Brenda M. Allen serves as one of two members representing academic institutions with an expertise in urban and community forestry activities. She is an Assistant Professor, School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University , and also Extension Specialist – Urban Forestry, Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Brenda holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal & Poultry Sciences and a Master of Science degree in Plant & Soil Sciences with further studies in Environmental Sciences, all from Tuskegee Institute (now University), Tuskegee , Alabama . She also earned a Ph.D. in Forestry from Auburn University . A long time extension professional, Brenda began her career with the Alabama Cooperative Extension as a county agricultural extension agent in 1978. In 1997, she was appointed to her current Extension Specialist position and joined Auburn 's School of Forestry faculty where she teaches urban forestry. She also serves on the Alabama Urban Forestry Council. Brenda’s e-mail address is allenbm@auburn.edu.

Catalino Blanche is the member representing USDA Extension Service. He serves as the National Program Leader, Natural Resources and Environment, USDA CSREES. He holds a BS degree in Forest Utilization Engineering; Master’s degrees in Agriculture and Forest Resources; and a PhD in Forestry. Dr. Blanche also holds postdoctoral training in Urban Forestry; Urban Forest Planning, Management and Policy; and Trees, People and the Law. Currently, he administers the $6.2M Wood Utilization Research grant, the $22M Cooperative Forestry Research Grant and approximately $3.5M in special research grants annually. Dr. Blanche manages the Forestry Research Advisory Council (FRAC); coordinates the Natural Resources and Environmental Management (NREM) Base Program Support Team in Cooperative Extension; and the Forest Fragmentation Curriculum development. He was one of the five architects in designing the Clinton-Glickman natural resources conservation legacy. He is a former agroforestry program leader of the USDA Agricultural Research Service; a former associate director of the Urban Forestry Program at Southern University; and a research scientist at Mississippi State University. Dr. Blanche has 92 publications in a variety of areas including: forest products (wood preservation), urban forestry, agroforestry, hydrocarbon emissions, tree seeds, photosynthesis, and bark beetle/host interactions and three book chapters with Academic Press, Timber Press and VPI&SU Press. Catalino’s e-mail address is cblanche@csrees.usda.gov.

Juan Carlos Cervantes serves as the member representing professional renewable natural resource or arboricultural societies. He is the former Director of Science and Research for the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). ISA is a non profit organization dedicated to promoting the professional practice of arboriculture and fostering a greater public awareness of the benefits of trees through research, technology, and education. Juan Carlos holds a Ph.D in Natural Resources Science and Management from the University of Minnesota and a Masters degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan . This broad educational background affords him a broad spectrum from which to formulate new approaches to the challenges facing urban and community trees. Juan Carlos’s e-mail address is juanc.cervantes@gmail.com.

James E. Hubbard serves as the member representing the USDA Forest Service. He is the Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry, and is located at in the Forest Service’s headquarters located in Washington , DC . James’ e-mail address is jehubbard@fs.fed.us.

J. James Kielbaso serves as the member who is not an officer or employee of any government body living in a city with a population of more than 50,000 and who has experience and has been active in urban and community forestry. He has served on the Meridian Township Environmental Commission for 11 years. Through his teaching and extension work at Michigan State University for 36 years, he has helped many Michigan communities with tree inventories and/or follow-up management plans. He served as President of the International Society of Arboriculture, and of the Michigan Forestry and Park Association. He has studied urban tree management in the U.S., manganese deficiency in maples in the Midwest, resident attitudes and opinions of urban trees, vegetation management along U.S. Electric Utilities, and Dendroremediation, to name a few. Jim has recently participated in several International Ecocity conferences, and the way that urban forests can contribute to Ecocities, especially in China . He is currently involved in an innovative urban drain project in Ingham County using Raingarden concepts. Jim’s e-mail address is kielbas3@msu.edu.

Dan Lambe serves as one of two members representing national non-profit forestry and conservation citizen organizations. Dan is the Vice President of Programs at the National Arbor Day Foundation and oversees the various, innovative programs through which NADF strives to educate, recognize and empower people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees, including Tree City USA, Nature Explore, Tree Line USA, conferences and seminars and more. Dan has worked for more than fourteen years in non-profit management creating and directing programs to advance environmental and consumer related issues throughout the nation. He joined the Arbor Day Foundation in January of 2005. Dan’s e-mail address is dlambe@arborday.org.

W. Neil Letson serves as the member representing State government. Heis the State Urban Forestry Coordinator for Alabama . He is employed by the Alabama Forestry Commission yet works on assignment through the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. Neil’s duties include responsibility for the U&CF Financial Assistance Program as administered by Auburn University, serving as chairman of Alabama’s Urban Forestry Partnership’s Technical Committee, collaboration with state partnership organizations (i.e. Alabama Forestry Commission, AU School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences, Alabama Urban Forestry Association), and providing training, educational, and technical resources in support of the state’s urban forestry program. Neil earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville . He has been involved with urban forestry since 1979. Neil’s e-mail address is neil.letson@forestry.alabama.gov.

Carl Nordstrom serves as the member representing forest products, nursery, or related industries. Carl is the Executive Director of the New Jersey Nursery and Landscape Association and is involved in working closely with the industry, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Rutgers University , and the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forests. He has been employed for over 27 years with local and state agencies having a primary focus on community forest and public parkland development and maintenance. Carl is a member of the American Nursery & Landscape Association, the Nursery and Landscape Association Executives of North America, the New Jersey Farm Bureau, the New Jersey Business and Industry Association, and is currently serving on the New Jersey Forestry Association Board of Directors and the New Jersey Invasive Species Council. He has a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Rutgers University and a Masters of Administration in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania . Carl’s e-mail address is NJNLA1@aol.com.

Suzanne Probart serves as the member representing urban forestry, landscape, and design consultants. Suzanne is the owner of Southwest Interiorscape Ltd., a full service landscape installation and maintenance company for interior and exterior foliage. Suzanne is also the Executive Director of Tree New Mexico , a state-wide nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to assuring sustainable forests in urban and rural communities and natural areas through restoration, public education and advocacy. Suzanne also is the Chair of the New Mexico Urban Forest Council and the Albuquerque Tree Initiative. All told, Suzanne has 27 years experience in horticulture and 15 years experience with Tree New Mexico . Suzanne’s e-mail address is tnm@treenm.com.

Stephen Shurtz serves as the member representing city/town government. He is the Landscape and Forestry Manager for the City of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he coordinates all urban forestry and public landscape work. He works closely with local and State government agencies, non-profit organizations, and citizens to improve and manage the community’s green infrastructure. With over 28 year’s experience, he has participated in a great many diverse public and private urban forestry endeavors. Steve holds a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from Louisiana State University . He is a registered landscape architect and an ISA certified arborist. Steve has twice served as the President of the Society of Municipal Arborists. He is a past president of the Louisiana Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects and has served for eight years as a member of the Louisiana Urban Forestry Council. Steve’s e-mail address is sshurtz@brgov.com.

Steve Sinclair is the member representing State forestry agencies or equivalent state agencies. He is the State Forester do he Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. His is also the Chair of the National Association of State Foresters’ Urban and Community Forestry Committee. Steve’s e-mail address is steven.sinclair@state.vt.us.

Alice Ewen Walker serves as one of two members representing national non-profit forestry and conservation citizen organizations. She is Executive Director for the National Alliance for Community Trees, a non-profit dedicated to the support and professional development of community-based urban forestry organizations. Established in 1993, ACT's members include grassroots citizen groups like Tree People, Trees New York, Trees for Houston , DC Greenworks and others. Alice's experience includes national GIS marketing, training and product development at American Forests, fundraising and program management for Trees Atlanta and international conference planning. She is an academic advisor to the University of Maryland Urban Forestry program and is Vice President of DC Greenworks and Treasurer of the Communities Committee of the 7 th American Forest Congress. An Atlanta native, Alice has worked in urban forestry since 1994 and holds a BA in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill . Alice’s e-mail address is alice@pobox.com.

Bobbi Wallace serves as the member representing county government. She is a native from Washington State and serves the citizens living in the city of Kirkland as the Manager for Surface and Waste Water. She works in an urban setting and oversees maintenance operations for over 119,000 surface water structures and 6 waste water lift stations. She previously worked for King County as the Park Resource Manager, leading maintenance operations for over 117,000 acres of trees and forests in both urban and natural lands. She was responsible for managing a staff of 84, with an annual budget of 6.8 million. She has an Associate Degree in Horticulture from Edmonds Community College and first hand experience as a gardener with the City of Seattle 's Street Tree Program. She has worked as a heavy equipment operator, concrete crew supervisor and as the City of Seattle 's North Division Park Resource Manager. She has over 23 years of experience working for the City of Seattle and King County in Washington State . The Seattle Management Association presented Bobbi with the Innovation Award and in 2004 she submitted for King County and received the National Association of Counties award for innovation for the King County Park System's Business Plan. Bobbi’s e-mail address is bwallace@ci.kirkland.wa.us.

Joe Wilson is the member who is not an officers or employees of any government body living in a city with a population of more than 50,000 and who has experience and has been active in urban and community forestry. Joe is the current Chair of the Council. He is the Executive Director of Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful/Greening Milwaukee, a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the tree canopy in the city of Milwaukee though programs of environmental education, awareness, and advice. He is responsible for harnessing enthusiasm throughout greater Milwaukee for a significant environmental improvement resource while building the internal infrastructure to support diverse activities, constituencies, and future aspirations. Joe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from St. Edwards University , Austin , Texas and a Certificate in Strategic Planning from the University of North Texas . He is a member of the Wisconsin Urban Forestry Council. Joe’s e-mail address is joewilson@greeningmilwaukee.org.

Laurence D. Wiseman serves as one of two members representing academic institutions and is currently president and CEO of the American Forest Foundation. He joined a predecessor organization [the American Forest Institute, later the American Forest Council] in 1981 -- and until 1993 served as president of American Forest Council. During his tenure at AFF, Wiseman created and co-founded the Institutes for Journalism and Natural Resources. IJNR remains the premier mid-career education program for environmental and natural resource journalists. Beginning in the early ‘90s, he led the first effort to secure mandatory industry compliance with forestry principles, a program which became an early antecedent of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. He serves currently on the external advisory council to the Global Institute for Sustainable Forestry at Yale, and the National Recovery Team for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. Wiseman was educated at Dartmouth College, where he received an A.B. in Government with Highest Distinction (1969). He received an M.A. in Public Affairs from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University (1971).