crew
dave dexter
founded the company in 1985, following his strong interest in plants and gardens. With a background in wholesale nursery production and management of a soil products business, he has both a degree in Plant Biology and Environmental Studies & Planning from Sonoma State University.
He and his wife, Allis, a water color artist/teacher, enjoy spending time with their four grandkids. Away from work and family you might find him on a fairway or watching a giants game.
diego casas
was born in Mexico City and raised in the Napa Valley. He worked as an Agricultural Irrigation Specialist for five years and graduated with a degree in Spanish from Sonoma State University in 1995.
He coordinates all the labor for our various projects and is always thinking on his feet as plans change daily. He has been with DEXTER since May of 2002 and fills an important role as Field manager.
lucas dexter
a North Bay native, has had a passion for plants and landscaping since he was a young child. His interest grew by helping his father, Dave, and mother, Allis, cultivate their own gardens at home. With over 20 years of experience, the youngest Dexter can now tell stories of the old days. He has also developed a hobby of collecting rare trees that has transformed into a small, personal nursery, which he adds to each year with new plant introductions that he grafts himself. He now has several unique trees that he has developed, registered and are internationally recognized. Including, a gold leafed valley oak, dwarf blue oak, variegated big leaf maple, dwarf grey pine and variegated redwood tree.
His life is full with wife Rebecca and baby twins Miles and Allis Rose.
lauren lugo
is our bookkeeper and human resources manager. And far beyond her job titles, she is the source of support that keeps our company on course and cared for. A resident of Calistoga, she grew up in the Napa Valley and has a record of excellent service to local businesses. Her college studies included science, accounting and Spanish.
She enjoys gardening, reading and baking excellent lemon cookies.
laura mcniff
a self-proclaimed plant nerd, Laura fits like a glove here at DEXTER. She came to the area from Trinity County to attend college and fell in love with the North Bay.
With her passion for plants, trees and science she is a welcome asset. In her account manager position she tracks job essentials, working with designers and architects, billing, proposals and plant sourcing. As a graduate of Sonoma State University in Environmental Studies and a minor in Plant Biology, she comes with a solid background. She has experience as a beekeeper and sustainable edible landscape gardener. Happiness to her is her home time with her husband Sean and her sweet young daughter Sloane in Napa.
fernando lugo
a long time Napa Valley resident, Fernando comes to us with over a dozen years of high-end resort engineering management. His resourcefulness and calm focus in crunch time all make him a great addition to our team.
On the weekends you can find him kayaking, camping or working on his family’s home. In a short time Fernando has become one of our best site superintendents.
christopher dunstan
with more than 20 years in commercial and luxury residential landscape design, purchasing, nursery and project management experience in South Florida, Chris joined Dexter Estate Landscapes in 2020 as project manager.
He enjoys spending time outdoors in Wine Country with his wife Aime, and coaching sports for sons Barrett and Carter.
eddie molina
came to us by way of the building trade. Long employed by James Nolan Construction, he is known for his good attitude and coordination of the various disciplines and subcontractors on the job. His work ethic is his strong point, and his former clients can vouch for his willingness to please. Eddie is our tree transplanting specialist and moves hundreds of trees every year.
In his spare time you will find him fishing and spending time with his wife Rosita and daughter Deanna.
juan gutierrez
with years of experience working in high end landscape installation in the Bay Area, Juan has thrived in his role running jobs here in Napa and Sonoma Counties. A breadth of knowledge, an easy going temperament and attention to detail makes him a valuable Supervisor and team member. As a crew leader he commands respect from his workforce and is very result oriented. Juan has proven to be one of our very most talented and reliable supervisors.
A hard working family man, Juan is a valued member here at Dexter.
hailie barnes
is a Sonoma County native with a degree in Environmental Studies from Chico State. Her background in resource conservation management and soil science make her a great fit for the Dexter team.
As an account manager she works with our team keeping her jobs running smoothly. Her positive attitude means everything to us.
