Instructors
Tricia Bethke, forest pest outreach coordinator, The Morton Arboretum
Tricia Bethke is the forest pest outreach coordinator for the State of Illinois, supported by USDA APHIS. Her responsibilities include statewide training of key stakeholders on invasive species, forest pest identification, regulations, quarantines, and reporting protocols, plus pest detection programs and tree health monitoring.
Sara Earhart, superintendent of parks, Community Park District of LaGrange Park
Sara Earhart is the superintendent of parks at the Community Park District of LaGrange Park. She is an ISA-certified arborist municipal specialist and member of the Illinois Arborist Association. She completed her Associate of Applied Science degree in horticulture at the College of DuPage. Earhart is an instructor for the IAA and teaches arborist exam prep courses.
Andrew Johnston, forestry technician, Village of Lombard
Andrew Johnston is a forestry technician for the Village of Lombard and has worked in the tree industry for 8 years. He has split his experience between major private companies (Savatree, Bartlett) and the municipal sector. He has a BS in Biological sciences with an emphasis in plant biology as well as being an ISA certified arborist with a TRAQ certification. He is an avid gardener and is always interested in discussing the natural environment with those willing to listen.
Shawn Kingzette, sales arborist trainer and certified arborist, The Davey Tree Expert Company
Shawn Kingzette is an International Society of Arboriculture Board Certified Master Arborist with 30 years of experience and is a sales arborist trainer for The Davey Tree Expert Company. He also serves on the tree board in his hometown of Harvard, IL and serves on the board of directors of the Land Conservancy of McHenry County.
Amber Kunz, Senior Resource Technician, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Amber Kunz started off as a restoration technician with Friends of the Forest Preserves. There, she learned the basics of chainsaw operation and tree felling for habitat restoration. She then went on to work for The Davey Tree Expert Company as a plant healthcare technician and climbing arborist where she developed skills such as tree pest diagnosis and control, climbing trees for pruning and removals, and hazard tree work due to storm damage. Now she helps lead a resource management crew as a senior technician at the Forest Preserves of Cook County. Her work largely involves technical chainsaw work to mitigate tree hazards for the public, aerial lift work, and habitat restoration. In this role she has taught or helped teach classes about tree risk assessment, chainsaw operation, tree worker safety, and climbing and working in trees.
Eric Menigat, resource supervisor, Forest Preserves of Cook County
Eric Menigat has held the ISA Certified Arborist credential for 10+ years and currently works as a Resource Supervisor, where he leads an eight-person team engaged in urban forestry, prescribed fire, and ecological restoration. Previously, Menigat worked for the Audubon Society, City of Bloomington, IN Parks Department, and Indian University. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental science from Indiana University–Bloomington.
Phil Prohaska, senior resource technician, Forest Preserves of Cook County
A graduate from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point with a bachelor’s of science degree in urban forestry, Phil Prohaska spent several years working in the private sector doing primarily climbing and bucket work and four years in the utility sector trimming and removing trees around energized power lines. He has spent the last 10 years working for the Forest Preserves of Cook County.
Aidden Tapia, community coordinator, The Morton Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative
Aidden Tapia is a community coordinator for The Morton Arboretum’s Chicago Region Trees Initiative. He is an ISA Certified Arborist and holds a master’s degree in plant biology and conservation from Northwestern University. He has worked as a research assistant at Chicago Botanic Garden and as a forester for the City of Highland Park. At The Morton Arboretum, he works on administering IDNR’s Urban and Community Forestry Grant Program, working closely with government entities to complete forestry projects and update tree protection ordinances.
