Meet the 2021 State Board of Directors

Tyrone Foster
Tyrone is the Owner and President of Precision Landscape Services, Inc. in Portland, Oregon. Prior to becoming a small business owner, Tyrone worked as a Business Unit Manager, Business Line Director, and in a number of other manager level roles at various companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Tektronix, Inc. and Key Technology. Tyrone earned his Bachelor of Science in Microelectronic Engineering. Tyrone is passionate about mentoring small business owners and students and enjoys giving back to the community.

Fun fact: I have worked, lived, or played in 40 states, 30 countries, and 5 continents.

Peter Timmen

• Native Oregonian/PNWer
• Started in industry, Georgia, 1985
• Enjoy giving back to industry and teaching others about it
• Certification Chair/member of OLCA Board for ? years (two tours)
• Collect comic books
• Sports lover

Ken DeSantis
Ken has been in the landscape industry most of his adult life.  Ken started out literally following his Dad around cleaning up his pruning messes.  Ken has been with DeSantis Landscapes for nearly 29 years.  Ken got started on the OLCA path early on in his career.  He was sitting at a leadership conference in Bend in the late 1990’s when there was a call for help to serve OLCA and the landscape industry.  Ken became involved with the CLT committee and later chaired the committee.  Ken has been involved with the OLCA board in various roles since the early 2000’s.  Ken enjoys time with family and friends and cooking for them.

Jeremy Tobin
Jeremy has been an active member of OLCA since 2014 serving as President of the Portland Regional Chapter in 2018 and as the State President in 2020. His other notable contributions to the Organization include;  running the annual Golf Tournament and serving as the Project Manager for Phase 1 of the service project at Sitton Elementary School in Portland.  Jeremy’s day job is being the General Manager of Aspen Creek Landscaping where he oversees the day to day operations of the company. He is a former class clown and can be found hamming it up around the office in a vain attempt to make everyone laugh. Jeremy enjoys spending his free time with his wife Allison and their two children Cooper and Phoebe.

Pedro Garcia
Pedro has been working in the green industry for more than 20 years. He was born in Mexico at the age of 17 when his father brought him to the USA, and he started to work harvesting fruit in Washington. In 1999 he moved to Portland, Oregon and he started to work for a local company (Willamette Landscape). He worked there as a crew member and then as a crew leader. And here is where he discovers his passion for nature. In 2009 Pedro Became a CPA License and started to work for Brickman as a spray technician. In 2011 he founded Garcia’s Landscape Maintenance LLC, and has worked here ever since. In 2020 Pedro got his landscape construction professional license (all phases plus backflow).  He really enjoys working in this industry, He finds working with plants, trees and pavers is a way to connect with nature. The simple act of pruning a plant to make it something functional or beautiful, brings him endless satisfaction.

Elizabeth Hodgson
Elizabeth is a new member of OLCA. She first gained interest in horticulture when her aunt rented out a community garden plot for her when she was still going to art school at Portland State University. After graduating with a B.A. in Art with an Emphasis in Painting, Elizabeth continued to practice her gardening skills at the community plot and eventually volunteered at her church to lead the renovation of their school's garden. She went back to school in 2013 and graduated in 2015 with an A.S. degree in Landscape Technology and was immediately hired by a Portland landscaping company doing residential designs. After a few years there she left and started designing for Blessing Landscapes where she currently works as a Designer and Sales Representative.

Adam Harris
Adam has been in the insurance industry since 1996, where he started his career as a summer intern for a national insurance provider.  In the first eleven years of his career – he held positions as a Claims Adjuster, Underwriter and Sales Professional, where he learned the insurance business (from the Provider’s perspective).  Since joining LaPorte & Associates in 2007, Adam has provided insurance products and services to his customers in the Pacific Northwest.  Adam specializes in several industries (Construction, Manufacturing, Entertainment and Professional Services)...and has been an active member of OLCA’s board, since 2008.  Adam enjoys the outdoors – where you might find him snowboarding, mountain biking, golfing...or supporting his two active children with their sporting activities.

Ron Putz
Ron is the Oregon/SW Washington Dealer Sales Rep for Basalite Concrete Products. He is an Associate Board Member for OLCA. Ron has been in the Hardscape/Masonry industry since 1986. He first worked for Mutual Materials, for 22 ½ years, helping to develop the Hardscape Division for them. Then, after working for Xeripave and Teufel Landscape, he landed with Basalite, and has been with them for over 5 years. He continues to help in growing the Hardscape industry in Oregon and Washington. He has worked with organizations such as ICPI, and NCMA. And was an ICPI Certified Paver Installer. He is also a member of GRiT (Green Roof info Think-tank). And was on the planning committee for the Yard, Garden and Patio Show, in Portland, from 1991, until the last show in 2016.

Shannon Crosswhite
Shannon graduated from Auburn University in Ornamental Horticulture in 97. She has worked at Teufel Landscape, Tree Care, Landscapes Unlimited and most recently Showplace Landscapes as an Account Manager. She is the current Portland Regional Chapter President.

Doug Crimin 
Doug has been involved in landscaping from a young age, when he started mowing lawns around his neighborhood.  He soon fell in love with the smell of fresh cut grass and nice neat mower lines.  After a career in sales and marketing, Doug decided to follow his heart and revive his passion for landscaping.  He attended Portland Community College and studied Landscape Design as well as Environmental Landscape Management.  After graduating he went to work as an account manager for DeSantis Landscapes.  Doug is currently employed by Pacific Landscape Management as an account manager and oversees a large commercial portfolio.  He is passionate about stormwater management and also serves on the board at Portland’s own Green Roof Info Thinktank also known as GRiT.  Doug has been attending OLCA meetings since 2016 and joined as ERC chair in 2020.

Bryan Gyllen
Bryan has Worked for DeSantis Landscapes for over 10 years and has been a OLCA board member for just over a year.  Bryan’s start in the green industry began when he used to cut grass around the neighborhood in junior high and it continued into high school where he worked summers for a local landscaper in western Wisconsin.  Shortly after receiving his degree in Horticulture from the University of Minnesota, Bryan moved to Hawaii and spent nearly a decade in the Nursery, Landscape, and Construction Industry there.  In 2008 he moved to Oregon with his family and started work with DeSantis Landscapes.  Bryan enjoys skiing, gardening, and spending time with his family.

Adam Flint
Adam has worked at Pacific Landscape Management for just over 5 years. He attended Oregon State University and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Horticulture and has worked in the green industry ever since. This is his first stint on the OLCA Board and he is excited to be in involved with his fellow green industry cohorts.

Corey Petersen
Corey‘s landscape career started with the summer job right after high school, working for a local residential maintenance company.  He then went on to Oregon State University where he discovered that he could make a career in landscape, and eventually attained a degree in Landscape Horticulture.  After working various landscape jobs throughout college, in 2008 Corey eventually settled into a career with Pacific Landscape Management, where he started as a Site Supervisor and Sustainability Coordinator, then Account Manager, and is currently Branch Manager for the company’s Hillsboro branch.   Corey has also served on the OLCA Board previously as the Environmental Resource Committee Chair and is currently the Academic Committee Chair. 

Jim Larson
Jim has worked for Cascadian Nurseries since August 1988 and is the general manager. Jim’s experiences include working at Teufel Nurseries from 1982 to 1988 and prior to 1982 working at retail garden centers in Oregon and southern California since 1973. Jim attended Fullerton Community College in California with a certificate in Nursery Management. Jim has been involved with OLCA since 1988 and served on the board of the Oregon Landscape Contractors Association (OLCA) for several years, served as President in 1995 and has been an integral part of the Portland Regional Chapter.