Mark A. Webber, BCMA, C.P.H., LTE, MArborA, OCMNT, R.C.A., TPAQ, TRAQ

Principal Consultant

Forensic Services

Columbus

BACKGROUND:

Mr. Mark A. Webber holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture and 19 different certifications, qualifications, accreditations, and licensures in the fields of arboriculture and horticulture. Most notably, Mr. Webber is a Registered Consulting Arborist, Board Certified Master Arborist, and a Certified Professional Horticulturist with over 47-plus years of relevant professional experience.

Mr. Webber provides investigations, reports, and testimony in matters related to tree condition, maintenance, removal, and agricultural as well as horticultural matters. His expertise includes the management of nursery, arboricultural and horticultural, and agricultural operations; dendrochronology; pesticide use; crop and tree injuries due to biotic and abiotic conditions; appraisals of damaged crops, trees, and plants; tree failures and tree failures due to biotic and abiotic conditions; and an assortment of agricultural, arboricultural, and horticultural issues. Mr. Webber is an admitted member of approximately 32 industry organizations, including the American Society of Consulting Arborists, Chartered Institute of Horticulture, International Dendrology Society, Tree-Ring Society, American Phytopathological Society, and the OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Small Business Advocacy Review Panel for Tree Care Industry Rules. Mr. Webber has been a court-qualified expert witness in his field in the state courts of Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Washington, and California. Mr. Webber has also been qualified to testify in Federal Court proceedings.

Mr. Webber has been working at farms and nurseries since 1975.  He remains active in his industry by serving on various committees and boards and as the Founder/Co-owner of arboricultural and horticultural firms.  In this capacity, he provides a full range of technical assistance regarding landscape design, installation, landscape management, and arboricultural matters. Mr. Webber provides tree evaluations, tree risk assessments, tree protection plans, plant inventories, lawn care, weed, and pest control advice to clients. Additional services include professional opinions regarding drainage improvements, soil health and leaf nutrient levels, root system location and management, management of trees during construction, installation of retaining walls, consulting, and other related areas. Mr. Webber has worked as a Research Assistant for the BASF Corporation involving fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides trials on a diverse assortment of economically important agricultural and horticultural crops. He also served as an Apiary (Honey Bee) Technician for The Ohio State University.

Mr. Webber earned an Associate Degree in Applied Science and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Agriculture with a major in Horticultural Science with a minor in Agricultural Economics, both from The Ohio State University. He is designated as a Board-Certified Master Arborist by the International Society of Arboriculture and is a Tree Risk Assessment Qualified Arborist. Mr. Webber is a Master Nursery Technician through the Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association. He is designated as an MArborA by the United Kingdom’s Arboricultural Association. Mr. Webber is also a New Jersey Licensed Tree Expert (LTE #639) and is a Licensed Arborist in multiple states. The American Society of Horticultural Science board has designated Mr. Webber as a Certified Professional Horticulturist. He is admitted to the American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA). ASCA has credentialed Mr. Webber as a Tree & Plant Qualified Appraiser (TPQA) and Registered Consulting Arborist (RCA) #706.

EDUCATION & CERTIFICATIONS:

• A.A.S., BS, Agricultural with major in Horticultural Science, and a minor in Agricultural Economics: The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 1984. These degrees included specialized education and training involving plant identification, plant nomenclature, crop botany, plant morphology, arboriculture, irrigation, drainage, soil science, landscape horticulture, landscape and nursery management, plant propagation, plant sciences, plant physiology, entomology, plant pathology (plant diseases), pomology, olericulture, viticulture, animal science, forage crops, weed science, and agricultural business management.

• 2020 Graduate from ASCA (American Society of Consulting Arborist) Consulting Academy: Sacramento, California, April 2020

• Tree and Plant Appraisal Qualification (TPAQ), American Society of Consulting Arborists: May 2019-2024

• Certified Professional Horticulturist #30086, American Society for Horticultural Science: Alexandria, Virginia, 2017-Present

• Licensed Arborist:
· Rhode Island 2016-Present
· Minnesota 2016-Present
· Maine: First Class Landscape Arborist 2016-Present
· First Class Utility Arborist 2016-Present
· New Jersey 2017-Present

• Certified Tree Expert #639, Board of Tree Experts: Jackson, NJ, August 2016-August 2017

• Licensed Tree Expert #639, Board of Tree Experts: Jackson, NJ, August 2017-Present

• I.S.A. Board Certified Master Arborist OH-0824BUM, International Society of Arboriculture: 2013-Present (I.S.A. Certified Arborist, 1998-2013)
· Expertise in: Abiotic Disorders; Biology; Biotic Disorders; Plant Identification and Selection; Soil Science; Climbing, Rigging, and Removal; Diagnostic Process; Installation Practices; Plant Health Care; Pruning; Soil Treatment; Support and Protection; Water Relations and Irrigation; Inventory and Management Plans; Plant Appraisal; Risk Assessment; Safety; Right-of-Way Management (R.O.W.), Tree Preservation, and Wildlife Protection.

• I.S.A. Certified Arborist Municipal Specialist, International Society of Arboriculture: 2018-Present
· Expertise in: Municipal tree management, tree inspections, tree root public sidewalks and infrastructure conflict, tree hazards, tree volume needs, employee training and supervision, and tree planting.

• I.S.A. Certified Arborist Utility Specialist, International Society of Arboriculture: 2018-Present
· Expertise in: Growth rates of trees, pruning systems, pruning cycles, safe work practices in and near energized conductors, electrical conductivity in trees, tree removal and rigging near conductors, vegetation management in and near conductors, growth regulators, and customer relations.

• Tree Risk Assessment Qualified (TRAQ), International Society of Arboriculture: February 2013-2017. Requalified 2017-2023. Requalified 2023-2028.
· Expertise in: Identification of tree defects, causes of tree failures, determination of target risk exposure, quantification and qualitative of tree risk to targets, determination of impact on targets affected by tree failures, tree failure analysis of weather conditions that are caused by wind, rain, snow, ice, derechos, tornadoes, and hurricanes.

• Ohio Commercial Pesticide Applicator 6A, 6C, 8: 1997-Present

• Wildlife Protector Certification, Wildlife Training Institute: 2014-Present

• Master Nursery Landscape Technician, Ohio Nursery & Landscape Association (ONLA): Columbus, OH, 2005-Present
· Expertise in three areas of specialization: Core basics of plant science, Garden Center Management, Plant Grower and Landscape operations, and management. Once a person successfully obtains all three specializations, they are granted the Master Technician status.

• MArbor: designated by the Arboricultural Association, United Kingdom. 2018-Present; MArborA is the second-highest arboricultural designation in the United Kingdom.

• Registered Consulting Arborist #706, American Society of Consulting Arborist: 2020-Present
· Expertise in higher skills in technical areas related to trees and tree care, providing objective, independent opinions, with training for higher communication, presentation, and report writing skills.

• Sky Warn Weather Spotter Training Certification: National Weather Service, 2019-Present

CONTACT INFORMATION:

RELATED EXPERTISE: