July 19, 2025 | Mark Luis Foster

I honestly don’t know anyone in my life who understands more about trees than Ron Zillmer. I met Ron in late 2024, the owner and founder of Legacy-Trees. And it turns out despite his tremendous tree knowledge (of which I have little), we have something in common: We both have roots in Wisconsin, as he in fact lives on Lake Arbutus, a nondescript but beautiful lake in central Wisconsin just a few miles from where I grew up.  I spent a lot of time on that lake, which is of course, surrounded by trees.

Ron’s company become a sponsor of the HOA Leadership Network as we were looking for a great expert and resource for what I believe is an HOA’s greatest asset. Ron has presented to our chapters and his amazing energy is a testament to his deep understanding and passion for trees. When Ron speaks I always wish he could speak longer, but we’re always managing the clock at chapter meetings.

In consolation for us rushing him during chapter meetings, I asked Ron to conduct one of his famous site visits at HOAs so that I could record the process he undertakes. On Friday, July 18, he visited my HOA (Boulder Village Townhome Association ) in Lakeville, MN, which sports 1.5 miles of walking paths that meander through several wooded areas. It’s beautiful and majestic; but like most HOAs, it’s not without its tree problems.

Take a look at the video and tour along with Ron to learn some valuable tree knowledge. Perhaps you’ll find a few of the same problems with trees that Ron points out. The video runs about 18 minutes.  Please visit Ron’s website too HERE.