Ed Macias – grew up in the tiny, sea-side town of Carpinteria, California. He attended Santa Barbara City College where he enjoyed the sunny weather and beautiful women. When he finally decided to get serious about school, he moved to San Diego and graduated from San Diego State University with degrees in Botany and Anthropology.
Life took Ed back to Santa Barbara where he ran his own small landscape business while he and Debbie raised their young family. Ed bought a small nursery in Santa Barbara just before a major drought hit the area, so he packed up his family and moved to Phoenix. Ed has worked for The Groundskeeper for the past 17 years working his way up as a sales person, branch manager, and then Regional Manager. His employees call him “The Holy Hispanic” where he leads with a loud bark and gentle bite.
Ed’s involvement in ALCA has unleashed his political side as he hobnobs with politicians in Washington DC on behalf of E-Verify, immigration issues, and other topics related to the landscape industry. Ed’s positive thinking, innovative ideas, and motivating personality are an asset not only to the landscape industry but to ALCA as well as he leads the association as the 2009 President. ALCA is very pleased to acknowledge Ed Macias as the 2009 and 2010 ALCA President.
Will Pereira – studied at the University of Arizona’s Eller School of Business and holds a B4 General Engineering Contractors License, a A21 Commercial Landscaping Contractors License, and a C21 Residential Irrigation Systems Contractors License with the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. He has held a variety of leadership positions in commercial and residential landscape and design. Prior to joining BlueStar in 2009, Will served as the general manager and director of sales and marketing for Sunset Landscaping & Designs. During this time he led the company’s design and sales teams. Will has also served in various roles on the Arizona Landscape Contractors Association Board of Directors since 2004.
Matthew Johnson – Matthew Johnson is co-owner of Asset Landscaping in Phoenix which provides Professional Landscape Management for HOA’s, Commercial Office Buildings, Industrial Parks, and Hospitality Venue’s.
While Matthew did not “grow up” in the landscape industry as many do, he was introduced to it when he was part of a company that invested in a Condominium Association that was self managed and had quite a bit of deferred maintenance. Learning how to make irrigation repairs and adjustments was just the beginning.
Serving on several Boards as an Officer and Director, landscaping always seemed to come into play when upgrading facilities were on the agenda. After taking additional classes on the workings of HOA Operations, Matthew worked with developers to transition between builder and homeowner control. Eventually after being a Community Manager for a few years the opportunity to buy into what is now Asset Landscaping came along.
Giving back to the community has been a family focus going back many years. From Grandparents serving on Church and Bank Board of Directors, Parents who have served on Boards ranging from American Legion Baseball, to City Council, to Housing for the Elderly, to a County Museum, to Matthew’s youth spent volunteering for the Red Cross teaching swimming lessons and eventually training life guards for the public pool, coaching T-Ball, and assisting in weekend wrestling camps. Serving as a part of this organization just seems like a logical step.
Moving forward Matthew hopes to learn more about ALCA’s role within the industry and how to continue the great tradition of professionalism the ALCA Board of Directors have created with their commitment to quality and hard work. It is Matthew’s goals as well as the rest of his fellow Board members to increase the visibility of ALCA as an Association that represents hundreds of families and voters, as well as the representing entity to quality landscape companies in Arizona.
Tony Acosta – has been involved in the landscape industry for over 20 years. His first 11 years were spent in New Jersey where he and his parents had a joint venture in a landscape maintenance and small enhancement company. Their company was involved with the New Jersey Landscape Contractors Association and Tony was certified with the NJ Irrigation Association. He then moved to North Carolina to pursue other interests while remaining involved by helping friends with small landscape projects.
In 2003, he moved to the Valley of the Sun to continue his career in the industry where he has worn many hats including Customer Service Rep, Project Manager, Business Development and Maintenance Director. In 2008 he joined Xeriscapes Unlimited with past ALCA President Rod Pappas. Tony was thrilled to hear of the company’s involvement with ALCA and began to bug ALCA CEO Judy Gausman for opportunities to serve. “I had such a positive experience with NJLCA that I wanted to be involved with ALCA. I want to be able to give back to the industry that has given so much to me over the years.” Tony is excited about serving as the ALCA Board Secretary and looks forward to being involved for years to come.
Tony’s other passion is motorsports ministry. In his free time, Tony serves as a Chaplain with Motor Racing Outreach Association. He has enjoyed traveling all over the country working with AMA Superbike, Off-Road motorcycle racing and NASCAR for the last 12 years.
Steve Shields – has been involved with ALCA since 2001 when he joined the Board of Directors as the chair of Government Affairs. Since then, he has been Vice President, President, and chair of the Insurance and Safety committee. Currently he is the Treasurer.
Steve graduated from Northern Arizona University in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and began his insurance carrier with Argonaut Insurance. He left Argonaut to open Great States Insurance Company’s first office outside of California. He joined Hill & Usher Insurance and Surety in 1999 specializing in commercial insurance.
Steve is a second generation insurance agent in Phoenix and has actively participated on the Arizona Appeals Board and the NCCI CC&R committees. He is active in his Alumni Association in Flagstaff and Phoenix.
Dwight Faires – is the District Sales Manager for Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting covering Arizona, New Mexico and El Paso, TX.
Born and raised in Escondido, California Dwight cut his way into the green industry working for his brother, Bill, who owned a landscape maintenance company. A few years after high school, Dwight took a position with Hunter Industries building and designing the company’s own injection molding machines. Working alongside the legendary Edwin J. Hunter for 10 years, Dwight helped build over 200 machines for the San Marcos California molding facilities until 1996.
Dwight relocated to Arizona in 1996 and took an inside sales associate position in the Irrigation Division of Turf Irrigation & Waterworks Supply, now called HD Supply. Dwight performed a variety of functions including direct phone sales, outside sales support, processing all municipal bids and material take-offs on upcoming projects for five years. Dwight was eventually promoted to outside sales where he was directly responsible for some of the largest landscape construction firms in the Phoenix metro area.
In 2003, Dwight accepted a position with Vista Professional Outdoor Lighting as their Technical Specialist and has since been promoted to his current position, Southwest Territory District Sales Manager.
Dwight is a long time ALCA supporter and has contributed in many ways; most notably for his photography skills. Dwight loves the outdoors and photography is his favorite hobby. In 2007, Dwight was selected as ALCA's Outstanding Associate Member of the Year and for the past3 years was the head judge for ALCA's Excellence in Landscaping Awards Program.
Jim Trog – With 15+ years of landscape and irrigation experience in the Phoenix area, Jim has focused on water management for the past 5 years while working as the Water Conservation Manager with Four Peaks Landscape Management. He is certified through the Irrigation Association as an Irrigation Contractor and a Landscape Irrigation Auditor and is an EPA Water Sense Partner.
Jim works with a diverse client base across the Phoenix basin managing the landscape irrigation needs from greenbelt areas to arid native landscapes. He spends time within the community’s he serves educating on the use of technologies in the landscape to improve water management both at the commercial and residential level.
Jim has served as a member of the ALCA Insurance and Safety committee for the past 5 years.
Nate Gould – has been involved in the Irrigation Industry since 1985. He spent the first 11years in Minnesota working in distribution and dealing in all aspects of the industry; from irrigation designer to sales in residential/commercial & golf irrigation, low voltage lighting, and all allied products. Nate has worked in Arizona since 1996 as a Manufacturer’s Sales Manager, currently employed by Hunter Industries. He has been the Director of Membership on the ALCA Board of Directors for 12 years.
ACCREDIDATION AND ACHIEVEMENTS: Architectural Design Degree in 1985; Irrigation Association, Irrigation Designer, Commercial; Irrigation Association, Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor; ALCA’s 2003 Associate Member of the Year
Bob Franchetto - was raised in the green industry in Antioch, CA as a 3rd generation florist. He has been in the distribution business for over eighteen years and has been employed by Horizon Distributors since 2003. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Ornamental Horticulture from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
A dedicated husband to wife Kimberly and loving father to Randy and Ashley; Bob’s number one passion in life is his family and their happiness and well being.
Even though Bob’s number one passion is his family, his second has to be taking care of people’s needs or what we know as customer service. Bob’s “never say no” attitude and relentless pursuit of total customer satisfaction along with his vast knowledge of the landscape business makes him one of the best representatives in the green industry.
Bob has served on the ALCA Board of Directors since 2007 as Community Projects Director. He was responsible for coordinating and managing fellow ALCA members to transform a backyard for the Florence Crittenton’s Transitional Home; a home for young girls who are determined to take their life from system dependence to independence. Bob also took the lead in providing a child friendly playground and safe atmosphere for the children at the “Children’s First Academy”; a school for children of homeless families.
In 2005, Bob Franchetto was honored at ALCA’s Excellence in Landscaping Awards Program as the recipient of the “Outstanding Service of the Year” award. Bob is truly deserving of ALCA’s 2009 Outstanding Associate Member of the Year Award.
Jesus Montano – ALCA is pleased to acknowledge Jesus Montano as the 2010 ALCA Director of Programs.
Dennis Canedy – is a 1975 graduate from the University of Vermont UVM College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a BS Degree Biological Sciences. From 1977 to 1979, Dennis studied landscape architecture at SUNY at Syracuse University College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
Dennis has been a member of ALCA since he established his own landscape company, Sunset Landscaping and Designs in 1979. Thirty years later, he is a preferred landscape designer and installer of many local building contractors for his model complexes, as well as designer of choice for custom landscaping and landscape packages provided to home buyers. Dennis employs over 50 employees, many of whom have been with him since he initially started the company.
Dennis has been very active in ALCA. In January, 2005 he was nominated and elected as ALCA’s Director of Government Affairs. His involvement in ALCA has unleashed a political awareness that has allowed him to visit not only with state politicians but also representatives in Washington DC where he represented the landscape industry on issues related specifically to E-Verify and immigration reform.
In 2006, ALCA’s Board of Directors decided to purchase and build out an office condo with a budget of half million dollar. Dennis was instrumental in the purchase, planning, designing and construction of the new ALCA office condominium. He volunteered countless hours and was on-site overseeing the construction nearly everyday. In November, 2006, Dennis was awarded ALCA’s “Outstanding Contractor of the Year” after being nominated and voted by his peers. He received the award at the annual “Excellence in Landscaping” awards program held at The Buttes Tempe Resort.
Dennis’s strong involvement landed him the position as leader of ALCA as he was elected and served as ALCA’s 2008 President. He now serves as Immediate Past-President and Director of Board Development. ALCA is delighted to honor Dennis Canedy as the recipient of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Dennis is married to Lisa and has two children; Chad Taylor who has served in the Marine Reserves and currently attending Paradise Valley Community College working on EMT Certification and Connor Drake who has attended San Diego Mesa College and now enrolled Scottsdale Community College.
David Spector - started working in the landscape business in 1973. He began his career in Tucson, Arizona with custom designs and installations of landscapes and irrigation systems. Some of the projects that he worked on include the tiger exhibit at the City of Tucson Zoo, and landscapes that were featured in Arizona home and gardens magazines. Working in Arizona made it clear that water management was a vital part of successful urban gardening. David focused his education on water management and irrigation systems and design. He then expanded his education to include arboriculture, maintenance, pathogens and the use of chemicals and fertilizer in the management of landscapes. All employees receive training in relation to their respective areas within the green industry. David is a master gardener, water auditor, structural pest control applicator, certified arborist, licensed contractor as well as manager and partner of TLC – The Landscape Company, LLC.
TLC’s approach is to have productive and long lasting relationships with customers, employees and vendors. Our day to day actions contribute to this outcome. TLC is proud to say that we still manage the landscapes of our first client and that our first employee cares for the landscapes of one of our clients as an onsite.
TLC requires all employees to provide proof of eligibility to work within the United States. All drivers are verified as holding a valid Arizona driver’s license and are trained to drive our vehicles with trailers in a safe competent manner.
Judy Gausman – was named the CEO of the Arizona Landscape Contractors’ Association in August, 2009 after serving as its Executive Director for nearly 8 years. In that time, ALCA’s membership has grown by nearly 500%.
Native of Indiana, Judy moved to Arizona in 2001 with her two children, Jama Krekeler Filip and Ryan Krekeler. Formerly, Judy was employed by the Southeastern Indiana YMCA where she held the position of Comptroller for 9 years. Judy was also responsible for seeking out and writing grants for childcare and children’s programs. In 3 years time, she applied for 60 grants ranging from $200 - $100,000 in which the YMCA was awarded nearly $500,000.
Currently, Judy serves on the Arizona Registrar of Contractors Advisory Council and is a member of the AZ Society of Association Executives (AzSAE). Recently, she accepted a position on the Government Affairs Committee for the national landscape association PLANET (Professional Landcare Network).
In addition to her two children and their spouses, Judy's biggest and best pastime is spent with her granddaughter, Sloane.