Your Hands-On Tree Experts • Call 805-967-7779
Meet our Team Leaders
Leigh “Lou” Christman, Owner
Lou Christman has been a Certified Arborist since 1995 and is a Certified Tree Risk Assessor with more than 35 years of experience in the tree care industry. A third-generation arborist, Lou brings extensive field knowledge and practical expertise to Arbor Services, Inc. He is also a graduate of the ASCA Academy for Consulting Arborists and holds an A.A. in General Education from Cerro Coso College and a B.S. in Organizational Management from the University of La Verne. His background combines hands-on arboriculture experience with consulting, risk assessment, and business management expertise
Karen Christman, Owner
Karen Christman has been a Certified Arborist since 1997 and has dedicated her career to tree care, environmental stewardship, and community education in the Santa Barbara area. She earned an A.A.S. in Ecology and Environmental Technology from Paul Smith’s College and a B.S. in Soil Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Karen was also a Licensed Pesticide Applicator from 1998 to 2020 and served as an instructor for the Green Gardener Certification Program from 2001 to 2011. In addition to her professional work, she has been actively involved in the local community through leadership roles with organizations including the Board of Directors for Santa Barbara Beautiful, the City of Santa Barbara Street Tree Advisory Committee, and the St. Raphael School Board in Goleta, where she served as Landscape Chair.