I retired early from my position as Redwood
City, California Public Works Superintendent
12 ½ years ago because it was not fun
anymore. It was too early for me to retire,
as I still had to get the last of my three chil-
dren through college. While in Redwood
City, I'd developed a root barrier and also
found other tree conservation products
to market and have been doing this part-
time, along with consulting, since 1986.
I did find a way to have a bigger influ-
ence in urban forestry—working at the
Sacramento Tree Foundation as their Urban
Forest Services Director. In that capacity,
I was supporting 22 cities and 6 counties
as they improved their urban forestry
programs as participants in the region's
Greenprint Initiative. When economic hard
times hit, I and 9 other staff were laid off.
I took a position with a large local tree
care company doing sales, training, and
consulting that lasted a year, and then
helped another good tree care company
stay in business doing part-time sales when
their management changed and they had
no salesperson. I felt good about my role
because I need high-performing tree care
companies to refer my consulting clients to.
I currently am consulting full-time with
three great partners, along with the part-
time conservation products sales; I'm
building a new company with a partner
in Vermont to grow better trees; I serve
on two nonprofit boards (ISA & CaUFC);
I participate in the ANSI A300 standards
writing committee work; I serve as a WCISA
proctor and assessor for arborist and tree-
worker exams; and I am trying to finish my
book, The Trees Where People Live: Growing
a Sustainable Urban and Community Forest.
For recreation, I downhill ski, hike, and
play golf, tennis, and softball. I plan to
hike at the Philmont Scout Ranch in New
Mexico with the Boy Scouts this summer. A
grade-school friend just invited me to hike
the Pacific Crest Trail with him, perhaps
next year. That is a four-plus month com-
mitment, so I am weighing whether to
do it, but of course I would love to.
—Gordon Mann
urban-forestry.com 25
Gordon and Georgia Mann on a wine tasting
tour in El Dorado County, California.
