David Zeitlin was named national director of the Tree Preservation & Land Restoration Division of The Care of Trees, a tree care company that provides the full scope of arboriculture care, including tree preservation; pruning; diagnosing pest and disease problems; and soil care. The Care of Trees is the only national arboricultural company with a division dedicated to preserving trees during land development.
Zeitlin has led The Care of Trees’ Dulles, Va.-based office as manager of the Mid-Atlantic Tree Preservation and Land Restoration Division since 2003.
In his new role, Zeitlin will continue to work with clients to help recognize and integrate tree preservation opportunities into their planning and land development process for projects as diverse as public institutions, universities, custom homes, residential additions and courtyard gardens. His responsibilities include business development, marketing, instituting standard practices, sales management, new product conception, and education and training.
"This new position will allow me to continue working toward The Care of Trees’ goal of saving more of our clients’ trees by changing the way trees are considered during construction planning and development," said Zeitlin. "Unfortunately, tree preservation is often not considered until it is too late – typically at the start of construction. My goal is to help our clients make realistic decisions about trees during the planning and design process, because this is when discussion of preservation should begin."
Many clients have found success with this approach, including The Villages at Belvoir, a development project with more than 2,000 homes on U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir located in Fairfax County, Virginia. The Care of Trees was contracted to install and implement tree protection and preservation measures during the construction planning process. "We worked closely with the client before construction began to create a comprehensive Tree Conservation Plan for each phase of construction which will ensure that the trees are properly cared for throughout the process," said Zeitlin.
Zeitlin has 10 years combined experience in arboriculture, urban forestry, urban planning and site development. His professional qualifications include ISA Arborist Certification, and licenses as both a forester and tree expert in the state of Maryland. He is a member of the American Planning Association, American Society of Landscape Architects, Associated Builders and Contractors, International Society of Arboriculture, National Association of Home Builders and Society of American Foresters.
Zeitlin received a bachelor of science degree in forest resource management from West Virginia University and a master of arts degree in geography and environmental planning from Towson University, Maryland.