The Family Tree

It’s all about relationships, and here at NPHC we are fortunate to have a very talented group of people who call us home. In fact, we employ more Certified Arborists than any other tree service in town. And like any business family we have some characters living under our roof who keep things interesting. Meet some of us here.

Leadership

JOE ZUBALY
Certified Arborist
President - NPHC

Joseph Zubaly is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Certified Arborist with 18 years of experience. His education and dedication to the care of trees have made him an expert in the Green Industry. His love for trees is evident in his proactive and environmentally sensitive approach. Joe trains other landscape professionals and frequently speaks to interested community groups. His experience and utilization of research-based techniques gives you the best care for your trees and shrubs. As the president of the company, Joe’s duties include, CEO, Landscape division manager and barbecue chef extraordinaire for the company party.  He and his wife Kate love the outdoors and continually seek out local getaways to unwind.  When not working, Joe can be found rocking babies to sleep at the Vanessa Behan crisis nursery or watching his 3 boys, Forest, Ben and Nick at the local skate park. 

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KATE ZUBALY
Vice-President

Do not let the title “vice-president” fool you.  Kate is busier than most when it comes to raising her three boys and working in the business at the same time.  Kate usually works from home, but is still in charge of the marketing efforts and contributes in many of the business and managerial decisions.  Tele-commuting suits her. She would rather be home with the boys.  Kate has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing from Penn State University. Her greatest joy is being a mother but she also likes swimming, kayaking, hiking and cooking.

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SHAUNA HOGAN
Office Manager

Shauna has many years of customer service, office management and bookkeeping experience. Her passion for organization keeps the office running smoothly. Her job duties include, financial reporting, tax accounting, AR, AP and she does this all from her home in Seattle!  She moved there with her husband Brannon a year ago and she was so indispensable we couldn’t let her go.  Well we did let her go, but she still works with us full time, if not more some weeks.   Shauna comes back to Spokane for three days a month for our monthly financial meetings and to visit family.  She is an indispensable member of the core group at NPHC. 

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BEN KAPPEN (10 year employee!)
PFT Division Manager
Certified Arborist/
Certified Tree Risk Assessor

Ben is perhaps one of the top 5 arborists in the Inland Northwest, definitely top 10.  His knowledge of trees and the environment, his customer service skills and his dedication to ethical tree sales and care make Ben an extraordinary employee.  Ben is a Certified Tree Risk assessor and landscape designer as well, using Autocad to make his visions come alive for our landscape clients.  His in-depth knowledge of diagnosing tree and shrub pests gives the clients treatment options that are effective and practical. Ben's love of trees and plants makes him a dedicated professional. Ben enjoys the outdoors. He likes hiking, fishing, the Art of Bonsai, gardening and playing “This Old House” with his wife Glenda.

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THORIN BROWN
GTW Division Manager
Certified Arborist/
Certified Tree Risk Assessor

Thorin is a Certified Arborist, Certified Tree Risk Assessor, Licensed Pesticide applicator, General Tree Work Division Manager, Safety Coordinator and Tree Care Salesman for Northwest Plant Health Care. Wow, and you thought you were busy.  He has been a valued member of the staff for a handful of years with no end in sight And it doesn’t stop there.   Thorin has 2 children at home, Ara and Tolkien, and is married to a wonderful woman named Rachel. When Thorin is not multitasking at work he loves to snowboard, go to Seahawks games, hang out with his family, play in a rock band and coach a YMCA arena football league. 

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Field Experts

BEN LARSON
Certified Arborist
Tree Care Foreman

Ben comes to us with a degree in Biology, experience in farming and the care of orchard trees. His hard work and willingness to learn new things has made him a tremendous asset. Ben is our top climber and lead Foreman of our general tree work division. He is also a certified Arborist. Ben’s job includes removing large scary, dead trees with a crane to artistically pruning a weeping Japanese Maple.  He can do it all!  His biggest charge lately has been to train the fellows you see listed below, and he is doing a great job.  Everyone on the GTW crew will be a certified Arborist by May 2009, thanks in part to Ben’s tutelage.  Ben lives with his wife Shara and his dear little girl named Amalie.  He enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, including hiking and gardening.

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George Smith
Landscape Foreman

George is our newest Landscape foreman and does an outstanding job for NPHC. He brings with him 4 years experience as a foreman for another local landscape company and 7 years doing grounds maintenance at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds. He can do just about anything we ask of him and he is a hard worker to boot. At the end of the day, George returns to the shop smiling and just as dirty, if not more so, than the rest of the crew. We like that about George.

George lives in Post Falls with his wife Terry, who recently immigrated to the US from Winnipeg, Canada. He has 6 daughters and 4 granddaughters and enjoys spending time with them camping and swimming.

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JAMES MACALLISTER
Certified Arborist
Tree Care Foreman

James comes to us after many years as a certified Arborist at Fairchild Air force base and is currently a foreman for our General Tree Work division. The clients who have met James don’t easily forget his big smile and genuine concern for their trees.  James is a drummer (in the same band as Thorin) and loves music. He has a gorgeous young daughter named Haley and goes home every night to his wife Faith. James has been a great addition to our family and we hope to have him for years to come!

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BECKY PHILLIPS
Certified Arborist
Plant Health Care Foreman

Becky is one of the most passionate plant people you will ever meet. She has 3 AAS degrees from SCC, Landscape/Turf, Greenhouse Nursery, and Floral Design. She is also a Certified Arborist, a Master Gardener, a PHC specialist with a spray license for pest and weed control. Becky has been in the industry since 1998 and is an accomplished landscape designer as well. Becky’s job includes equipment and product inventory, training new employees, client service and scheduling and routing.  Her favorite thing to do in her off time is gardening. When Becky is not thinking about plants, (which is not very often) she loves to go camping and spend time with her family.  Becky is a dedicated mother and grandmother.

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JENI COOPERSMITH
Certified Arborist
Plant Health Care Expert

Jeni has a degree from Spokane Community College in Horticulture and greenhouse management. She is a Certified Arborist and a Licensed Pesticide Applicator in Washington and Idaho.  Jeni’s route is usually over in Idaho, but she fills in for Becky and Vic when the need arises.  She is an accomplished plant health care technician and arborist.  She is truly an expert at diagnosing and treating plants on the spot and our Idaho clients have come to love her heart for customer service.  Jeni loves to read at home and gardens as much as she can. When she takes off the rubber gloves, she is at home chasing after her three girls. 

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VICTOR WILLS
Certified Arborist
Plant Health Care Expert

Victor is a Certified Arborist with a love for all aspects of the tree care business.  He has helped out on the PFT crew for the last year and has a WA/ID pesticide applicators license. He is one of our most productive applicators and Becky and Jeni love working with him.  He’s like a big teddy bear.  They didn’t say that though.  Vic loves to cook and he is a very good chef. He also has a degree in Horticulture from SCC. Victor can come to your house and prune your apple tree and then give you an awesome recipe for cobbler. He and his lovely wife Angel live in the Spokane Valley and enjoy doting over their new grandbabies. 

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LOWELL THOMPSON
Climbing Arborist

You can’t miss Lowell and his infectious smile.  Lowell is a climber on our General Tree work crew and will be taking the Certified Arborist exam in April of 09’. He has been with us for a full year now and just loves working here. Lowell has 4 kids named Ty, Kirstin, Emma and Abby and goes home to his wonderful partner, Stephanie. If you see Lowell outside of work he will be racing motorcycles, so look out. 

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Josh Balakier
Landscaper/Irrigation

Josh is our resident irrigation specialist and he does a great job helping out on the landscape crew. Josh comes to us with lots of experience in both these areas, he worked for the Walla Walla parks department and has 7 years of landscape, irrigation, and fountain work under his belt. Josh also has an AAAS degree in irrigation tech. When he is not out doing sprinklers and landscaping, Josh loves to ski, camp and fish.

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ADAM BROWN
Tree worker

Adam had a relationship with NPHC before he ever worked here because he is Thorin Brown’s step brother. Adam has always shown a love for all things green and growing and comes to us with a ton of forestry experience. He is currently studying for his certified Arborist designation and wants badly to become a master gardener. Adam has a wonderful daughter named Alysia who also lives in Spokane and is about to graduate from North Central High school. When Adam is not pruning your trees or studying, he is out hiking and most definitely riding his bike!

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Support Staff

Anna Lutes
Administrative assistant

Anna is the attentive voice you hear on the line when you call our office. She is a welcome addition to the team and is Shauna’s eyes and ears in Spokane.  She has been with us for the last year and commutes from Liberty Lake to be here every day. Anna has two children, Micky age 7 and Madelyn age 4. When she is not scheduling sales calls and routing the spray crews or answering your calls she is probably Hiking, gardening or practicing yoga at the YMCA. She has a background in horticulture/nursery so she can even answer some of your plant questions!

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ALBERT FERGUSON
Mechanic

Albert is our mechanic extraordinaire. He has worked as a mechanic most of his life and has an extensive background in all things full of oil and grease. Albert can truly fix anything.  When we need something, we go to Albert and he is always ready and willing to help.  When he is not under one of our trucks, stump grinders or spray rigs he loves to be outdoors. He loves fishing and hunting but prefers to ride or work on his motorcycle. Albert has also built his own Jeep 4x4 and loves to get that dirty as well. Albert is a daddy to four kids and loves his role as father. 

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