Hall Of Fame Inductees

 

The individuals nominated should have made a significant impact or positive influence that assures the future of our industry in the lives of generations to come.

 

Once nominated, an individual’s biography and photo are updated on the site, and he or she is placed in the polls for voting. At the end of the year the committee takes into consideration the votes and decides which candidates are inducted.

 

Those with a star (*) next to their name below were either inducted posthumously or have passed away since being inducted.

 

Nomination Qualifications

  • Person with integrity and passion
  • Minimum 20 years in industry
  • Someone who has developed  or invented  new technology
  • Has made contributions that resulted in change
  • Contributed to mankind’s needs in his field
  • Provided education and encouragement  with self-sacrifice
  • Changed the industry

Peter Estournes

Vice President, Chief Operations Officer
Gardenworks, Inc.

 

Peter Estournes brings over 45 years of experience in many aspects of the landscape and green industry, including nursery production and sales (both wholesale and retail), teaching, landscape design, construction, irrigation, water management and maintenance as well as horticultural consulting.  Peter and business partner Jay Tripathi own and operate Gardenworks Inc. a Design/Build and Management Landscape Contracting firm in northern Sonoma County. Gardenworks Inc. was established in 1977.

Peter received his Bachelor of Science degree in Horticulture from Cal Poly, Pomona and has served in the past and currently as an adjunct faculty member at Santa Rosa Junior College.  He is a California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA) Certified Water Manager - Expert Level, is EPA WaterSense certified, a Certified Landscape Professional, a Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper and former Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor.  He has served on committees and boards of three San Francisco Bay Area water agencies and is currently co-chair of the Board of Directors for the Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper certification program in Sonoma County.  He was selected for and served on the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Independent Technical Panel (ITP) from 2013 - 2016 which was tasked with providing the CA Legislature and DWR with information and recommendations on new urban water Demand Management Measures, technologies and approaches.  He currently serves on the California statewide Urban Advisory Group which is providing input and recommendations in keeping with the Governor’s Executive Order B-37-16 with regards to future urban water use. He has provided industry related input for that last two updates to California’s Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance.

Peter has also served as an advisor to the Career Technical Education Program at Windsor High School, Windsor CA and has been a member of the Sonoma County Office of Education Career Tech Ed planning committee.

For over 25 years, Peter has been a strong supporter and actively involved in the California Landscape Contractors Association (CLCA). He joined CLCA’s North Coast Chapter Board of Directors in 1991 and served as Chapter President in 1997 and then again in 2000.  He has served CLCA statewide as chair of their Public Relations Committee, as co-chair and chair of the State Education Committee and Co-Director of the Water Management Certification and Performance Program.  He also served for two years as the Director of Chapter Services on CLCA’s state Board of Directors.  He was the 2007 CLCA State President.  Peter also served on several program task forces such as Better than a Thousand Words, How to Make Money in Landscaping, ClCA’s Training Toolbox series, the Certified Water Management Program and most recently the NorCal Landscape and Nursery Show. Peter is currently active on the task force overseeing CLCA's Water Management Certification and Performance Program as well as serving on the NorCal Landscape and Nursery Show committee.  He was the Co- Chair for the Resource Management Committee in 2016 and is currently working with the committee to create and hold six MWELO Workshops for 2017.

Peter enjoys public speaking on the subject of water conservation, management and horticulture . Peter, his partner Jay and Gardenworks have won numerous local and state Landscape awards through CLCA.

Peter has been married to Marianne, his high school sweetheart, for nearly 36 years and together they have two children - Janelle (30) and Andre (28). They have lived in Santa Rosa, CA since 1984.

When not working, Peter enjoys spending time with his family.  He also enjoys reading, hiking, tinkering with his salt water aquarium and traveling.  In 1998, he purchased a 1971 Plymouth Roadrunner muscle car.  Together with his brother Mike and other friends, he spent 6 years restoring the car and now spends time cruising, attending car shows and a bit of drag racing. He is in the process of “tweaking” a second car purchased at auction a couple of years ago that is a piece of drag racing history.