Wendy Yeh, our Client Relations Manager, has been named Professional Tree Care’s Defensible Space Maven, helping community members navigate decisions about keeping their homes safe from wildfires.

 

As a longtime resident of Berkeley, Wendy’s local knowledge, personal involvement, and proactive approach to fire awareness makes her adept at keeping our community abreast of the latest recommendations, news, events, requirements, and resources.

 

A self-proclaimed tree person and organic gardener, Wendy understands that many residents consider trees critical to the beauty and character of their property. She appreciates the aesthetic, environmental, health, and economic benefits of trees and recognizes that the ultimate question, “to prune or not to prune?” is an important one.

 

Regarding creating a defensible space around one’s home, Wendy considers it as a precarious choice. She balances her community’s desire for independence in how they maintain the character of their home against the reality of the East Bay’s wildfire history. The Oakland Hills/Tunnel Fire of October 1991 destroyed +/- 3,500 homes making it one of the most destructive urban fires in California history.

 

Before coming to P.T.C., Wendy worked in marketing (in NYC), sales and branding (Los Angeles/Burbank), and communications (Napa). She began her career at NW Ayer and Partners in NYC, the first advertising agency in America, in Account Management for Gillette Right Guard. When she moved to Los Angeles, she joined ESPN Networks as a Sales Associate, then as Western Region Marketing Account Executive, in Burbank on the Disney Studios Lot. She was the Director of Communications and Marketing at Bouchaine Vineyards/Winery in Napa. With parenthood, she also dove into the work of volunteering, including Fundraising Chair at CCC Preschool in Berkeley; at Berkeley Unified School District’s Office of Equity/Family Engagement; at the Edible Schoolyard at King Middle School; at the International Ocean Film Foundation; at shoreline cleanups, EV and solar adoption events, and more.

 

Wendy holds a BS in Business Administration/Marketing from the University of Southern California School of Business (Marshall School), Los Angeles, CA. More recently, she has completed online courses in Sustainability, and in Philanthropy/Development. She was a cohort of the 2024 Climate Reality Leadership Corps in NYC.