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2024 GAA OFFICERS AND DELEGATES BOARD
DELEGATES
 John Colavecchio - John started college at a small school in New Hampshire and transfer to S.U. N.Y Alfred to study horticulture. After an extra semester and graduation, he went to Central Park, NYC, to climb trees. The rest of the tree crew was Cambodian and, even with a language barrier, they got along great. A highlight of his time there was attending a Cambodian wedding. He left NYC and headed to Maine. He lived in the Portland area for 15 years. He met my wife Sue in 1999 and started his career with Bartlett Tree Experts in 2002. They stayed in the area, but after a record snow fall year (144 inches!), they decided to move south. They started on Hilton Head Island and were in Tallahassee within 18 months, where they lived for five years; they moved to Atlanta in 2015 and now call Lilburn home with their two dogs (Bella and Bear) and cat (Ninja). John has enjoyed his 30+ years working with trees.
Josh Goodman - Josh is is a utility Arborist for the Northwest Region for the Southern Company. He has his Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources. He became certified as an ISA Arborist in 2015. He has served four years as a delegate.
STAFF
2023 GAA OFFICERS AND DELEGATES BOARD
He is looking forward to serving you and your needs as President. When not serving he loves spending time with his family outdoors.
DELEGATES
Josh Goodman - Josh is is a utility Arborist for the Northwest Region for the Southern Company. He has his Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources. He became certified as an ISA Arborist in 2015. He has served four years as a delegate.
 Travys Harper - Travys, a graduate of Auburn University holding a B.S. in Environmental Design, currently is The Green Infrastructure Manager at Trees Atlanta. He has held previous roles in the organization as an Urban Tree Technician, Youth Tree Team + Workforce Development Supervisor. Travys has helped plant over 1200+ ball and burlap trees along Atlanta's Beltline Eastside & Westside Arboretum Trails in addition to 30+ Green Infrastructures throughout Fulton and Cobb Counties. Travys is steadily pursuing certifications and environmental education to keep the program cutting-edge. This is his third year serving as Delegate.
STAFF
2022 GAA OFFICERS AND DELEGATES BOARD
He is looking forward to serving you and your needs as President. When not serving he loves spending time with his family outdoors. Vice President - Logan House (1st term) - Logan is an arborist representative at Arbor Equity. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Forestry and in Parks Management. He has worked with the Georgia Forestry Commission helping municipalities develop tree ordinances and Tree City USA programs and worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to build forest habitat for endangered species.
DELEGATES
Alex has been an ISA Certified Arborist since 2019 and will soon complete the ISA TRAQ class. Alex received his Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry with an Urban concentration, along with a minor in GIS and Remote Sensing from Mississippi State University in 2018.
Ellen M. Bauske (GAA Certification Liaison) Dr. Ellen Bauske is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (SO-7258B) and Tree Risk Assessment Qualified. She is retired from the University of Georgia after serving as program co-ordinator for the Georgia Center for Urban Agriculture. She coordinated Center programs in urban water issues, safety training, local food, turfgrass, and arboriculture. Her primary charge was to increase the impact UGA Extension outreach in Georgia's urban areas. She has been a leader in efforts to develop a national plan for Consumer Horticulture and served as Chair of the National Initiative for Consumer Horticulture. She was honored with the ASHS Outstanding Extension Educator Award in 2020.
Before joining the Center for Urban Agriculture, she helped create AWIS Weather Services Inc. and served as Executive Vice President and Director of Marketing for seven years. Dr. Bauske holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. from the University of Illinois in Plant Pathology. Currently, works as a tree inspector for TreeInspection.com. John Colavecchio John has worked in the green industry for over 30 years. He began his career as a climber trainee in Central Park New York City. Today he employed by Bartlett Tree Experts as the Southeast Division Consulting Arborist with responsibilities in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. He is an ASCA registered consulting arborist, an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, a Certified Treecare Safety Professional, and holds pesticide licenses in the 5 southeastern state mentioned above. Tom Dossett (1st term) Tom Dossett is a certified arborist who started his career with Bartlett Tree Experts in 1997 as an intern in Charlotte NC. He graduated from Clemson University in 1999 with a batchers degree in Horticulture. He worked as a Forman, plant healthcare technician and sales arborist until 2005. He was then transferred to London England in 2005 and became the local manager of Bartlett Tree Experts south London office. While there, Tom worked with Dr Glynn Percival of Bartlett Tree Experts lab to educate and promote the scientific care of trees.
Tom returned to the states in 2008 and became the local manager for Bartlett Tree Experts in Atlanta Ga. till 2017. During this time he continued to educate and promote the scientific care of trees. He also became one of Bartlett's commercial arborist servicing the Southeast. In 2017 Tom left the tree care industry to start a financial planning business helping federal employees plan for their retirement. In 2020 Tom returned to the tree industry and now works for AKA Tree Service as an Arborist representative. He is the director of AKAs Plant Health Care program where he continues to promote the scientific tree care of Atlanta's urban forest Tom is the proud father of three children. His daughter Kirsten is a graduate of Young Harris and lives in Atlanta. His son Thomas is soon to attend the Coast Guard Academy as a student athlete and his youngest daughter Dorothy attends Lambert High School in Forsyth county where they have lived since 2008.
Josh Goodman (2nd term) Josh is a utility Arborist for the Northwest Region for the Southern Company. He has his Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources. He became certified as an ISA Arborist in 2015. Travys Harper (2nd term) Travys Harper, graduate of Auburn University holding a B.S. in Environmental Design, is the First Green Infrastructure Manager for Trees Atlanta. This program seeks to engage Atlanta area residents and homeowners with opportunities to address stormwater management and learn about "Green Collar" careers through integration with the organization's tree planting and maintenance crews. Additionally, in his previous role with the organization as an Urban Tree Technician, Travys has helped plant over 1200+ ball and burlap trees along Atlanta's Beltline Eastside & Westside Arboretum Trails. Travys is now approaching his fifth year with Trees Atlanta and he continues to pursue certifications and environmental education to keep the program cutting-edge.  Rolando Orellana (4th term) - Rolando is the Urban Water Management/Irrigation Agent for the UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Service. Rolando has been working in the industry since 2002 and has a degree in agriculture engineering from Universidad Nacional de Agricultura, Honduras.  Jessica Perry (Coastal Arborist Representative) Jessica currently works for Chatham County Department of Engineering as the Arborist for Unincorporated Chatham County. Her Undergraduate degree is in Natural Resource Management - Forestry. She is a certified Arborist and TRAQ. “It’s hard not to love trees growing up in Southeast Georgia.” Jessica Pollard (1st term) Jessi Pollard is a Utility Arborist for Georgia Power Company where she oversees vegetation maintenance on distribution lines in the Atlanta Area. Jessi has been with Georgia Power since January 2018.
STAFF
2021 GAA OFFICERS AND DELEGATES Officers
Vice President – Brian Ziegler (2nd term) - Brian is general manager of AKA Tree Removal. He has worked for both Davey Tree and Bartlett Tree in the greater Chicago Area. He also served as a Foreman for Asplundh Tree Expert Co. for ten years. He has his degree in Project Management from Waubonsee Community College.
Past President – Rusty Lee - Rusty Lee has been in the green industry since 1989. He has worked for some of the largest landscape companies in the Southeast and maintained some of the most well known properties throughout Atlanta. Since 2000 he has been in the Arboriculture industry and held positions from VP to COO with several of the largest companies in the Atlanta area. He is currently an Arborist with ArborEquity. He holds a degree in Environmental Horticulture. He is an ISA Certified Arborist, TRAQ, Georgia Certified Landscape Professional, Georgia Pesticide Cert. in categories #24 and #27 and a Georgia Certified Turfgrass Professional. Delegates
Ellen Bauske (3rd term) - Ellen joined UGA’s Center for Urban Agriculture as a program coordinator in 2005 and is a member of the Department of Plant Pathology. She coordinates Center programs in urban water, safety training, local food, turfgrass, and arboriculture. Her primary charge is to increase the impact of UGA Extension outreach in Georgia’s urban areas. She has her PhD from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Logan House (2nd term) - Logan is an arborist representative at Arbor Equity. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Forestry and in Parks Management. He has worked with the Georgia Forestry Commission helping municipalities develop tree ordinances and Tree City USA programs and worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to build forest habitat for endangered species. Quentin Holden (2nd term) - Quentin takes care of Georgia Tech’s 13,000 trees. He is a certified arborist and tree surgeon. Quentin's interest in trees and working outdoors stems from childhood. His father owned a tree removal company, and Holden helped him out. Quintin earned a degree in history in 1990. He worked in the corporate world for a few years before joining the Peace Corps in 1993 and going to Grenada to work as a junior forester. There he managed the building of trails in a national forest, surveyed an acre plot in the Grand Etang National Park, and managed a mahogany tree-planting site. Art Morris (1st term) - Art Morris is a Board-Certified Master Arborist. He is the General Manager at New Urban Forestry in Winterville, GA. He is a graduate of the University of Georgia. Art started his career at Bartlett Tree Experts, where he worked for 13 years.
Josh Goodman (1st term) - Josh is a utility Arborist for the Northwest Region for the Southern Company. He has his Bachelor of Science in Forest Resources. He became certified as an ISA Arborist in 2015.
Alex has been an ISA Certified Arborist since 2019 and will soon complete the ISA TRAQ class. Alex received his Bachelor’s Degree in Forestry with an Urban concentration, along with a minor in GIS and Remote Sensing from Mississippi State University in 2018.
“It’s hard not to love trees growing up in Southeast Georgia.” John Colavecchio
HELEN NASH (Project Manager) joined GAA in June 2021. Previously she worked in corporate communications with The Coca-Cola Company for more than 15 years, in areas ranging from speechwriting to public relations to social media. She's looking forward to learning more about trees! 2020 GAA OFFICERS AND DELEGATES Officers President – Christie Bryant (2nd term) - This is Christie's fourth year serving on the board. Christie ran the Tree Healthcare division at Gunnison Tree Specialists and currently serves as a consultant at her own company, Speaking for Trees. She has a degree in Environmental Horticulture from Chattahoochee Tech, and is also trained as a Horticultural Therapist. Vice President – Brian Ziegler (2nd term) - Brian is general manager of AKA Tree Removal. He has worked for both Davey Tree and Bartlett Tree in the greater Chicago Area. He also served as a Foreman for Asplundh Tree Expert Co. for ten years. He has his degree in Project Management from Waubonsee Community College. Treasurer – Scott Offen (2nd term) - Scott Offen is the Arborist for Bold Springs Nursery. He has worked at Valley Crest and Brightview as chief purchasing agent of all “Green” goods for jobs around the southeast. He has a Bachelor of Arts Business in Marketing from the University of Georgia and has served in the US Army. He is an Atlanta native and has been a certified arborist since 2002. Secretary – Joelette Bembry (2nd term) - Joelette Bembry is the Agricultural and Natural Resource Agent with DeKalb Co. Extension. She is responsible for assisting homeowners with troubleshooting, landscape issues, conducting workshops on relevant landscape topics, and plant and insect ID. Joelette has a Bachelor of Science in Forestry Science from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University. She has over 12 years of experience in Invasive Plant Control, GIS database and Natural Resource Management. Past President – Rusty Lee - Rusty Lee has been in the green industry since 1989. He has worked for some of the largest landscape companies in the Southeast and maintained some of the most well known properties throughout Atlanta. Since 2000 he has been in the Arboriculture industry and held positions from VP to COO with several of the largest companies in the Atlanta area. He is currently an Arborist with ArborEquity. He holds a degree in Environmental Horticulture. He is an ISA Certified Arborist, TRAQ, Georgia Certified Landscape Professional, Georgia Pesticide Cert. in categories #24 and #27 and a Georgia Certified Turfgrass Professional. Delegates Rolando Orellana (2nd term) - Rolando is the Urban Water Management/Irrigation Agent for the UGA College of Agriculture and Environmental Service. Rolando has been working in the industry since 2002 and has a degree in agriculture engineering from Universidad Nacional de Agricultura, Honduras. Michael Pavlis (CAA Representative-4th term) - Mike Pavlis is the owner of Ossabaw Consulting, an arboriculture consulting firm based out of Savannah. He has a Bachelor's in Science degree from West Virginia University, a MS from Virginia Tech and is an ISA-Certified Arborist. Michael is also the President of the Coastal Arborist Association, serves on the Tybee Island Tree Board and is a community lacrosse coach for area youth and high school programs. Ellen Bauske (2nd term) - Ellen joined UGA’s Center for Urban Agriculture as a program coordinator in 2005 and is a member of the Department of Plant Pathology. She coordinates Center programs in urban water, safety training, local food, turfgrass, and arboriculture. Her primary charge is to increase the impact of UGA Extension outreach in Georgia’s urban areas. She has her PhD from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Logan House (1st term) - Logan is an arborist representative at Arbor Equity. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Forestry and in Parks Management. He has worked with the Georgia Forestry Commission helping municipalities develop tree ordinances and Tree City USA programs and worked with the US Fish and Wildlife Service to build forest habitat for endangered species. Quentin Holden (1st term) - Quentin takes care of Georgia Tech’s 13,000 trees. He is a certified arborist and tree surgeon. Holden’s interest in trees and working outdoors stems from childhood. His father owned a tree removal company, and Holden helped him out. Holden earned a degree in history in 1990. He worked in the corporate world for a few years before joining the Peace Corps in 1993 and going to Grenada to work as a junior forester. There he managed the building of trails in a national forest, surveyed an acre plot in the Grand Etang National Park, and managed a mahogany tree-planting site. James Rhynold (1st term) - James Rhynold is the owner and operator of Dad’s Tree Care in Kirkwood Atlanta. He is an ISA Certified Arborist and a UGA Double/Dawg. He holds two degrees for UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources: a Bachelor of Science with emphasis in soils and hydrology and a Master of Science in Forest Resources. Art Morris (1st term) - Art Morris is a Board-Certified Master Arborist. He is the General Manager of New Urban Forestry in Athens, GA. Kay Evanovich (1st term) - Kay Evanovich is currently the City of Decatur Georgia Arborist. She has held her International Society of Arboriculture Certification (I.S.A.) as an Arborist for 17 years. In 2017 she passed her Tree Risk Assessment Qualification from the I.S.A. She is a Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission Certified Erosion Control Inspector, Plan Reviewer, and Trainer. She has taken numerous courses of study in environmental issues and tree/forest health thru the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education and the Warnell school of Forestry beginning in 1999 and she continues to broaden her scope of knowledge yearly by attending a wide variety of trainings around the country including trainings at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City where Arbor Day began in 1872. Kay was the City of Brookhaven Arborist from 2013 to 2016. She served as the only female Chief of Environmental Inspections Section and one of seven on staff arborists for the DeKalb County Georgia, Department of Planning and Development, from 1999 to 2009. Kay is also a Consulting Arborist and has been performing tree health assessments and tree valuations for the general public since 2009. Currently she only accepts consulting jobs outside of the City limits of the City of Decatur. Dennis Tourangeau (1st term) - Dennis is a proud US Army Military Police Veteran and a Practicing ISA Certified Arborist since 1983. He earned his degree in Forest Technology from Alleghany College of Maryland. His Commercial Arboriculture career literally began from the ground up. The initial ten years in Baltimore Maryland found him dragging brush, handloading wood, climbing for pruning and removals, fertilizing and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Bartlett Tree Experts. He became a Division Trainer for IPM. He went on to be promoted into sales followed by a 1997 appointment to Branch Manager in Atlanta Georgia. He joined ranks with Arborguard in 2000 and rose from sales to Vice president in 2004. He was the Vice President of the GUFC in 1998 and served on the Planning Committee from 2000 - 2005. He has been a frequent public speaker on Tree Preservation, Soil Management, and Pruning. 2019 GAA OFFICERS AND DELEGATES At the November 2018 membership meeting, elections were held for the 2019 GAA Board (officers and delegates). Congratulations to the new GAA Board, as follows: Christie Bryant, President Brian Ziegler, Vice President Scott Offen, Treasurer Joelette Bembry, Secretary Rusty Lee, Past President Delegates: Mike Pavlis is the owner of Ossabaw Consulting, an arboriculture consulting firm based out of Savannah. He has a Bachelor's in Science degree from West Virginia University, a MS from Virginia Tech and is an ISA-Certified Arborist. Michael is also the President of the Coastal Arborist Association, serves on the Tybee Island Tree Board and is a community lacrosse coach for area youth and high school programs. Josh Goodman Braden Smith has been in the Green Industry for seven years. His family had a small landscape company where he worked with for five years. He has been with Arbor Equity full time for 2 years and has been a Certified Arborist for one year. He loves being outdoors and enjoying nature and coaching youth academy soccer. He is recently married and living in Covington with his wife and two dogs. Roland Orellana is the Urban Water management/Irrigation Agent for the college of Agriculture and Environmental Service. Rolando has been working in the industry since 2002 and has a degree in agriculture engineering from Universidad Nacional de Agricultura, Honduras. Jason Anderson has worked in the tree care industry for the past 17 years. He has managed businesses in both the utility sector of the industry, and the commercial/residential sector. Jason has worked in GA, FL, SC, and CO recently returning to GA with SavATree as Branch Manager. Jason has a passion for safety and customer service which he has studied at length. Jason attended Georgia Southern University where he majored in Building, Contracting, and Construction. Jason holds an ISA Certification, TRAQ Certification, CTSP, MOT, and EHAP credential in the field of professional arboriculture. He has been happily married to his wife Casie of 12 years and has a 7 year old son. Hobbies and interests include hunting, fishing, offroad vehicles, football, reading, golf, and family. Dr. Ellen Bauske joined UGA’s Center for Urban Agriculture as a program coordinator in 2005 and is a member of the Department of Plant Pathology. She coordinates Center programs in urban water, safety training, local food, turfgrass, and arboriculture. Her primary charge is to increase the impact of UGA Extension outreach in Georgia’s urban areas. She has her PhD from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. |
President - Logan House - Logan is a Board Certified Master Arborist at Peachtree Arborists. He has worked in sales for Arbor Equity, worked with the Georgia Forestry Commission to help develop tree ordinances and Tree City USA programs, and with the US Fish and Wildlife to establish and maintain endangered species habitat. Logan has dual bachelor's degrees in Forestry and Parks Management. He has served two terms as a delegate for GAA and two terms as Vice President.
Vice President - Dave Long - An Atlanta native, Dave first began his career as a laborer in the private landscaping industry before developing a more specialized interest in arboriculture and natural resource management in urban areas. He currently holds ISA and TRAQ certifications, a bachelors in environmental science and has in the urban forestry field for five years. Dave currently serves as a community forestry specialist for the Georgia Forestry Commission, and is honored to begin serving on GAA's board.
Secretary - Amanda Corr Russell - Amanda has worked in the green industry for more than nine years. She began her career reviewing tree plans for Clark Patterson Lee (CPL) as a consultant for a Metro Atlanta city. She has been the City Arborist for five cities in the Atlanta area. Today she continues her career with CPL and is the acting City Arborist for two Metro Atlanta cities. She was responsible for obtaining the Tree City USA status for a City in the Atlanta Area. Amanda is an ISA Board Certified Arborist, a GSWCC Level 1B Erosion Control Inspector and manages a team of inspectors for multiple Metro Cities and is a GSWCC Tan Level Reviewer. She assists multiple cities with their Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) programs and the yearly GA EPD requirements. Amanda is also an NPDES Certified Stormwater Inspector. She is the current Vice President of Women Arborists of the Southeast. This is her second term on the Board.
Treasurer - Kay Evanovich - Kay Evanovich is currently the City of Decatur Georgia Arborist and has held an International Society of Arboriculture Certification (ISA) as an Arborist for 20 years. Kay holds a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification from the ISA. Kay has taken numerous courses of study in environmental issues and tree/forest health thru the University of Georgia, Center for Continuing Education and the Warnell school of Forestry beginning in 1999. As a municipal and consulting Arborist Kay has been performing tree health assessments and tree valuations and reviewing plans and permits for the general public since 2005. Currently Kay is on GAA's Board and teaches the Certified Arborists training course for the GAA. Kay is an avid Soccer fan and enjoys watching games with family and friends.
David Breeden - David has served as Husqvarna Territory Manager since July 2003. He is an ISA Certified Arborist and is TRAQ certified. He is the president of Georgia Tree Masters, and also president of Arbor Pro Consulting.
Christie Bryant (Ex Officio) - Christie started her green industry career as a Landscaper and while getting her degree in Environmental Horticulture. She has also trained as a Horticultural Therapist and ran the Tree Health care division of Gunnison Tree Specialists. Christie decided to open her own consulting business where she could focus on becoming a better advocate for both the property owners and the trees.
Joelette Crawl-Bembry - Joelette has no kids but has been blessed to help care for her four nephews & one niece that she loves dearly. She has one Goddaughter and one Godson. Youth have been a passion of hers, volunteering at churches, after-school programs and athletic facilities. She is a native of Toledo, OH, and has spent most of her time in Toledo and parts of Alabama. Her passion for outdoors was born when she was a young child. When she entered Alabama A&M University, her major was chemistry, but that quickly changed to Forestry Science. Her mother and brother moved Huntsville, AL, while she was in college. Alabama is where she's gotten most of her life and professional lessons that have molded her into the woman she is today. Advocating for Farmers and Ranchers throughout the Southern Region has shown her where her passion lies in this industry. Her dream is to own at least 200 acres of land to use as a research demonstration site for Sustainable Natural Resource practice. In 2023, she switched career paths and began working as Utility Arborist Technician with Georgia Power Company. This career path has been the greatest decision she's made. 
Mandy Hall - Mandy is the organizational and systematic mastermind behind T2 Group, the parent company of Top Tier Trees, Top Tier Green Waste and Top Tier Stump Grinding. She met David, husband and business partner, in business school and encouraged the development of their shared dream of owning a business. She loves leading all the nuances of growing and building the company -- customer service, sales, marketing, team development and financial management. When she’s not focused on business, Mandy enjoys spending time with her children, rare occasions with David outside of work, going to hot yoga classes and planning a party or two.
James Hawkins - James is a new board delegate for 2024-2025. He's a native of the great state of Georgia -- originally from Grayson in Gwinnett County; he currently lives in Camak, GA, near Augusta. He found his passion for the environment and trees when he moved to Colorado for school. During this time James spent many months camping in the wilderness, working for Americorps, The Rocky Mountain Field Institute, Mile High Youth Corps, U.S. Forestry Service and Bureau of Land Management, cutting fire breaks, fighting wild fires, and reclaiming burn scars caused by wildfires such as the ones in Waldo Canyon. From there he moved to utility clearance in Colorado Springs with Asplundh Tree Experts. James moved back home to GA in 2020 to be closer to the ones he cares about and began working for Boutte Tree in Atlanta, where he still works. During his time at Boutte he has become an ISA Certified Arborist as well as TRAQ certified, and he currently is on the hunt to become a Board Certified Master Arborist. James is deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow as part of a team of people dedicated to bettering trees, the people who care for them and the communities they live in.
Danae Jackson - Danae’s lifelong love for nature blossomed into a profession after witnessing the Florida Tree Climbing Championship in 2008. Fueled by newfound inspiration, she pursued expertise in tree care, obtaining various certifications in the field. Today, Danae thrives in her dream role, as an At-Height Business Developer at Redwing Rigging Solutions, providing innovative climbing and rigging equipment to small companies and large national accounts. Her work fosters safe and efficient tree care practices across the country, a perfect unity of her love for the outdoors and dedication to safety. Danae’s story is a reminder that when passion meets profession, extraordinary things happen. Her journey in the tree-care industry continues to be one marked by love, learning, and a ceaseless pursuit of excellence.
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Jessi Pollard - Jessi is a graduate of the Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources at UGA and has worked with Georgia Power’s Forestry and Right-of-Way Services since 2018. In her role at Georgia Power, Jessi oversees all vegetation maintenance along the distribution lines in eastern metro Atlanta. She is an ISA Certified Arborist, ISA Utility Specialist, TRAQ, Georgia Licensed Pesticide Applicator, and Georgia State Registered Forester. Outside of work, she and her husband enjoy running their small cattle farm in West Georgia.
Cesar Sesmas
Evan Weeks - Evan has been a Certified Arborist for 10 months, and a member of GAA for two years. He has three children -- ages 7, 6 and 3. He runs a small tree-care business in south Georgia specializing in tree climbing.
Jessie McClellan - Jessie joined GAA as executive director in January 2024. She previously worked as the minister of culture for New Urban Forestry (2011-2024). Jessie earned her ABJ from the Grady College at the University of Georgia and also holds BA in Anthropology from UGA. 
Maria Soto (Outreach Coordinator) - 
Helen Nash (Project Manager) - Helen joined GAA in 2021. She manages GAA's social media and works on various projects and programs throughout the year, including TCC. Previously she worked in corporate communications with The Coca-Cola Company for more than 15 years, in areas ranging from speechwriting to public relations to social media. She's happy to be a part of the tree family now!
President - Brian Ziegler - This is Brian's sixth year serving on the board, three of those as Vice President. This is Brian's second term as President. Brian is the Operations Director for Gunnison Tree Service. He has worked for AKA, Davey Tree and Bartlett. He also served as Foreman for Asplundh Tree Expert Co. for 10 years. He has his degree in Project Management from Waubonsee Community College.
Vice President - Logan House - Logan is an arborist at Peachtree Arborists. He has worked in sales for Arbor Equity, worked with the Georgia Forestry Commission to help develop tree ordinances and Tree City USA programs, and with the US Fish and Wildlife to establish and maintain endangered species habitat. Logan has dual Bachelor's degrees in Forestry and Parks Management. He has served two terms as a delegate for the GAA. This is his second term as Vice President.
Secretary - Joelette Crawl Joelette just began a new position as Utility Arborist Technician II at Georgia Power Company. She previously served as the Agricultural and Natural Resource Agent with DeKalb County Extension assisting homeowners with troubleshooting and landscape issues, and conducted workshops on a variety of arboriculture topics. Joelette has a Bachelor of Science in Forestry Science from Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University. She has over 12 years of experience in Invasive Plant Control, GIS database and Natural Resource Management. She has previously served the GAA board as Secretary, Treasurer and Delegate for a total of five years of service.
Treasurer - Kay Evanovich - Kay serves as the City of Decatur Arborist. Kay is a certified arborist with 34 years of experience in the field. Her primary experience came from 1999 to 2010 when she was DeKalb County’s Chief of Environment, Land Development and Building Inspection. From 2009 to 2014, she was a self-employed arborist, substitute teacher and soccer coach. She also served as Brookhaven’s City Arborist and Land Development Inspector for Brookhaven. She has served three years as a delegate.
John Colavecchio - John has worked in the green industry for more than 30 years. He began his career as a climber trainee in Central Park New York City. Today he is employed by Bartlett Tree Experts as the Southeast Division Consulting Arborist with responsibilities in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. He is an ASCA registered consulting arborist, an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified, a Certified Treecare Safety Professional, and holds pesticide licenses in the five southeastern state mentioned above. John has served two years as Delegate. 
Amanda Corr Russell - Amanda has worked in the green industry for more than eight years. She began her career reviewing tree plans for Clark Patterson Lee (CPL) as a consultant for a Metro Atlanta city. She has been the City Arborist for five cities in the Atlanta area. Today she continues her career with CPL and is the acting City Arborist for two Metro Atlanta cities. She was responsible for obtaining the Tree City USA status for a City in the Atlanta Area. Amanda is an ISA Board Certified Arborist, a GSWCC Level 1B Erosion Control Inspector and manages a team of inspectors for multiple Metro Cities and is a GSWCC Tan Level Reviewer. She assists multiple cities with their Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) programs and the yearly GA EPD requirements. Amanda is also an NPDES Certified Stormwater Inspector. She is the current President of Women Arborists of the Southeast. This is her first term on the Board.
Jason Gordon - Jason has worked in the green industry for nearly 15 years. After working as an assistant forester, he became an instructor of forestry at Mississippi State University. Today he is employed by the University of Georgia as an instructor in the Community Forestry and Arboriculture (COFA) program. He teaches classes in community forest management, a senior capstone course, and the required COFA summer field course. He is a Certified Arborist and ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified. He has served in previous leadership roles, including president, for ISA Southern Chapter. This is his first year on the GAA Board.
Danae Jackson - Danae has worked in the green industry for almost 20 years as an insurance agent specializing in tree care companies, for the TCIA as the southeast Regional Outreach Coordinator, and Davey Tree as a recruiter and as a field Production Manager. Today she works for Redwing Rigging Solutions (not affiliated with Redwing Boots) as a nationwide business developer, working with tree care businesses to develop a "Full Stacked Safety™ approach with the gear and equipment their crews use in the field. Danae is a TCIA Certified Tree Care Safety Professional and an ISA Certified Tree Worker – Climber Specialist ®. Tree Care is the "Family Business" as her husband, brother, and oldest son are also in the industry. This is Danae's first year on GAA's Board.
Robert Seamans - 
Brittany Hope-Bhamla (Executive Director) Brittany has 12 years of experience in the industry, previously serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Gunnison Tree Services. She loves the community of people in this industry and is looking forward to meeting you all. She is currently studying to become an ISA Certified Arborist herself! She is a passionate artist, loves to cook, and most weekends you can find her exploring the many beautiful hiking trails in Georgia along with her family and 2 dogs. 
President - Brian Ziegler (1st term) 
Secretary - Scott Offen (1st term) - Scott is the Arborist for Bold Springs Nursery. He has worked at Valley Crest and Brightview as chief purchasing agent of all “green” goods for jobs around the southeast. He has a Bachelor of Arts Business in Marketing from the University of Georgia and has served in the US Army. Scott is an Atlanta native and has been a certified arborist since 2002. 
Past President - Christie Bryant (1st term) - This is Christie's sixth year serving on the board. She ended her term serving as President at the end of 2021. Christie ran the Tree Healthcare division at Gunnison Tree Specialists and currently serves as a consultant at her own company, Speaking for Trees. She has a degree in Environmental Horticulture from Chattahoochee Tech, and is also trained as a Horticultural Therapist.
Dave Simpson (1st term) Dave is the Planting Director at Trees Atlanta where he has worked since 2015. He has 19 years of experience working in the arboriculture and public horticulture fields, and is an ISA Certified Arborist. Dave earned a bachelor's degree from Presbyterian College and a master's degree in Plant & Environmental Sciences from Clemson University.
Brittany Hope-Bhamla (Executive Director) Brittany has 12 years of experience in the industry, previously serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Gunnison Tree Services. She loves the community of people in this industry and is looking forward to meeting you all. She is currently studying to become an ISA Certified Arborist herself! She is a passionate artist, loves to cook, and most weekends you can find her exploring the many beautiful hiking trails in Georgia along with her family and 2 dogs.
Helen Nash (Project Manager) Helen joined GAA in June 2021. Previously she worked in corporate communications with The Coca-Cola Company for more than 15 years, in areas ranging from speechwriting to public relations to social media. She's looking forward to learning more about trees!
Jake Henry (1st term) (CAA Representative) - Jake is the Field Manager of the Savannah Tree Foundation, where he coordinates tree planting events, volunteer and community engagement, and educational opportunities. Jake has been an arborist since 2019, and received his master's degree in forestry from Mississippi State University where he studied his favorite tree: the longleaf pine!%20(1).jpeg)
NEIL NORTON