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Our Team
Eric Johnson
Principal, Project Manager
Eric is a co-owner of Samara Restoration and has over eighteen years working in northern California ecosystems. He has a master’s degree in Environmental Systems from Humboldt State University and is very passionate about the ecology of northern California. As Project Manager, he provides consultation services for restoration projects including landscape designs and restoration planning. Eric develops bid estimates and coordinates/implements projects which serve private land owners, schools, non-profit organizations, local, state, tribal, and federal agencies.
Josh Koepke
Principal, Project Manager
Josh is the co-owner of Samara Restoration and is responsible for the nursery operations and restoration projects. He has a degree in Wildlife Biology and has extensive experience in the fields of ecological restoration, wildlife biology, vegetation management, horticulture, and sustainable landscape design/installation. Josh has worked on landscape related projects throughout California for public schools, private ranches, homeowners, architects, and government agencies.
Troy Perez
Nursery Production Manager
Troy Perez is the co-owner of Samara Restoration and is responsible for leading day to day nursery technician operations. Troy has ten years of native plant horticulture experience and has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Humboldt State University.
Jeff Rockefeller
Project Foreman
Rocky has worked for Samara since 2012 and brings an extensive skillset to our landscape construction. He is a Project Foreman responsible for field crew supervision and is our lead equipment and hydroseed operator. Efficiency and communication are his strong points which contribute to successful project completion.
Terrance Brown
Restoration Technician
Terrance has been with Samara Restoration since 2013 and provides support to restoration and landscape construction projects. Terrance is very knowledgeable about our local ecology and the restoration principles for making our projects successful.
Jeremy Sargent
Restoration Equipment Operator
Jeremy Sargent has over 20 years of experience operating equipment ranging from small skid steers to large dozers. His experience working on riparian restoration projects, culvert repairs, grading, road decommissioning and appropriate road construction has made Jeremy a key team player for our services. Jeremy values safety and communication during project planning and implementation. He completed his degree in Rangeland Resources from the Eastern Oregon University and is familiar with California native plants and their ecosystems.
Christina Cortez
Seed Collection Curator/Nursery Technician
Christina focuses on the collection, processing, tracking, and propagation of seed at the Samara Restoration native plant nursery. She has a degree in Rangeland Science and Wildland Soils with strong plant identification skills. Christina also works as a nursery technician supporting all aspects of the nursery production.
John Trewin
Senior Nursery Technician
John is our senior Nursery Technician at the Samara Restoration Nursery and supports us in implementing landscape and restoration projects. John has experience in residential landscape projects. Aside from his great attitude, Johns experience with native plants and landscaping has been a great asset to Samara. He enjoys growing native plants and getting his hands dirty!
Jhon Afridi
Restoration Specialist
Jhon has a bachelor’s degree in Rangeland Science and Wildland Soils from Humboldt State University. He has been with Samara Restoration for five years and assists with nursery production and restoration projects. Jhon supports a wide array of special projects such as vegetation monitoring and restoration plans.
Cesar Valesquez
Nursery/Restoration Technician
Cesar is a Nursery Technician at Samara Restoration and supports our restoration/landscape construction field crew. His education background in Wildlife, familiarity with local ecology, and hard working ethics are great assets to our company.
Seasonal Nursery Technicians
During the Spring and Summer months the nursery production ramps up and production is in full swing, we hire seasonal nursery technicians. Our seasonal technicians are often in progress of completing their degrees in botany, ecological restoration, or soil science.
Traci Zelles
Office Manager
Traci supports the administrative aspects of Samara Restoration including payroll, accounts receivables, accounts payables, vendor account management, policy development, client communications, and fiscal controlling. Traci owned and operated her own retail business for ten years and has been a great asset to the Samara team. Traci enjoys the outdoors and especially our local native plants and birds.