SAVE THE DATE!
PHC Day: plant and soil care workshop
788 Hillcrest Rd NW, Lilburn, GA 30047
Lilburn Activity Building
Friday May 8th, 2026.
Event Time: 9:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
| Time |
Session |
| 8:30 A.M. |
Check-In and Coffee |
| 9:00–10:00 A.M. |
Biological Control – Ignazio Graziosi |
| 10:00–11:00 A.M. |
Speaking to Homeowners About Plant Health Care – Juan Carrasco |
| 11:00–11:15 A.M. |
Break |
| 11:15 A.M.–12:30 P.M. |
Diagnostics – Dr. Stephanie Adams |
| 12:30–1:30 P.M. |
Lunch and Game Show |
| 1:30–2:30 P.M. |
A Modern Day Approach to Plant Healthcare – JB Toorish |
| 2:30–3:30 P.M. |
Profitability and Prioritization in PHC – Alex Ferguson (Arborki) + Panel |
| 3:30–4:00 P.M. |
Networking |
6 CEUS Applied For
About the Speakers:
Dr. Ignazio Graziosi is an Assistant Outreach Professor of Tree Biology, Structure, and Health with the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA. He/She is deeply interested in tree health and in raising awareness of the many benefits trees provide. His/Her work focuses on urban forestry, arboriculture, forest entomology, and public engagement related to urban and community tree canopies.
He holds a Ph.D. in Forest Entomology from the University of Kentucky and an M.S. in Forestry and Environmental Sciences from the University of Florence in his home country of Italy.
Prior to joining the University of Georgia, he worked with non-governmental and governmental organizations, universities, and private companies. His experience includes coordinating urban forest outreach in Kentucky; conducting surveillance of quarantine plant pests in the European Union; studying the ecology of mosquito vectors in Europe and Africa; developing tree health protocols in Africa; researching the ecology and control of tree pests and pathogens in the United States and Europe (including emerald ash borer, Asian chestnut gall wasp, and chestnut blight); contributing to the biological control of cassava pests in Asia; and working as an urban forester and arborist assistant in Italy.
Dr. Stephanie Adams is a tree pathologist and an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) with 24 years of experience in the green industry. She has extensive field and lab expertise working with trees and landscape plants. Dr. Adams holds a B.S. in Botany with a minor in Urban Forestry from Western Illinois University, an M.S. in Plant Pathology from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in Forest Tree Pathology from the University of Florida’s School of Forestry. She has been an ISA Certified Arborist since 2007 and earned the BCMA credential in 2017.
Previously the plant health care leader at the Morton Arboretum, she now is Assistant Professor and Extension Tree and Landscape Plant Health Specialist at Texas A&M University.
Juan Carrasco is the Director of Plant Health Care and Sales Manager at Atlanta Arbor, bringing over 30 years of experience in Arboriculture and Plant Health Care across California, Florida, and Georgia. He holds a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the Panamerican University of Agriculture “El Zamorano” and has been an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist since 2007. Juan is also ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ) and a licensed Pesticide Applicator in Georgia. With extensive experience managing commercial, institutional, governmental, and residential projects, Juan delivers practical, science-based solutions that provide exceptional value to clients. Drawing on decades of field and leadership experience, he has successfully guided arborist sales teams and businesses toward sustainable growth through integrated, results-driven strategies. He has served as an instructor for the UF/IFAS Extension in Florida and continues to lead training seminars with the Georgia Arborist Association and other industry organizations. Juan has also been invited to speak in his home country of Ecuador, where he shares his expertise in tree risk assessment and proper arboricultural practices with municipalities and public and private organizations.
JB Toorish started his career in the green industry in 1980 working for a landscaping company in the Cleveland, Ohio area. JB started as a lawn technician and eventually managed the lawn care and tree/ornamental care departments while developing Integrated Pest Management programs. In 1995, JB began working for the Davey Tree Expert Company as a sales and service technician. He graduated from The Davey Institute of Horticultural Sciences and The Davey Institute of Tree Sciences in 1997.
In July of 1997, JB started with LESCO/JDL as Manager of Technical Services. There, JB’s duties included daily agronomic and pest control support to internal and external customers. He held pesticide dealer/applicator licenses in over 30 states and routinely performed educational training presentations for CEU credits.
JB joined the Arborjet team in April of 2009. He is currently living in Orlando, Florida and providing sales and technical support for the southeast region of the United States.
JB has created and facilitated chemical applicator re-certification training presentations for many states throughout the US. JB has also written technical information for various industry text books, internal newsletters, websites and a monthly technical column for Lawn and Landscape Magazine.
Alex Ferguson is a certified arborist, TRAQ qualified, and the owner of Arbor Kí Tree Solutions, which provides PHC support services to companies within the tree care industry. Alex began his career in his early teens, working for retirees and master gardeners, which developed his interest in the green industry. After completing his degree in Horticulture from the University of Georgia, he pursued further education in the industry, focusing on arboriculture. Since discovering PHC, he has been committed to fostering a positive public view and promoting the adoption of preventative tree care.
