Keith O'Herrin, Ph.D. Email & Phone Number

Charlotte, Nc, Us

Union County, Nc

Co-Founder and Ex-Officio Board Member of a tree planting non-profit working to grow and improve the tree canopy in Union County, NC.

50% Planning - Provide urban forestry expertise to 11 municipalities in Union County, NC experiencing rapid growth and development. Primary focus on tree preservation ordinances and construction plan review. Also provide tree risk assessment and arboriculture consulting to Munis, HOAs, and Homeowners.50% Extension - Create and deliver urban forestry outreach and education programming as NC State Extension staff, especially youth programming (school enrichment) such as Arbor Day for 4th… Show more 50% Planning - Provide urban forestry expertise to 11 municipalities in Union County, NC experiencing rapid growth and development. Primary focus on tree preservation ordinances and construction plan review. Also provide tree risk assessment and arboriculture consulting to Munis, HOAs, and Homeowners.50% Extension - Create and deliver urban forestry outreach and education programming as NC State Extension staff, especially youth programming (school enrichment) such as Arbor Day for 4th graders. Introducing youth to nature as a career and developing those career pathways right here in Union County from K-12 to higher edu/job training to industry. Forming new partnerships with schools to provide students with exposure to nature as a career, such as creating a tree nursery at a middle school in partnership with their agriculture teacher and FFA. Show less

Highland Park, Il

Managed $1.1M budget to maintain 30,000 street trees through proactive, routine maintenance cycling; mowing and landscaping (design, install, and maintenance); Central Business District (brick pavers, holiday lights, and annual flower displays). Modernized standards and rebid all 10 contracts, attracting new talented contractors with competitive pricing. Converted mowed turf and traditional plastic corporate landscaping to pollinator plants. Ecological restoration (pollinator habitat) -… Show more Managed $1.1M budget to maintain 30,000 street trees through proactive, routine maintenance cycling; mowing and landscaping (design, install, and maintenance); Central Business District (brick pavers, holiday lights, and annual flower displays). Modernized standards and rebid all 10 contracts, attracting new talented contractors with competitive pricing. Converted mowed turf and traditional plastic corporate landscaping to pollinator plants. Ecological restoration (pollinator habitat) - converted 2 acres of invasive species along a bike trail to pollinator habitat and created a master plan for a further 28 acres. Regulated and preserved private trees during construction through development review and code enforcement of a very aggressive and successful tree preservation ordinance. Studied tree preservation during construction by supervising M.S. Environmental Science graduate student in collaboration with DePaul University. Helped publish and present results. Improved community outreach and education by partnering with Arbor Day Foundation to bring their brand new Tree Campus K-12 program to Highland Park High School as a pilot community. Show less

Developed and taught the Urban Forestry capstone course as part of the new Arboriculture/Urban Forestry Technician associate degree program

Blacksburg, Va

Graduate research assistant while pursuing a Ph.D. Urban Forestry. Designed and conducted two research surveys and a content analysis. Published three articles in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences. Produced actionable intelligence with immediate impact. https://uf2020.frec.vt.edu/

Austin, Tx

Supervised the urban forestry maintenance crew and inspectors work group (12-15 employees). Supervised contractors performing plant health care. Created formal onboarding process for new in-house staff. Created performance evaluation metrics in collaboration with employees to increase buy-in. Wrote dozens of standard operating procedures for equipment usage and work processes. Scheduled work across 300 City-owned parks. Emergency street tree on-call response (500-1,000 calls per year). Promoted… Show more Supervised the urban forestry maintenance crew and inspectors work group (12-15 employees). Supervised contractors performing plant health care. Created formal onboarding process for new in-house staff. Created performance evaluation metrics in collaboration with employees to increase buy-in. Wrote dozens of standard operating procedures for equipment usage and work processes. Scheduled work across 300 City-owned parks. Emergency street tree on-call response (500-1,000 calls per year). Promoted a culture of safety to improve employee morale, which ultimately increased employee retention. Show less

Austin, Tx

Staff principal for Urban Forest Master Plan. Managed volunteers resulting in 1,000s of hours of donated labor. Planned numerous tree planting and maintenance events including the Arbor Day for the City of Austin four times. Inspected customer complaints and requests, produced work for in-house and contracted tree crews. Increased public education and outreach, such as creation of a monthly newsletter and website updates.

La Porte, In

City forester of a small town in NW Indiana. Collaborated with city departments, utility companies, contractors, and the tree commission to improve the urban forest in 'The Maple City.'

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Urban Forestry

Activities and Societies: Chair - 2015 Forestry Graduate Student Research Symposium. Treasurer - Forestry Graduate Student Association

Masters Of Public Administration (Mpa), Public Administration

Activities and Societies: Member - Student Chapter, Central Texas - American Society of Public Administrators

B.S., Urban Forestry

Activities and Societies: President - Student Society of Arboriculture 07-08