Nick Lefke

Nick Lefke

, Tree IQ

For more than two decades, Nick Lefke has worked where tree risk becomes reality: in manufactured housing communities, RV resorts, outdoor hospitality properties, golf courses, and multi-site portfolios across the country. As the founder of NPS Tree Experts, Nick and his team managed millions of dollars in tree removal, pruning, storm response, and long-term canopy maintenance for some of the nation’s largest property owners. They responded to FEMA hurricane sites, derechos, tornadoes, ice storms, and countless emergency calls where a single fallen tree disrupted operations, damaged infrastructure, and created unexpected financial exposure. Over hundreds of projects, Nick began to notice something that changed the trajectory of his career. The most expensive trees weren’t the ones that failed during a storm. They were the ones everyone wished they had identified years earlier. Time after time, operators found themselves asking the same questions: “How did we not know this tree was a risk?” “Why are we always reacting instead of planning?” “How can we budget for something we can’t see?” Nick realized the problem wasn’t a lack of qualified tree contractors. It was a lack of visibility.