Staff
US Navy 1989-1994
Master of Physics, VCU 1999
ISA Certified Arborist MA-4460AT
CVNLA Certified Horticulturalist
Scott, a lifelong Richmonder, enjoys the simple life he lives with his wife, Amy, and two teenaged daughters in the dense urban forest of Stratford Hills in Richmond.
After travelling the world for five years as an enlisted member of the United States Navy, Scott earned a Master’s Degree in Physics before beginning his arboricultural career. He has been the owner of Truetimber since 1998, and started an outdoor outfitting business called Riverside Outfitters in 2005 to share his love of our river, our trees, and the tree climbing experience.
In 2014 Scott was named a “River Hero” by the Friends of the James River Park for his stewardship of the great Richmond Outdoors.
My passion for the outdoors runs deep. My mothers side of the family is rooted in the mountains of West Virginia and it is there where this passion was cultivated. My grandfather taught me about trees and how wood reacts in different ways in his woodshop. Later in life, I found rock climbing in the hills of West Virginia and have been hopelessly addicted to a life at height for the last 17 years.
After graduating from Virginia Tech in 2011 with a degree in Natural Resources Conservation, I met my beautiful wife, Kelsey, and we began a life in the trees. Tree climbing has taken me halfway around the world and back. This life has been one I never anticipated and am reminded on a daily basis that I have been truly blessed to be in this community and industry. I say it often, tree people are the best kind of people.
Our son was born in August of 2018. I am thankful for the ability to be a husband and a father to these beautiful people. It’s truly the greatest thing I’ve done in my life.
US Army 1989-1992
ISA Certified Arborist, MA-0657AT
VNLA Certified Horticulturist #: 2325
B.S. Forestry and Wildlife, Virginia Tech 1996
Peter loves everything about Richmond including his high school sweetheart and his 3 children who attend and have attended his same high school. After high school Peter joined the US Army where he served as an Infantry soldier. He fortunately spent his duty close to home, stationed in Arlington, VA with the ceremonial unit, The Old Guard. Directly after the military, Peter pursued and completed his degree in Forestry and Wildlife Science, realizing his true passion was in trees. His first stop as an Arborist was with a company here in Richmond where he learned most of his tree climbing skills and was a salesman for that company. After Hurricane Isabel in 2003 and climbing a lot of trees, Peter was hired as one of the City of Richmond Arborists and was quickly promoted to Urban Forester. Shortly thereafter, when he met Truetimber through recreational tree climbing events in the City, he realized he could combine his enthusiasm for the natural world and his passion for trees to call Truetimber home. Having ridden his bike all over the city as a youth along with his past experience raft guiding the James, Peter continues to find new and unexplored gems in RVA. In addition to his passion for trees, if you want to have a long conversation with Peter, get him talking about cycling, mountain biking, alternative medicine and real food.
ISA Certified Arborist MA-5475AT
TCIA Certified Treecare Safety Professional #01446
ISA Certified Treeworker
Drew’s passion for climbing trees began at a young age. A native of Fredericksburg, Drew grew up with a love of the outdoors and began to climb trees recreationally at the age of 14. Seven years later, Drew made the decision to turn his hobby into his trade, working as a climber in the tree industry in both Fredericksburg and Northern Virginia. In 2012, Drew joined the Truetimber team, commuting daily from Fredericksburg. Finding a good fit, he eventually relocated his family to Richmond, where he has continued to enjoy the opportunity of doing exactly what he loves as an occupation in this beautiful city.
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist MN 0307BM
ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification
Bachelor’s degree Biology University of Northern Iowa 1990
Mike’s path to Truetimber began in the Midwest. After graduating college in Iowa, Mike and his wife headed to Northern Minnesota where he worked at an environmental learning center teaching kids in the forests and lake country of the North Woods. In 1997, he moved to St. Paul and it was there that he learned arboriculture and tree climbing while working for a small tree company. In 2003, Mike and his family moved to Richmond where he joined a local tree company and experienced his first hurricane, Isabel. In 2006, he was hired as a Richmond city arborist where he worked for 10 years managing city trees. In 2016, he joined the Truetimber team. When Mike finds time to slip away from work and family, he can frequently be found on or near the James, running trails or paddling the river.
ISA Board Certified Master Arborist MN 0307BM
ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification
Bachelor’s degree Biology University of Northern Iowa 1990
Mike’s path to Truetimber began in the Midwest. After graduating college in Iowa, Mike and his wife headed to Northern Minnesota where he worked at an environmental learning center teaching kids in the forests and lake country of the North Woods. In 1997, he moved to St. Paul and it was there that he learned arboriculture and tree climbing while working for a small tree company. In 2003, Mike and his family moved to Richmond where he joined a local tree company and experienced his first hurricane, Isabel. In 2006, he was hired as a Richmond city arborist where he worked for 10 years managing city trees. In 2016, he joined the Truetimber team. When Mike finds time to slip away from work and family, he can frequently be found on or near the James, running trails or paddling the river.
ISA Certified Arborist MA-6005AT
ISA Certified Tree Climber
TTA Climber 1
My favorite thing about tree work is finding creative and safe ways to remove the massive amounts of material we need to remove and finding my way through tree canopies to the perfect work positions. The problems are new and interesting every day.
At Truetimber I feel like I’m not just in a great work place but I’m also in a great family. Everyone is always trying to help one another achieve goals in work and in life.
Outside of work I love doing just about anything with my friends and family, and sports.
HTTR!
I’ve always dreamed of working in National and State Parks in my pursuit of finding a job where I could just be in nature all day, working hard, learning constantly, and leaving the world a little better than I found it every day. It was hard to decide what I exactly wanted to do as a vocation, since I am not a ‘leave my work at work’ kind of person. I really love wholly investing my time and energy in to something that I love. When I found Truetimber I was so excited to have found a career/profession that seemed to suit my dreams.
In my time at Truetimber I have developed an even deeper appreciation for our planet and environment. The opportunity to spend every day outdoors is one I never wish to take for granted. I couldn’t be more thankful for the growth I’ve gone through while surrounded by such incredible people! Truetimber has helped me grow as not just a tree worker, but as a human being.
Working at Truetimber really immersed me in the field or arboriculture with sold training and depth of experience from my co-workers.
I’m and amateur Bonsai enthusiast, and I love to bike and climb trees or rocks in my spare time. I was once tasked with becoming Parker J Redfox, the official mascot for the Department of Conservation and Recreation.
My favorite thing about arboriculture is getting to see many different beautiful trees up close! I especially love to see how trees in different places will grow to adapt to their unique surroundings in Richmond’s urban forest. When I’m not at work I enjoy backpacking, going to concerts, and rock-climbing.
