About Us

New Urban Forestry is the only TCIA Accredited company in our area, and with Certified Arborist, Board-Certified Master Arborist and Tree Risk Assessment Qualification credentials, we are clearly passionate about our craft.

We like to think of ourselves as old souls with new technology. We believe that by improving tree care we can improve the urban forest, that by improving the urban forest we can improve our community, and that by improving our community we improve the world. Trees are our community’s largest living asset. They reduce stormwater runoff, sequester atmospheric carbon, reduce energy costs, and improve mental health. Rather than reacting to tree problems as they occur, the most effective way to manage tree care is with a thoughtful, proactive plan.

We believe in the power of
talented people with
one bold goal:
to care for the Urban Forest.

NUF Team 2023

Meet Team NUF:

NUF Team Member

John-Ashley, Operations Manager, Wild Child

John-Ashley is an ISA Certified Arborist, holds a masters in forestry from UGA, is TRAQ qualified and can often be found operating our grapple crane. He is a crew leader and handles the mighty task of scheduling and shuffling trucks/people. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife Meredith and their two children and likes to drink cheap beer.

NUF Teammate - Ben

shawn doonan, arborist, navigator

Shawn is an ISA Certified Arborist (#SO-5368A). He originally hails from Iowa and began his arboriculture career in Omaha, Nebraska before moving to Athens to join the UGA tree care crew. In 2007, he founded his own company and a few short years later merged with New Urban Forestry. Shawn is easily the most recognizable arborist in our service areas, and specializes in residential tree care, pruning and removals. He lives in Athens with his wife and two children and enjoys mountain biking, vintage airplanes, and top fuel drag racing. He's also an amateur birdwatcher.

NUF Team Member - Shawn

BEN KINSLER, ARBORIST

Ben is an ISA Certified Arborist (#SO-10600A), TRAQ certified, with a background in forestry with experience in land management, genetic research, and pine tree breeding. Ben graduated from Valdosta State University with a B.S. in Biology. After traveling the southeastern coastal plain, Ben has settled down in Athens with his wife and two children and enjoys everything outdoors.

NUF Team Member - Joe

JOE PERLOFF, ARBORIST

Joe is an ISA Certified Arborist (#MA-5267A) and a registered Professional Landscape Architect licensed in the state of Georgia. Joe came to Athens in 2010 to pursue a Master’s in Landscape Architecture from the University of Georgia, and spent years working at a local civil engineering firm. Joe’s interests include trail running, woodworking, building/playing left-handed guitars and learning small wooden boat building.


NUF Team Member

Gabriel Peryam, Arborist

Gabe is an ISA Certified Arborist (#GO-0069A) with a background in horticulture and nursery management. He has experience in the cultivation of woody ornamentals, cultivar selection, and nursery stock production. A native of the Athens area, Gabe earned his B.S. in Horticulture from the University of Georgia. When he's not working, he and his wife, Victoria, are passionate outdoor adventurers and devoted dog lovers.

“The New Urban Forestry crew that came out to remove a few trees and trim up some others arrived early, were incredibly efficient, courteous, and professional.”

— JOSEPH, ATHENS

“It’s hard not to go on and on about New Urban Forestry. They were the most impressive of any service we’ve used in Athens, and that includes plumbers, electricians, contractors, etc. I cannot stress enough that if you’re using any other tree service because of cost or another reason, you are using an inferior company. Use New Urban if at all possible.”

— SATISFIED NEW URBAN FORESTRY CLIENT