About Our 2025 Speakers
Dr. David W. Fujino
Dave Fujino is currently serving as “interim” director at the California Center for Urban Horticulture (CCUH), UC Davis. He served more than 17 years as CCUH director, Co-Director of the UC Nursery and Floriculture Alliance and past Chair of the Saratoga Horticultural Research Endowment, retiring July, 2024. He earned his B.S. in Plant Science at UC Riverside, and his M.S. and Ph.D. from UC Davis in Environmental Horticulture and Plant Physiology.
Fujino’s experience includes over 17 years in senior level management with a large wholesale horticultural company. His expertise includes organizational development, operations improvement, information technology, strategic planning, marketing, research and development, training, fund raising, and other areas. In 2017, he was inducted into the Green Industry “Hall of Fame” for having a positive impact in the horticulture industry. His current focus is on the implementation of the SmartLandscape initiative at UC Davis, which demonstrates different landscape projects designed to conserve water and to meet the California’s Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance by leveraging current irrigation technologies.
Dave Phelps
Dave has been in the landscape industry since the mid 80’s. With degrees in horticulture and landscape architecture and decades of experience as a landscape contractor, arborist, and landscape architect, Dave is known for solving landscape problems, complying with the MWELO, AB 1572, and promoting regenerative landscape practices. He enjoys creating awesome landscapes and helping others become better gardeners.
Igor Lacan
Igor Lacan is a University of California Cooperative Extension Advisor for the San Francisco Bay Area, specializing in urban forestry. Focusing on trees and water, Igor’s research projects explore emerging issues in urban landscapes such as tree growth in stormwater facilities, as well as contribute to mitigating longstanding problems such as wood decay and failure in urban trees. Igor produces extension and outreach materials that transfer findings from the University to practicing arborists. Igor’s academic training includes urban forestry (PhD), aquatic ecology (MS) and ecology (BS) all from the University of California, Berkeley (Go Bears!).
Amy Cupples
Amy’s design philosophy centers around sustainability and ecological balance, ensuring that her projects not only meet but exceed environmental standards. She meticulously selects plant species that are indigenous to the area, thereby reducing water usage and maintenance needs. Her ability to understand both the environmental context and the unique needs of her clients allows Amy to create projects that are personalized and distinctive, standing out for their creativity and functionality.
She designs spaces that not only enhance her clients’ lifestyles, providing them with beautiful and functional environments to enjoy, but also enrich the community by offering green spaces that foster social interactions and respect the ecosystem by preserving biodiversity. Amy’s relentless devotion to her work ensures that each project resonates on a deeper level with her clients, leaving an indelible impression that is both profound and inexplicable. It is this very connection that signals the completion of her creative process, as she believes a project is truly finished when it forms an emotional bond with those who experience it.
Her landscapes transcend mere design, embodying the essence of fine art, as they tell a story unique to each site and client. Amy holds a Master of Landscape Architecture from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, where she graduated with honors, and her work has continuously earned accolades from top industry associations. She is not only recognized for her technical skills and innovation but also for her ability to inspire others to see the potential and importance of sustainable
Mike Blair
Mike Blair brings over 25 years of rich experience in the irrigation industry, specializing in advanced controller systems, decoder technologies, central systems, golf course irrigation, pumps, and a wide array of irrigation products. Since joining Hunter in March of 2015, he has embraced the vibrant Hunter culture and thrives on collaborating with industry professionals.
Jessamyn Hise
Jessamyn Hise is the Community Outreach Manager for Fire Safe Marin, with four years of experience conducting wildfire mitigation evaluations for Marin County Fire Department. She holds a degree in Wildfire Science and Management from the University of Montana, where she developed a deep understanding of fire ecology and climate impacts. In her current role, Jessamyn empowers communities by providing expert guidance on fire-smart landscaping, defensible space creation, and wildfire preparedness. Her extensive field experience and academic background make her a trusted authority in helping homeowners and professionals implement effective wildfire risk reduction strategies.
Jared Sisneroz
Jared Sisneroz is a graduate student at UC Davis with a research interest in native plants and climate resilient landscapes.
Prior to graduate school Jared spent over a decade as a landscape and nursery researcher at UC Davis including managing the UC Landscape Plant Irrigation Trials.
Ellen Zagory
Ellen Zagory is a professional Horticulturist recently retired from the University of California Davis Arboretum and Public Garden (UCDAPG) after 33 years of service. Originally a plant propagator and nursery manager with a fascination for plants suitable for cultivation in the Central Valley, she also she discovered a love of insects and the importance of their relationships to plants, both to cultivation and pollination.
She developed a number of beautiful, heat tolerant, reduced-irrigation and pollinator supporting plantings that thrive today at the UC Davis APG. Most recently she has been exploring her passion for Pollinator Gardening by developing educational programs and and how planting for pollinators contributes to biological diversity in urban and suburban California landscapes.
Ellen loves plant identification, the outdoors, wildflowers, travel and sharing her knowledge through education programs about horticulture and more sustainable landscapes. Also, she’s always happy to speak Latin when discussing a plant!
Lauren Galanes
Lauren Galanes has long been recognized for her key role in sustainable landscape management in San Francisco, serving as the Branch Manager for Gachina Landscape Management. She began her journey in 1990, gaining experience in landscape management, maintenance, and construction. Over the years, Lauren became a QWEL Certified professional in 2022 and an Accredited Green Roof Professional since 2016 through GRHC, specializing in green roofs. Her career with Gachina started in 2013, where her expertise drives innovative and eco-friendly designs.
Lauren also holds a Bay-Friendly Qualified Landscaper status from ReScape California since 2013. Before joining Gachina, she worked at Uncommon Ground Farm and Landscape in British Columbia from 2004 to 2012, specializing in hardscape and masonry. During this time, she managed a small market and garlic farm and focused on landscape and homesteading projects. She earned an MA in Humanities & Leadership with a focus on Culture, Ecology, and Sustainable Community from the New College of California in 2004, deepening her knowledge in eco-agriculture and eco-building.
Her commitment to sustainability and regenerative practices are supported by a Permaculture Design Certification from the Northern California Permaculture Institute (2003) and a certification as a CMT/Acupressure Practitioner after a 1000-hour program in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Beginning her career as a Landscape Contractor from 1993 to 2004, Lauren specialized in sustainable and regenerative designs rooted in permaculture principles across San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, and Mendocino. Lauren Galanes’s dedication to sustainability and leadership in landscape management continues to impact the communities she serves.
Karey Windbiel-Rojas
Karey Windbiel-Rojas is the Associate Director for Urban and Community IPM and Area Urban IPM Advisor with the University of California Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program (UC IPM). In her role as Associate Director, Karey provides leadership and coordinates communication and collaboration to address pest issues around homes, structures, landscapes, gardens, schools, and public areas and works with various audiences who live in or serve these areas.
Karey oversees UC IPM’s statewide urban educational materials, including the UC IPM website, Pest Notes, Quick Tips, and other resources. As a cooperative extension advisor, she conducts research and outreach for the Capital Corridor area.