Greg Levine has been appointed executive director of Trees Atlanta effective April 1.
This is only the third change in executive leadership in the organization’s 38-year history. Levine began his tenure at Trees Atlanta in 1995 when there were only four employees.
After the organization’s first executive director, Marcia Bansley, retired in 2011, Levine and Connie Veates created an innovative dual-leadership structure and worked together as co-executive directors for more than a decade. The duo launched a period of extraordinary growth for the organization, including the successful funding and construction of Trees Atlanta’s new headquarters in southwest Atlanta. Veates will step away from her role at the end of the month.
Levine and Veates will host their final joint duty at a ribbon cutting ceremony with Mayor Andre Dickens, funders, and partners on Thursday, March 30, and a Community Open House on Saturday, April 22, at the new Trees Atlanta Kendeda TreeHouse, 825 Warner Street SW.
Taylor Baird, President of the Board for Trees Atlanta noted, “Greg and Connie have produced transformative growth for the organization: solidifying the Trees Atlanta brand, the development of the Kendeda TreeHouse, mentoring of countless staff, building and strengthening successful partnerships locally and nationally, and diversifying funding sources for long term stability for planting, conservation, and education efforts.”
In the nearly three decades since Levine joined Trees Atlanta, he has been hands-on in all facets of programming, as well as organizing partners, communities, and volunteers that support the mission of the organization.
Trees Atlanta has planted over 160,000 trees and adds up to 7,000 new trees each year, including the creation of the Flowering Forest, a 1.5-mile tree tribute to John Lewis, a project that will likely become another canopy landmark in the City of Atlanta in the years to come. Trees Atlanta is also collaborating with Central Atlanta Progress and the City of Atlanta to plant 8000 new trees in Downtown Atlanta to help mitigate rising urban heat island effect and amplify Atlanta’s global reputation as the “City in the Forest.”
The Trees Atlanta Kendeda TreeHouse has various indoor and outdoor classrooms for adult and youth education programs, including a popular summer camp for outdoor fun and learning.
Trees Atlanta has opened a portion of the office space to be shared by three other conservation organizations.