Nominations For Awards of Excellence

Nomination forms for each year's Awards of Excellence must be received by June 30. No exceptions. To view and print the nominations form, you need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed. Click here for the form.

Descriptions and Past Recipients

1. Private Professional Award - Recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions to the urban forestry effort at the local, regional or state level. The individual must work for a company whose business is related to urban forestry (arboriculture, horticulture, nursery, grounds manager, etc.).

2. Green Industry Award - recognizes a company or organization that shows leadership and dedication to advancing urban forestry efforts at the local, regional or state level.

3. Media Award - Recognizes an electronic or prints media entity that has made a significant contribution to trees and/or urban forestry in its community or region.

4. Builder/Developer Award - Recognizes a company or corporation that has done an outstanding job of protecting and maintaining trees during the project construction process.

5. Council Member Award - Recognizes a member of the Council who through perseverance and perspiration has accomplished major goals of the Council and thereby furthered and enhanced the efforts of the Council. Discontinued 2006.

6. Government Employee Award - Recognizes an individual working for a government agency who has made outstanding contributions to the urban forestry effort at the local, regional or state level.

7. Tree Board Award - Recognizes a local board or committee that has made outstanding accomplishments in completing urban forestry projects, provided exemplary leadership, and made significant progress in meeting the goals of their local urban forestry program.

8. Citizen Activist Award - Recognizes an individual person not employed in a related Green Industry area whose dedication has made significant and outstanding contributions to urban forestry at the local, regional or state level.

2008 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Scott Winningham, Cookeville
Green Industry: Jimmy Ferrell, Memphis
Builder/Developer: Dalhoff Thomas Daws LLC, Sam Henry, Landscape Architect, Collierville
President's Award: Dr. Douglas Airhart, Cookeville
Government Employee: Eric Bridges, Lakeland
Tree Board: Bristol, Nancy Estes, Chairman
Citizen Activist: Barbara Garrett, Morristown
Citizen Activist: Sharon Burch, Memphis

2007 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Scott Winningham, Cookeville
Green Industry: Cortese Tree Specialists, Inc., Knoxville
Builder/Developer: Doug Dickens, Boyle Investment Co., Memphis
President's Award: Tom Simpson, Knoxville
Government Employee: Dr. Chris Catanzaro, Nashville
Tree Board: City of Morrison Tree Board
Citizen Activist: Christine Bock, Chattanooga

2006 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Tracy Jackson, Clarksville
Green Industry: Derrick Lynch, Middle TN Electric, Murfreesboro
Media: Commercial-Appeal, Memphis
Builder/Developer: Schmid & Rhodes Construction, Knoxville
President's Award: Bruce Webster, Nashville
Government Employee: Eric Bridges, Lakeland
Tree Board: Clarksville
Citizen Activist: R. B. Morris, Knoxville

2005 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Parke Brown, Nashville
Green Industry: Wolf Tree Experts, Inc., Knoxville
UT Master Gardeners of NE Tenn., Appalachian Fair Association, Johnson City Power Board
Media: Pulaski Publishing
Builder/Developer: Bobby Kirby, Fred Hoover, Jewell Hale, Dr. Oscar Spivey, Dr. R.P. Sabo, McMinnville
Council Member: Wes Hopper, Memphis
Government Employee: David Vandergriff, Knoxville
Tree Board: Kingsport Tree Board
Citizen Activist: Bob Santore, Knoxville

2004 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Jerry Roberts, Chattanooga
Green Industry: (Trees for Power Lines collaborative project)
UT Master Gardeners of NE Tenn., Appalachian Fair Association, Johnson City Power Board
Media: Southern Standard newspaper, McMinnville
Builder/Developer: Nisus Corporation, Rockford
Council Member: Jerry Jeansonne, Chattanooga
Government Employee: Christy Pepper, Memphis
Tree Board: Crossville Tree Board (Charles Daugherty, Chair)
Citizen Activist: Harold Childress, Kingsport

2003 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Sam Adams, Cortese Tree Specialists, Knoxville
Green Industry: Chattanooga Association of Landscape Professionals, Chattanooga
Media: 91.3 WCPI Public Radio, McMinnville
Builder/Developer: Life Care Centers of America, Cleveland
Council Member: Patrick Haller, Sparta
Government Employee: Nick Kuhn, McMinnville
Tree Board: (none)
Citizen Activist: Dr. Randall Smith, Tullahoma

2002 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: (none)
Green Industry: (none)
Media: (none)
Builder/Developer: (none)
Council Member: (none)
Government: Gary Tuttle, Clarksville
Tree Board: Tullahoma Tree Board
Citizen Activist: Tracy Jackson, Clarksville

2001 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Dr. Don Williams, Knoxville
Green Industry: Wolfe Tree Expert Inc., Knoxville
Media: WBIR-TV, Knoxville
Builder/Developer: Knoxville Community Development Corp.
Council Member: Douglas Airhart, Cookeville
Government: Tom Simpson, Regional Forester, Knoxville
Tree Board: Johnson City Tree & Appearance Board
Citizen Activist: Rory Reese, Cleveland

2000 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Jim Cortese, Cortese Tree Specialist, Knoxville
Green Industry: TNLA, Roger Spivey McMinnville
Media: The Tennessean, Nashville
Builder/Developer: Clark &Clark, Memphis
Council Member: Gene Hyde, Urban Forester, Chattanooga
Government: Kay Fermann, Asst. Urban Forester, Dept. of Ag. Division of Forestry
Tree Board: Clarksville Tree Board
Citizen Activist: Dottie Mann, Clarksville Tree Board Chairman

1999 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Ruel Jones, Quality Tree Surgery, Nashville
Green Industry: (none)
Media: Cookeville Cablevision, Cookeville
Builder/Developer: Mid America Apartment Communities,
Council Member: Brett Smith, Landscape Architect, Nashville
Government: Jack Golio, Dyersburg Electric Department, Dyersburg
Tree Board: Nashville
Citizen Activist: Dr. Alva Pendergrass, UT Martin, Martin

1998 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Carl Absher, Power & Light, Chattanooga
Green Industry: (none)
Media: Cookeville Cablevision, Cookeville
Builder/Developer: Hines Development,
Council Member: Cynthia Holloway, Murfreesboro
Government: Ann Chapman, Nashville
Tree Board: Nashville
Citizen Activist: Jenny Maffett, Cookeville Tree Board, Cookeville

1997 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Steve Clark, Steve Clark & Associates, Inc., Nashville
Green Industry: (none)
Media: WCTE-TV, PBS Channel 22, Cookeville
Builder/Developer: Testerman Construction
Council Member: Guy Zimmerman, Area Forester, Cookeville
Government: Michael Bouton, City Arborist, Murfreesboro
Tree Board: Tullahoma
Citizen Activist: Maria Compere, Knoxville

1996 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Jim Cortese, Cortese Tree Specialists, Knoxville
Green Industry: (none)
Media: (none)
Builder/Developer: Franklin Development, Franklin
Council Member: Shawn Bible, Metro Beautification, Nashville
Government: Mike Williams, Seymour
Tree Board: Chattanooga
Citizen Activist: Mary Pepper Fort, Shelbyville

1995 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Fred Morgan, Consulting Arborist, Memphis
Green Industry: (none)
Media: (none)
Builder/Developer: (none)
Council Member: Guy Zimmerman, Area Forester, Cookeville
Government: Victor Ashe, Mayor, Knoxville
Tree Board: Sevierville
Citizen Activist: Kim Hawkins, Nashville

1994 AWARD WINNERS:

Private Professional: Kim Cross, Southern Tree Specialists, Brentwood
Green Industry: (none)
Media: (none)
Builder/Developer: (none)
Council Member: Jim Cortese, Cortese Tree Specialists, Knoxville
Government: Dale White, Kingsport
Tree Board: Norris and Bristol
Citizen Activist: Allan Jones, Cleveland

1993 AWARD WINNERS:

Citizen Activist: John Huckaba, Signal Mountain