Houston Landscapes Staff
Dean Carpenter/President and CEO
Dean Carpenter is the President and CEO of Houston Landscapes Unlimited (HLU). It was evident early on that Dean was a born entrepreneur when he started an auto body shop at age fourteen in his parent's garage.
His work ethic was instilled as a child when he worked on his uncle's farm in North Dakota during summers. At age twelve, he worked in the construction business with his older cousin. In 1983, Dean moved to Sugar Land where he founded HLU with little more than a vision and a strong back.
Under Dean's leadership, the company has become one of the area's leading commercial landscaping firms with over 100 employees serving the Greater Houston and Metropolitan area. The company's recognition includes awards for their work on the Avalon clubhouse and 1401 Enclave. Dean is a Licensed Irrigator, a Licensed Pesticide Applicator in the State of Texas, and a Certified Landscape Professional through the Planet Network (a national organization).
Some of the largest projects include; The Avalon Residential Community, Aliana Residential Community, Telfair Residential Community, First Colony Commons, Market at Town Center, Sugar Land Town Square, Sweetwater Plaza and Methodist Hospital, just to name a few, and the largest projects to date are NRG Park (Home of the Texans), and BBVA Compass Stadium (Home of the Dynamos).
As an active member of his local business communities, Dean's current affiliations include; Texas Nursery and Landscape Association (TNLA), Planet Network, Community Associates Institute (CAI), Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce and Central Fort Bend Chamber of Alliance (CFBCA). Additionally, he has been a member of the Sugar Land Rotary Club since 1989. Dean is also a graduate of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce 1991 Leadership Class and from the CFBCA Leadership Class of 2001.
Dean and his wife Sylvia have three children and they live in Sugar Land. In addition to operating a business and his community activities, Dean has also taught CCE to seventh grade students at St. Laurence Catholic Church in Sugar Land. In his spare time, Dean enjoys playing golf, ice hockey, biking and camping, and overcoming all the challenges that life brings on.
Dean can be contacted at 281-568-7500.
Sylvia Carpenter/Vice President and Marketing Manager
Sylvia C. Carpenter is the Marketing Director and provides Marketing and PR for HLU. She is the lead coordinator for events and press releases out to the community and provides communication with potential and current clients. Sylvia is responsible for generating maintenance invoices and daily operational invoices. Along with these important responsibilities she offers assistance to any employee as needed to assure a stress free environment. Sylvia can be reached at 281-568-7500.
Juan Tejada/Senior Estimator
Juan Tejada, a US Army Vet, is a local UH alum and graduate with a BA in Finance. He has lived in Houston for over 40 years and is a big sports fan, especially all Houston professional teams. He also loves Texas Hold-Em and going to the movies. Juan started at HLU in 2006 as the Maintenance Supervisor before becoming the Senior Estimator in 2007. He provides estimating for all HLU services (Landscape & Irrigation Installation, Maintenance & Hardscape). Juan takes the lead at HLU in establishing and pursuing business relationships with Customers (Owners & Architects), General Contractors and Sub-contractors. Juan can be reached at 281-568-7500.
Joann Winstead, HR/Payroll Manager
Joann Winstead is the HR/Payroll department of HLU. Joann is a native Texan who has worked in Human Resources for over 20 years. Joann worked for a plastics manufacturing facility and an oil and gas company prior to joining HLU in late 2006. Along with her HR/Payroll duties, Joann also assists with contract administration making sure contracts are processed properly with required documents, signed, and returned promptly to HLU customers. Joann can be reached at 281-568-7500.
Rome Alfaro/Maintenance Dept. General Manager
Rome Alfaro oversees all maintenance contracts for HLU. He has worked in the landscape and irrigation field since 1985. Rome was born in El Salvador and relocated at the age of 23 to Houston. He began working in the banquet and hotel industry before joining Dean with HLU that same year. As time passed on, Rome was soon invited to participate in maintenance, landscape and irrigation seminars and was given the opportunity to cooperate in the growth of the industry. He emerged with the task to begin training new employees and future leaders. Today, HLU recognizes Rome as a highly-valued employee due to his leadership characteristics and his commitment to do the best job possible on every commercial project he leads. He prides himself with delivering the best experience to all HLU's clients and always makes sure they are satisfied. Rome can be reached at 281-568-7500.
Jo Ann Petrosky/ Accounting Manager
Jo Ann has been the Accounts Payable Manager at HLU since 2010. A Texas native, she is the mother of four as well as the grandmother of four. Jo Ann has spent her entire career working in the construction industry. Before joining HLU as the Accounts Payable Manager, she worked for a lumber company and a stabilized material company. She is experienced in Sales, Management and Accounting. One of the best work experiences Jo Ann recalls is being able to participate in Habitat for Humanity. Jo Ann can be reached at 281-568-7500.
Jorge Gonzalez / Project Manager
Jorge Gonzalez has been in the construction business for over 15 years, and has also worked in the accounting/financing industry. He is a graduate of the University of Miami with a B.A. in Business Administration. He is a huge sports fan and has lived in Houston over 40 years. He enjoys helping his co-workers making sure our customers are satisfied throughout the entire project from beginning to end. Jorge can be reached at: 281-568-7500.
Wade Guerra / Superintendent
Wade is our Field Superintendent with over 15 years experience in the landscape & irrigation industry. He is responsible for the construction of landscape & irrigation projects. He is also proficient in dropbox & Cad interpretation. He is a team player and we are happy to have him as part of our HLU team. Wade can be reached at 281-568-7500.
Brandon Kircher COO/Vice-President
Brandon joined our HLU Team in 2019, with over a decade in the landscape & irrigation industry. He has a business degree from the University of South Carolina. As our Chief Operating Officer & Vice-President he oversees all day to day operations including landscape irrigation new install construction and all maintenance operations. Brandon’s commitment & dedication has proven to be a valuable asset to our HLU team. He can be reached at 281-568-7500.
Anne Seden / Accounts Payable
Anne Seden has over 20 years experience in Accounts Payable & Accounts Receivable in the construction industry. Anne handles the accounts payables for HLU. Anne has a good work ethic and is a good team player willing to assist her co-workers with anything they need. She can be reached at 281-568-7500.
David Varela / Supervisor
David has years of field experience & knowledge in the industry, and is a certified landscape irrigator. He is in charge of supervising our Sugar Land central branch projects and coordinating field work & administrative work. His main focus is to provide excellent customer service to our clients. We welcome David to our HLU team. He can be reached at 281-568-7500.
Chris Hall / Purchasing Manager
Chris Hall has been in the landscape industry for 40 years. He is the purchasing manager for HLU. We appreciate his diligent effort to search for the best quality trees and plants for our projects. We welcome his expertise to our team. Chris can be reached at 281-568-7500.
Ulysses Tejada / Manager of our North Branch Location
Ulysses Tejada is from Houston, Texas born and raise. He is a family man and loves sports. He is a huge fan of the Texans & Astros. Ulysses has been in the landscaping & irrigation business for over 20 years. He is our North Branch Manager and he is in charge of supervising our maintenance, construction of landscaping, and irrigation projects up North. He has good work ethic and providing excellent customer service to our HLU clients. Ulysses is always looking for an opportunity to learn and grow. He believes that with hard work and dedication you can achieve more goals in your career.
Vincent Reyes/ Maintenance Administrator
Vincent Reyes is the Maintenance Administrator for HLU. He assists with contracts, correspondence, communications, proposals, pre-invoicing, and customer service. He joined our team in 2022, and we are very appreciative of his positive spirit and determination to get the job done.