Our Process

Charlotte Tajak

Administrative Assistant, Landscape Maintenance

With fifteen years of administrative and customer service experience, Charlotte is a great addition to our Maintenance team. She’s the friendly voice you hear on the phone when you call to schedule your spring cleanup or discuss a fertilization plan, and she’s the one who keeps our maintenance team organized and on track.

When not at work, Charlotte enjoys golfing, exploring Mackinac Island, and watching movies. She and her husband, Ken, have a young son and two cats–and between keeping the cats out of trouble and chasing around an energetic little boy, she stays very busy!

Kateri Janavicius

Manager of Logistics and Procurement, Construction

Kateri handles a wide variety of scheduling tasks for our Construction and Irrigation teams, making sure the people, equipment, and machines arrive at the right place at the right time. It’s a lot of moving pieces, but she’s used to balancing a lot of different things. From studying meteorology, French, and international relations in college, to living in France and Poland, to becoming a Certified Green Industry Professional, Kateri’s experiences are wide and varied!

In her free time, Kateri also enjoys a wide range of hobbies, including hiking, camping, paddling, growing veggie gardens and herbs, traveling, and curling up with a good book. She also volunteers with the Coast Guard Auxiliary, where she promotes boating and paddling safety, as well as protection of the marine environment. She and her husband relocated to Northern Michigan in 2016 and never looked back. They’re excited to raise their daughter in an area so immersed in nature.

Degrees and Certification

• Bachelor of Science in Meteorology
• Bachelor of Art in French
• Master of Art in International Relations
• Certified Green Industry Professional – Nurseryman

Crystal Evans

Retail Sales Associate, Greenhouse & Nursery

Crystal began working with Drost in 2019, bringing with her an impressive background in management and public relations. She spent a few years as an executive at the Indian River Chamber of Commerce before founding her own company, followed by a non-profit designed to help educators apply for grants and funding. She was asked to help grow Drost’s retail greenhouse and loves educating our customers about all the plants we have to offer.

When not on the job, Crystal enjoys some classic northern Michigan activities, including boating and skiing, as well as spending time with friends and family. She is married to her husband, Sean, and has two great kids.

Aaron Senchuk

Landscape Designer

Aaron joined the Drost design team with degrees in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design, and a background in designing unique and memorable spaces. He got hooked on landscape architecture during college, when he participated in an experimental ski/snowboard design in the Lansing area, working as a designer for snow park terrain features. After college, he worked with Edgewater Resources, a full-service Marina and Waterfront Design firm, where he participated on a wide variety of projects from resort master planning to small park design and planting plans.

Aaron grew up in the Alpena area in a family that fostered his love for the outdoors. He enjoys camping, fishing, and hunting, and his competitive spirit has led him to a number of sports, including hockey, snowboarding, soccer, and disc golf. He lives with his girlfriend and their small menagerie, including a German Shorthair, a Pomeranian, a black cat, and two parakeets.

Degrees:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Landscape Architecture
• Master’s Degree in Environmental Design

Jason Zulski

Accounts Payable Specialist

Jason joined Team Drost in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a love of numbers. He checks all our math, keeps our books in order, and makes sure the lights stay on. He’s a northern Michigan native, having grown up in the area before attending North Central Michigan College and later Lake Superior State University.

During the summer, Jason enjoys kayaking, spending time at the beach or around a campfire with friends and family, and playing sports like softball and golf. In the winter, he has fun playing hockey and snowboarding. But any time of the year, you’ll be sure to find him exploring a new path with his dog, Ziva.

Degrees:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting

Darlene Matelski

Office Manager

Darlene joined Drost Landscape in August of 2019, bringing experience from owning and operating five small businesses, as well as working in the healthcare industry. She is passionate about customer service and helping people navigate through unknown processes, and her strong organizational and interpersonal skills make her a perfect fit as office manager. She is proud to be the first face people see when they walk through our doors.

Darlene lives in Petoskey with her husband, Matthew, and their three children. In her free time, Darlene works as an advocate for a rare medical condition, providing education and encouragement for patients and the public. She administers a number of on-line patient support groups and, because of this work, was selected by Facebook to serve on their Health Groups Advisory panel. In the winter months, Darlene enjoys knitting, quilting, and brewing the perfect cup of coffee. In the summer, she can be found relaxing in her favorite hammock–with a fresh glass of iced coffee.

Marty Drier

Enhancement and Snow Services Manager, Landscape Maintenance

As Drost’s Snow Services and Enhancement Manager, Marty coordinates our snow removal crews and the new enhancement team. He joined Drost in 2004 as part of the planting crew, and over the years he’s tried his hand in the greenhouses and in the tree service department. He’s been part of our snow services team since 2017 and is excited to take this next step in his career.

Having spent his childhood in northern Michigan, attending NCMC and then U of M, Marty is well-acquainted with the area and has a deep appreciation for nature. In his free time, he enjoys riding motorcycles, kayaking, camping, and working in the vineyard. He’s recently begun building his own home and hopes to do most of the work himself, with help from his family. He has a girlfriend he loves dearly and, at the moment, all of his children have four legs.

Degrees and Certifications

• Bachelor in Aerospace Engineering
• Certified Green Industry Professional – Nurseryman, Landscape
• Maintenance, and Landscape Construction
• Certified Pesticide Applicator

Janae Hahn-O’Rourke

Accounts Receivable Specialist

Janae joined the Drost team in 2011 as the office receptionist. Throughout her years at Drost, she has assisted in all departments, starting with irrigation and maintenance. In 2014, she became the Tree Service Administrative Assistant. After helping build and maintain the new department, she took on the role of Accounts Receivable, utilizing her Associate’s degree in Accounting.

Janae enjoys outdoor activities in the spring and summer season including kayaking, riding bikes, and going for walks. In the cooler months, Janae takes pleasure in expanding her knowledge as a student at the local college and LSSU. Her goal is to obtain a Master’s degree in Business Management. But first, her main priority is raising her three children.

Lisa Wooll

Administrative Assistant, Tree Service

Lisa joined Team Drost with over fifteen years of experience in customer service and team management. Having worked in a medical facility, she brought with her the knowledge and expertise our Tree Service teams need to keep them organized and on schedule. She loves learning about everything the crews do in the field and engaging with clients every day.

When not at work, Lisa enjoys exploring the great outdoors by hiking or kayaking, catching up with friends around a bonfire, and relaxing on the lake with a fishing pole in hand! She has two daughters that are soon to leave the nest, so she’ll be spending most of her time spoiling her two dogs, Marrie and Waylon.

Din Djarin

Bounty Hunter

This is the way.

Jane Doe

Landscape Artist

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Jenna Lindenberg

Human Resources Manager

Jenna Lindenberg comes to Drost with nine years of experience in Human Resources and Corporate Wellness. She previously worked at Glastender, Inc. in Saginaw, Michigan, where her primary focus was benefit administration, recruiting, and managing the company’s wellness program. She has dual Bachelor’s degrees from Saginaw Valley State University and was drawn to work with Drost by the company culture and our emphasis on teamwork and creativity.

In her free time, Jenna and her husband, Spencer, can be found hanging out with family and friends, traveling, trying new restaurants, and enjoying a number of outdoor activities, including downhill skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, kayaking, camping and backpacking, and the occasional mountain bike loop.

Degrees and Certifications:

• Bachelor of Business Administration in General Business
• Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

Brandon Southwell

Assistant Manager, Tree Service

Brandon began working at Drost Landscape in the spring of 2014. There he found his passion and natural talents with the tree service department. Brandon has always enjoyed outdoor activities such as fishing, and hunting, so finding a career in arboriculture was a natural fit. Brandon likes working in the field and training the crews in new techniques and skills. After being a foreman for a number of years, he transitioned into the Assistant Manager of the tree division. Brandon enjoys meeting and helping clients as they determine their needs.

Brandon is married to his loving wife Erica. Together they are enjoying raising their daughter Finley. They spend their weekends in the summer hiking , camping, and spending time with their family.

Hilary Harrington, PLA

Landscape Architect

With 6 years of educational training and 7 years of professional experience in the industry, Hilary has developed a profound understanding of expertise in both residential and commercial landscape design.

As a Petoskey native, she has developed many relationships in the community and spent a lifetime understanding local ecosystems. She is passionate about integrating textures and fine detail into her designs and is fluent in cutting edge technology and software in the design world. Hilary is an avid photographer and enjoys home life in Petoskey with her husband and two daughters.

She obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in 2011 from Michigan State University and has since been furthering her Landscape career. Hilary received her Landscape Architect License in 2018, a prestigious certification that requires rigorous training and coursework, while adhering to a set code of ethics set forth by CLARB and representing the landscape industry with dignity.

DAVID GROSSI, PLA

Design Manager, Landscape Architect

David brings over 20 years of design and construction expertise to Drost as the senior landscape architect. Motivated by the belief that designers have a responsibility to influence the dynamics between nature, space and people, he is committed to achieving a balance on each project big or small.

Over the course of his career, David has managed a multitude of projects including residential, recreational, hospitality, civic, and ecological.

David lives in Charlevoix with his wife Jennifer and share in the wonders of parenting three great kids (Olive, Grant and Vincent). His family enjoys spending time with their horses and exploring northern Michigan.

Degrees and Certifications:

• Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, Michigan State University – College of Social Science – 1999
• State of Michigan Licensed Landscape Architect, #1686
• Michigan Certified Natural Shoreline Professional, MNSP#482

John Fox

Fertilizer Manager

John started with Drost in 2019 and came to the organization with over 28 years in the lawn care industry.

He and his wife moved to the Petoskey area in 2017 to enjoy the outdoor life style and the beautiful scenery.

John has a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources and enjoys working outdoors.

He enjoys spending time with his family, along with outdoor hunting and fishing experience including snow shoeing and hiking.

John and Lori are new grandparents to two year olds and enjoy spending time with them and their parents.

James VanAntwerp

Division Manager: Irrigation and Lighting

Jim brings 30 plus years of irrigation experience in Northern Michigan to the Drost landscape team. This includes time in sales, installation, and service of all types of irrigation systems from Golf Course to Residential.

Jim believes in continuous education for both himself and his irrigation teammates to stay on top of the constantly changing industry. He was a long time member of the Michigan Turf grass Foundation and Northern Michigan Golf Course Superintendents serving on the Board of Directors for both.

Jim and his wife Tammy have raised two children in Petoskey and can usually be found giving back to the community and children through Jim’s passion of coaching youth hockey and Tammy’s 25 years as an educator/administrator.