Members
Dr. Jared DeForest
Jared DeForest has grown plants and studied trees for over 15 years. After receiving a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Forestry from Michigan Tech University, he turned his attention on forest soil ecology and received a Ph.D. in Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan. With his family, he moved to Athens in 2006 to take a position as assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Plant Biology at Ohio University. By serving on the Tree Commission, he seeks to improve the urban environment of Athens by increasing tree biodiversity and the additional ecosystem services trees provide.
Dr. David Ingram (Commission Chair)
David Ingram has been on the Athens City Shade Tree Commission since 2001. He lives on Morris Avenue, one of the best tree lined streets in the city (his opinion) and the starting point for most of the City parades. He has enjoyed trees ever since he was a boy and has worked to improve the environment through planting trees and encouraging others to do so for many years. When not working on Tree Commission business Ingram is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Ohio University and the Chairman of the Ohio University Edwards Accelerator Lab.
David Sincoff
David studied Botany at Ohio University in the early 1980's, and received a Bachelor's degree in Biology Education in 1984. He has continued his study of trees, shrubs, wildflowers, birds and many other pleasant living things, to this day. He studies while he travels or on his 86 acres of forested land in Athens County. David also has a Master's degree in Special Education, and is employed full-time as the Behavior Specialist for the Athens County Board of MRDD.
Dr. Alvi McWilliams
Alvi McWilliams has lived, worked, and volunteered in the Athens Community since 1969. In the past she has served as secretary on the board of the Athens Foundation for nine years and is a founding member of both the Near East Side Neighborhood Association and Project Plant, a grass-roots non-profit beautification organization which gardens Athens City entrances and the Athens County Convention and Visitors Bureau office on East State Street. McWilliams has a bachelor's in English from the University of Oregon, and both a master's in journalism and a doctorate in communications from Ohio University.
Emilie Wood
Emilie Wood has been a resident of Athens since moving here in l967. When faced with a bare backyard at her new home, she I became seriously interested in gardening. Thus inspired she has attended a number of garden tours, seminars and conferences, and read extensively about gardening. On the community level, her interest in gardening led her to become a member in the Athens County Master Gardeners as well as the Athens Shade Tree Commission. She has served as chairman of the Master Gardener committee responsible for the Children's Garden at the Community Center, taught the class on tress and shrubs in the training program for new Master Gardeners and presented a number of gardening programs to community groups. Wood holds a strong belief that plants, trees and gardening can have a positive impact on a community.
Alternates
Lee Gregg
Lee Gregg moved to Athens in 1974 where she attended Ohio University and received a Ph.D. in Botany. Lee has served on various committees and boards in the past 25 years. Recently retiring from six years on the board for Rural Action, she's now a member of the Community Food Initiatives board. She is also an active Master Gardener for the Athens County Extension office. Lee's special interest in trees and shrubs began as a graduate assistant for the Trees and Shrubs course at O.U., and a greater awareness and appreciation for trees and their importance grew while teaching that same course later on. Over the last seven years, as a member of the Athens Shade Tree Commission, she has learned a great deal more about trees in general and street trees in particular. Lee sees the urban forest as a vital force in reducing carbon dioxide in the air, producing oxygen, providing the cooling effects of trees' spreading canopies for city streets and other paved areas, and making Athens a more attractive city.
John Kotowski
John Kotowski has been a member of the Athens community for the past 32 years. In addition to living and raising a family in Athens, John has worked for Ohio University in varying capacities over that same time frame, having focused mainly on facilities planning, facilities development and building re-development. Trained as an architect and with extensive work in urban and regional planning, John has completed course work for a masters in environmental planning. John has served on a number of boards and community organizations as well as having participated in Project Plant.
City Council Representative
Elahu Gosney
Athens City Council Member
At-Large
Elahu Gosney was born in Athens and is a lifelong resident. He was elected to Athens City Council as an At-Large member in 2007 as is acting chair of the Environment Committee.
Liaisons to the Commission
Ann Bonner
Regional Urban Forester
Ohio Department of Natural Resources - Division of Forestry
Ann is a graduate of The Ohio State University, School of Natural Resources. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and a Minor in Watershed Management
As Region Urban Forester, Ann Bonner provides organizational, as well as technical community forestry assistance to municipalities, townships, other state agencies, tree commissions, beautification organizations, planning Commissions, public service departments and the public. The area that she serves encompasses 16 counties in southeast Ohio and most of OPWC's District 18.
Projects that Ann consults on include planning for downtown revitalization projects where trees and green-spaces will provide benefits to the community, grant applications for communities to accomplish environmentally oriented projects, tree plantings, hazardous tree removal, park planning and maintenance, and vegetation management along public rights of way.
Mark E. Whitney
Landscape Planner/ Project Manager
Ohio University
Mark works for Ohio University at the Landscape Planner/Project Manager. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University and holds a B.S. in Ornamental Horticulture. He collaborates and consults with the Tree Commission on projects such as university and city maintenance and plantings and landscape design for city sites.
