  In his role as Urban Forester for the City of Park Ridge, Illinois, Joe is responsible for maintaining the urban forest through use of the City’s Urban Forest Management Plan, conducts parkway tree inspections, building plan reviews, assists with managing contracts and enforces the Tree Preservation Ordinance.  In addition he serves as Chair of the Public Works Safety Committee.

Outside of his duties with Park Ridge, Joe was recently elected the Municipal Director for the Illinois Arborist Association and he is also a Task Specialist for the Urban Forest Strike Team in Illinois.  The strike team conducts rapid tree assessments after storms to assist communities in need in hopes to preserve trees while assessing their risk.  He also produces a podcast called The Municipal Arborist where he and guests discuss urban forestry and industry related topics which also provides ISA CEU’s to listeners. He likes to share his experiences through training and public speaking engagements.

Steve Blaes holds degrees in sustainable horticulture and environmental science and has over 20 years of experience in the green industry. He has earned multiple green industry credentials, including the Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional certification, the Landscape Contractors Association CLT in Ornamental Maintenance, and is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist with their Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) among others. Steve has worked on a plethora of projects ranging from residential to institutional campuses in both rural and urban communities across the country. His scientific area of inquiry primarily focuses on supporting professional landscape best management practices that positively impact riparian ecologies endemic to the piedmont and coastal plain regions. He is currently working as a design and sales consultant in Maryland's Baltimore Metro area while supporting his passion projects in the Chesapeake Bay Bioregion.

Jake Handley was born in San Luis Obispo, California, and grew up in Eustis Florida where he received a bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Central Florida. After graduating from college he worked in the zip line industry for 5 years as a guide, trainer, and course builder. He started his transition into the tree world in 2017 working for Asheville Arborists where he is currently employed. He became a certified arborist in 2019 and has written “The Times They Are a-Changin” for the Arborist magazine an article on climate change. Jake currently resides in Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Dana Dentice is a Trees Program Manager and an ISA-certified arborist at PHS. She leads the Tree Tenders program (with now nearly 6000 graduates) to empower citizens to protect and expand tree canopy in communities across the Philadelphia region. Dana collaborates with organizations and volunteers on planting 1500-2000 trees annually and engages them in follow-up stewardship programs, such as pruning clubs and the PHS Tree Checkers tree monitoring program. She enjoys sharing her expertise in arboriculture and community organizing at Tree Tenders trainings. Dana previously served as a forestry assistant for the cities of Fitchburg and Madison, Wisconsin where she conducted public tree inventories and led open space planning. She holds a B.S. in Natural Resources and an M.S. in Urban & Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jeffrey Ling is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist, registered consulting arborist, and senior consulting arborist in the state of Indiana. He is Secretary-Treasurer of the American Society of Consulting Arborists and currently serves as its co-liaison to the Council of Tree Landscape Appraisers. In Jeffrey’s hometown of New Haven, Indiana he serves as a member of the Tree Commission.

For 31 years, Jeff co-owned TreeMasters, Inc. a comprehensive arbor-care company. He specialized in Plant Health Care and Woody Plant Pathology. Jeff also served as a Testifying Expert in courts throughout the Great Lakes and the East Coast.

Jeff’s current consulting firm, ARBORWISE, LTD., was founded in 1994. It focuses on horticulture issues, urban forestry concerns, and tree preservation projects.