Meet the Board

Laura serves as our volunteer Executive Director. She founded Dubuque Trees Forever in 2017 after working with many local tree groups across the state in her role as Senior Community Affairs Manager for Black Hills Energy. She has enjoyed seeing our organization expand as we build a growing group of trained and engaged volunteers. She also serves on the Dubuque City Council.

Tom was the City of Dubuque Urban Forester and one of the first board members when our organization was founded back in 2017. He has 38 years of forestry activity and knows the importance of replenishing the urban forest. He recently retired from the City of Dubuque and now serves as our President. This allows him to stay involved as we continue to beautify the city by working with our volunteers.

Barb is retired from the City of Dubuque where she worked for 14 years. Most recently, she was a Forestry Technician. She has been with Dubuque Trees Forever since its inception.

She enjoys trees for their beauty and the value they add to our environment, especially conifers. She also likes working with people that volunteer to assist us in plantings.

Cheryl has been with the organization since it began in 2017. She is a Master Gardener. She is the accountant for the Dubuque Regional Airport.

Peggy worked for Seattle City Light for 27 years. She is a Certified Arborist with a Utility Specialist Certification and a Tree Risk Assessment Qualification. She understands the importance of trees in our community and has worked with the public and government agencies to promote “right tree, right place”

Steve Pregler spent 30 years as City Forester for the City of Dubuque and developed its Urban Forestry Program. He is a ISA Certified Arborist and enjoys sharing his knowledge of all things trees. He helps lead the training of volunteers at each event. Look for more information from Steve on “Steve’s Corner” on our resource tab.

Laurana is a certified arborist with a bachelor’s degree in Forest Management from Colorado State University. Laurana is leading the city's Branching Out Program, funded by a $1.5 million grant from the USDA. This program will plant 5,280 trees in the next 5 years in our low income census tracts.

Stacy is the VP of Property and Outdoor Experiences for the Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. She was also a member of the Dubuque County Conservation Board. She helped launch the Girl Scout Tree Promise program in 2020. Their council planted more trees than any other council in the country!

Joe has been a Dubuque resident for 27 years. He’s worked with tree planting groups for 35 years, starting in Dallas, TX. He enjoys seeing the results of tree plantings as they mature to provide shade and beauty to neighborhoods.

Tyler has volunteered with Dubuque Trees Forever and Dubuque County Conservation. He has a Bachelor of Science degree with emphasis in horticulture from the University of Wisconsin Platteville. He is the owner of Genuine Landscape and Design.

If you’re interested in serving on the Dubuque Trees Forever Board, visit the Get Involved page for details!