Meet The President

David L. Johnson - President

• Bachelors Degree, Computer Science (BS), SDSM&T, 1983
• Masters Degree, Business Admin. (MBA), Univ. of SD, 2003
• Registered Consulting Arborist, RCA #459, American Society of Consulting    Arborists (ASCA)
• Certified Arborist, International Society of Arboriculture (ISA)
   What is a Certified Arborist?
• Certified Arborist, State of South Dakota (SDArA)
• Past Director, International Society of Arboriculture, Midwestern Chapter
• Past President, South Dakota Arborists Association (SDArA)
• Private Professional Forester, Registered in SD & WY
• Member, Rapid City, SD, Urban Forestry Council


Dave Johnson is a native of Rapid City and the Black Hills. He is proud of the fact that he's the operator of the region's most experienced and time-honored tree company. He personally guarantees each customer's satisfaction with any and all tree work completed by himself and his staff at the Johnson Tree Company.

Growing up and living in Rapid City since the early 1960s means that Dave personally knows most of his customers. The majority of his work is, in fact, contracted through referrals and past satisfied customers. In most cases, Dave can recall from memory the type, size, and location of each tree in each customer's yard.

It’s because of Dave’s personal level of involvement and service and his aggressive insistence toward contractor integrity that the Johnson Tree Company has experienced such exceptional growth and success in South Dakota. The company's emphasized effort toward customer satisfaction has allowed it to sustain its position as the #1 - ranked tree-care company in the state.

"Our prices are not the lowest. We are not the cheap, cut and run chainsaw and pickup guys," says Dave. He reminds consumers that Rapid City and the Black Hills hosts a disproportionately high number of low-knowledge, low-quality tree "services" (see "Proper Pruning" section of this website). Dave points out that — when it comes to tree sales and service —"if you pay peanuts, you'll get monkeys."

As well as being an expert arborist and the only Registered Consulting Arborist in a five-state region, Dave is a former USAF Officer and FAA Flight Instructor, and current Commercial/Instrument Pilot in single and multi-engine aircraft. His email address treepilot@johnsontree.com is naturally a combination of trees and airplanes. Send him a note.