Thursday, 16 July 2026 03:10 PM
Company Update
Volunteers to donate time and expertise to care for cemetery's historic grounds, installing irrigation, improving turf, protecting trees, installing hardscapes and landscapes that serve as a living tribute to those who served.
CHICAGO, IL / ACCESS Newswire / July 16, 2026 / Visterra Landscape Group, ranked the ninth largest commercial landscape service provider in North America, today announced a contingent of its Visterra Vets affinity group will participate in the National Association of Landscape Professionals' (NALP) annual Renewal & Remembrance day of service on the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, Monday, July 20, 2026.
Renewal & Remembrance is one of the green industry's longest-running volunteer service traditions, now in its 30th year honoring our nation's heroes. Volunteers donate their time and expertise to care for the cemetery's historic grounds, installing irrigation, improving turf, protecting trees, installing hardscapes and landscapes that serve as a living tribute to those who served. The annual event reflects the Landscaping industry's commitment to giving back and preserving one of America's most sacred places.
"As a veteran-led organization, we are truly honored to join fellow landscape professionals from across the nation in beautifying and preserving the truly hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery and we thank NALP for decades of responsible stewardship over this important day of service and remembrance," said Visterra President & Chief Executive Officer Alan T. Handley. "We started Visterra Vets two years ago as a way to spotlight and pay tribute to all veterans in our workforce and I am truly honored to work alongside them and other landscape industry veterans at Renewal & Remembrance."
Handley said Visterra continues to invest in hiring veterans into key leadership positions, and in particular, veterans with post-graduate degrees who bring dynamic frontline military experiences to problem-solving complex business issues across the Visterra operating footprint.
"We have been intentional in recruiting high-caliber executives who bring an exceptional level of military service in leading teams and navigating some of our nation's most challenging military conflicts," Handley added. "From our senior leadership team and throughout our ranks, veterans form the backbone of our organization, and we are truly grateful for their service."
Recent new hires in key Chief of Staff and Project Management positions include the following veterans:
William Mack, General Manager and Chief of Staff, North Region
U.S. Army Special Forces - 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Deployments: Operation Inherent Resolve - 3X Syria, 1X Iraq
Service years: 2014 to 2026, U.S. Army
Andrew Dugan, General Manager and Chief of Staff, South Region
U.S. Army Special Forces - 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Deployments: Operation Inherent Resolve 2X, Operation Joint Guardian
Service years: 2013-2023, U.S. Army
William Abelt, Director, Project Management
Officer, Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (CBRN)
South Korea: 2nd Infantry Division, Aviation - Operations Officer
23rd Chemical Battalion, Chemical - Stryker Platoon Leader
Georgia: 25th Tech Escort Company, Company Executive Officer
Service years: 2019 - 2024
Visterra is proud to serve as a Renewal & Remembrance 2026 Gold sponsor, alongside industry leaders John Deere, SiteOne Landscape Supply, and Carter Machinery.
ABOUT VISTERRA LANDSCAPE GROUP
Visterra Landscape Group ranks as North America's ninth largest commercial landscape service provider, growing organically and through strategic investment in well-established commercial landscape service providers operating across 16 states. The company safely delivers expert landscape maintenance, enhancement, construction and installation, sweeping and portering, and snow and ice management services with a reputation for excellence in client service. Visterra has been awarded Lawn and Landscape's Best Places to Work in Landscaping for the past three consecutive years and is a back-to-back winner of multiple Safety Recognition Awards by the National Association of Landscape Professionals. With incumbent partner leaders guiding day-to-day operations, Visterra continues to grow with a team that prioritizes employee safety, wellbeing and dynamic career opportunities. For more information visit www.vlgllc.com.
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Contact: Jim Engineer, Director of Communications, 630/728-1387 or [email protected]
SOURCE: Visterra Landscape Group