Tree Talk With Jason Alfaro - East Texas Market Manager

Hi Jason, tell us a bit about yourself and what got you interested in arboriculture.

I’ve been working in Parks and Recreation for the past 21 years for local government through various municipalities. I’ve always been interested in the green industry, with a particular focus on land stewardship. When I first got into Parks & Rec, I was working for the city of Bastrop, TX. In 2011, the city went through the 2011 Bastrop County Complex fires, which scored thousands of acres and 1700 homes. Even though I was interested in trees prior to that, I got involved in the reforestation effort in Bastrop, and that’s when I became a Certified Arborist. We worked with other tree folks as well as national organizations to reforest and replant close to 1 million trees.?

From that point on, I had a bigger desire to focus on trees, community, and quality of life.

How did you make the transition to your role as the East Texas Market Manager for Tree Mann Solutions?

After I became a Certified Arborist, I really started to dig in deep and focus on my career. I was a Parks & Rec Superintendent and eventually became a Parks & Rec Director for Kingsville and, most recently, Victoria, where I worked for 3 ? years. Making connections and building relationships has always been a focal point of my efforts, and that’s now true in my role at Tree Mann Solutions. Our deliverables are top of the line, but if we don’t have those relationships established, sometimes it doesn’t make a difference, so I’m excited to see how building upon existing relationships and establishing some new ones will really help us grow throughout the state.

How does your role support and integrate with the other markets in the state?

Everyone on the team has their own focus and the way that they go about conducting business in each market, but there’s definitely a lot of collaboration because everyone brings a unique perspective to the table.?

Once you’re able to bring those perspectives together and sit down and collaborate, you can bring up more ideas that lead to more solutions to a variety of problems. We have a well-blended team with different histories and backgrounds across various professions and careers. I think that’s a unique thing to have for a team; being able to share our knowledge with each other is even better.

Are there any unique considerations or challenges with the East Texas region and tree regulations?

What’s interesting about the Houston market is the sheer number of trees in that area. Some municipalities or jurisdictions don’t necessarily have tree ordinances or regulations. When there are no regulations, it’s often very elective in what to preserve and develop around regarding green space.

What’s something you learned this past year in your new role?

What I’ve learned in the amount of time I’ve been here (and I’ve kind of already known) is how much we’re able to influence the development, design, and land stewardship more on the private side than on the public side. The public side is very regulatory, and if we’re looking at it the way Tree Mann looks at it and have those conversations with design teams prior to any movement on the ground, we’re able to preserve and be better land stewards than what we could be as a regulatory organization.

We have a little more skin in the game and I’m able to have those conversations more easily than I was able to working in a government agency. When we can talk about tree preservation in the design and planning stage, we’re able to be proactive rather than reactive.

What’s the next area of opportunity for you or your team?

Right now, our biggest goal is expansion in the East Texas region from a 1 man-show to a full-blown team. That way, we can focus on multiple areas within Houston, ranging from development to government and anywhere in between and beyond. We have the ability to do great things for land stewardship and green infrastructure throughout the state, so I’m excited to see what we can accomplish and what we’ll be a part of in the future.

Do you have any passion projects you’re working on currently?

I’m looking forward to exploring the Houston area with my kids and enjoying their extracurricular activities as much as possible. One thing that led me to Tree Mann Solutions was the flexibility in the work environment and the ability to prioritize family. We recently went to the Katie Mills Mall for half a day and then to the Houston Rodeo, which was great stuff. We’ll be exploring some of the state parks throughout the area, hiking, and indulging in the Houston culture!