Meet Our Staff

Richard is Clean Air’s President and CEO. He is passionate about the ways in which technological innovation can help in the clean energy transition, and he brought this energy to Clean Air Yard Care way back in 2011, when the present electric landscaping technology was just in its infancy. 

Richard has a long history as an entrepreneur. He started his first franchise in the early 1980’s, employing over 50 people, and has since  worked in a variety of capacities in franchising, from systems development to brokering, to working with mature franchisors to improve relationships with their existing franchisees.

He is a founding member of the Professional Business Coaches Alliance (PBCA, est. 2005) is the co-founder of his own coaching company, Success Biz Coach, and co-authored the Success Business Coach Programs designed to help entrepreneurs learn the skills and competencies that it takes to be successful in business. He has written over 50 articles on Business development and related topics.

Selena has been with Clean Air for over three years, and has her Level Four in Landscape Horticulture, bringing over a decade of expertise in estate, residential and commercial gardening to the company. She is a Crew Manager, and our Principal Landscape Designer.

Selena is a self-confessed, full-blown plant nerd: “If it grows, I’ve probably whispered to it, pruned it, planted it, or sworn at it… Nothing gets me more excited than stumbling across something rare and fabulous. I recently found a black-leaved hydrangea and almost ascended into the horticulture afterlife.”

Fear not though, Selena is still on this physical plane, and remains busy each day tending our Victoria gardens. You can view the progress of her latest designs in our 2025 Oak Bay garden build.

Selena is also a whale and wildlife photographer, an artist, and rare plant collector. You can follow her remarkable wildlife photography here. 

Stuart believes that mastery requires full commitment—and he has chosen horticulture as his place to excel. As Stuart puts it: “When the Ai’s and the ChatGPTs take over the world… I’ll be tending to the gardens, eating good fruit with good company.”

Stuart has been with Clean Air since 2023. He is a Crew Manager, and brings enormous energy and enthusiasm to the company. Stuart has his level one Horticulture Certificate with HCP, and completes his Level 2 in 2025.

Carl is much like other Carls, only more so. He has his Level 3 with HCP, and extensive experience in horticulture and agriculture. Carl is lovingly known as Carl DeForester, due to his savage work with Blackberry, Scotch Broom, Giant Hogweed and other invasive species.

Carl has been with Clean Air for four years, and is one of the few team members who, it is rumored, communicates more deeply with the plants he tames than he does with those on his crew.

When not offering etiquette lessons to the Kingdom Plantae, Carl enjoys NASCAR.

Marhawy began with Clean Air in 2024. He comes from Eritrea, on the Red Sea, but was forced to flee his home due to political unrest. Marhawy brings a broad spectrum of experience to Clean Air, having spent years working in agriculture and horticulture in Eritrea and Israel, where he moved as a refugee before finally settling in Canada. We are lucky to have him. Marhawy is an amazingly fast and detailed worker, and always shows up with a smile.

Marhawy cooks a mean beef curry, and is keenly awaiting the arrival of his wife and young son. Besides working for Clean Air and cooking up a storm, he spends his weekends doing English classes.

Josh began with Clean Air Yard Care in 2021, and attended Pacific Horticulture College in 2022.

Josh is a chef, and loves guitars, motorbikes, country music, and getting out into nature. Josh really enjoys outdoor exercise, and is the team member most genuinely disappointed when there isn’t a steep hill to mow on the day’s schedule.

Josh is one of our main drivers, and beyond towing one of our solar trailers through Victoria each day, also holds significant responsibilities in maximizing staff morale… as you can see in the above image.

James has been with Clean Air since 2024, and has a Horticultural Technician Certificate from Camosun College. James also studied at the Verdant Gardens of Royal Roads University, achieving levels 1 and 2 Red Seal for Landscape Horticulture.

James loves being outside, and is constantly fascinated by the oddities of nature, especially bugs and their weird, complex societies and habits. He is also our resident acrobat, and has been voted: “Team member most likely to perform a handstand to warm up on a cold day.”

Mike (on the right, above) is Clean Air’s longest serving employee. He has spent eight years with the company, beginning with us when we were just in our infancy and helping us to grow with his energy and eye for detail.

Mike’s eye for detail comes from the many years he spent prior to starting with Clean Air doing detailing on cars and boats. Mike loves simple, authentic living, and spending time in nature. When not tending gardens with Clean Air, you will often find him in his van, hanging out with friends and enjoying the sunset. If ‘salt of the earth’ were a flavour of chocolate, Mike would be that chocolate.