Elizabeth Schulte,
Award of Achievement
The 2023 Award of Achievement—for someone who
has shown exceptional commitment to the urban
forest resource and to the public that we serve—
was bestowed upon Elizabeth Schulte. Elizabeth
has dedicated her career to elevating the urban
forestry industry and to creating opportunities for
all communities to access green space. Her career
has taken her from the State of Wisconsin to PlanIT
Geo, where she acts as a conduit, encouraging and
supporting our industry's professionalism and under-
standing of how to apply technical information.
Seattle Arborist Association,
Legacy Project of the Year
The Legacy Project of the Year is awarded to
a member or organization whose efforts have
enhanced urban forest management and/or
boosted appreciation of urban trees. In 2023 it
was awarded to the Seattle Arborist Association
(SAA), spearheaded by arborist and Seattle Tree
Care Co-owner & CEO Kelsey Gruenwoldt. With
the help of Andrea Starbird, Allen Taylor, and
Taylor Duke, Kelsey sought to unite the arborist
community in Seattle to provide guidance on tree
legislation that had been written without the input
of arborists. Together, they formed the SAA, a pro-
fessional organization that now represents more
than 200 tree care industry workers in Seattle. >>
Award of Achievement honoree Elizabeth Schulte with her boys.
The Seattle Arborist Association was the recipient
of the 2023 Legacy Project of the Year.
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