AME Team

Jeff Schwartz, Founder and President

The AME Way developed from how Jeff Schwartz was raised. His work ethic, attention to detail, and his belief in always giving back, began at a very early age and those tenets have always guided his personal and professional life. Jeff is a lifelong Montgomery County resident who grew up in Silver Spring and attended Springbrook High School. His love of the outdoors began early with lawnmowing jobs, hikes at Billy Goat Trail, family camping trips, skiing adventures and more. He earned his degrees in Environmental Science from the State University of New York and Johns Hopkins. In 2002, Jeff founded Ashton Manor Environmental and began putting his knowledge and passion to very good use.

Jeff likes to find solutions that address personal, community and business needs all at once. His sister’s ongoing battle with cancer led to AME’s involvement with the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition. The company has been the top local chapter fundraiser since 1995, raising more than $125,000. AME has also connected with Jemicy, a school specializing in supporting students with learning disabilities, including Jeff’s son. The company has hosted Jemicy students to teach them about environmental sustainability and recently hired their first Jemicy graduate.

Jeff is also a proud supporter, and board member of the Literacy Council of Montgomery County and has helped more than 10 percent of the AME workforce complete the LCMC’s curriculum, giving them English-language skills that benefit them for life.

Outside of work, he is a dedicated ski patroller, along with his two dogs, as well as an avid cyclist. He lives in a restored 1700’s Farm House (passionately restored several years ago) with his two children, horses, lamb, goats, cows, and two dogs in Brookeville, Maryland.

Joshua Monroe, Director Of Operations

Josh brings tremendous operations experience and strategic vision for future growth to AME. With over 12 years in construction project management, operations, and engineering, he is a valuable addition to our team. Before joining AME, Josh was the Director of Project Operations at Digney York Associates & Elkay Interior Systems, a leading hotel general contractor with revenues of $110 million. He has been heavily involved in strategic planning and has delivered multiple software implementations, including Salesforce and ProCore, which streamlined sales and project management functions. Josh holds a BS in Architecture and Civil Engineering from The Catholic University and is a qualified general contractor in 14 states across the country.

Outside of work, Josh enjoys spending time with his family—he has three boys, ages 1, 4, and 6. They love hiking and exploring the DMV area. Additionally, Josh is an avid runner and cyclist and enjoys taking on projects around the house and yard.

Eric DuBois, Director, Quality Assurance

Eric has known the Ashton area his entire life. In fact, he grew up just three miles from AME’s corporate office and worked part-time as a teenager for a Brookeville-based landscape company. That was the beginning of his 40 years of landscape industry experience.

Eric is a Certified Landscape Technician and is USACE Quality Management Certified. He has been a member of the Baltimore-area Vistage Key Executive Group for more than five years.

The DuBois are a sports and lacrosse family — their oldest son coordinates the lacrosse leagues and programs for Howard County Rec & Parks.

Eric is also a vehicle restoration enthusiast and participates in various shows and Nostalgia drag racing events. Eric lives in Woodbine with his wife and sons.

Daniel Bramell, Senior Estimator

Daniel’s role at AME includes project estimation and business development for new and existing clients. He has has been in the industry for more than 15 years and offers extensive experience in contract negotiation and project management for commercial, government, and municipal clients. Daniel has always been passionate about the environment and enjoys both camping and hiking. One of his personal goals is to visit every national park in the country.

John Cole, Senior Estimator

John brings 30 years of industry knowledge and experience to the AME team. Specializing in estimating and managing large intricate projects, John works closely with architects, developers and general contractors from the design phase through project closeout. He has a broad range of technical and tactical experience with commercial landscape, wetland mitigation, irrigation, and vertical on-structure construction. John enjoys gardening and tennis in his spare time and resides in Union County, NJ with his wife, Sylvia.

Rob Petersen, Estimator & Landscape Design

Rob graduated with a bachelor’s degree in plant science and landscape development from SUNY Cobleskill and has worked in the landscape industry for 23 years. He has experience in landscape installation & maintenance, residential & commercial design/estimating, irrigation, and tree work. When not at work, he enjoys hiking, kayaking, and with family and friends.

Beatriz Firpo, Estimator

Beatriz brings over 30 years of experience in landscape installation and maintenance, environmental research and restoration, and green infrastructures. In addition, she has a master’s and Ph.D. in environmental restoration, soils, waste management, and mining. Beatriz is a certified Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional.

She is originally from Brazil and speaks Portuguese, Spanish, and English. Beatriz loves to be among animals, create art projects, and travel whenever she is not at work.

Beatriz Ortega, Estimator

Beatriz Ortega is from Venezuela, South America. She holds a degree in civil engineering from Valencia’s Jose Antonio Paez University and an MBA in environmental management from Colombia’s Javeriana University in Bogotá. Beatriz speaks English and Spanish. She brings over ten years of experience in the take-off for civil construction projects, and in AME, she is part of our estimation team. In her free time, Bea enjoys being with her baby and her husband; her favorite place is the beach.

Sara Crawford, Preconstruction Manager

Sara’s main responsibilities include managing the overall process from project inception to close out, handling submittals, and managing subcontracts. When not at work, Sara teaches Pure Barre at a local fitness studio, likes to hike with her fiancé and dog, and visit local breweries.

Ben Statler, Senior Project Manager

Ben is responsible for the pesticide and herbicide program at AME and is a certified pesticide applicator in Maryland and Virginia. He brings 25 years of landscape experience to the company. When not working, Ben enjoys fishing, hiking, and kayaking. In addition, Ben and his wife are in the process of renovating a 75-year-old house in Annapolis.

Scott Pullen, Senior Project Manager

Scott has 16 years of landscape industry experience ranging from design/build to environmental construction to landscape management. He is USACE Quality Management Certified, Green/Yellow Card Certified, OSHA 10, OSHA 30, First AID, and soon to be ISA Certified. Scott holds an undergraduate degree from Ohio State and a Master of Landscape Architecture from SUNY ESF. Running, fishing, camping, walking the dog, and home projects fill his schedule outside of work.

Steve Pritchard, Project Manager

Steve is a United States Coast Guard veteran with nearly 30 years of supervisory and project management experience in the installation of large-scale commercial and residential landscapes/hardscapes. He is also a Certified Professional Horticulturalist and Certified Landscape Technician with Sediment and Erosion Control and 10-hr OSHA certificates. Outside of work, Steve enjoys anything outdoors, especially camping and sitting around the campfire with friends and family.

Refugio Vera, Project Manager

Refugio was one of our first employees and has been with AME for 19 years. He has been a Project Manager since 2018 and is a Certified Tree Care Safety Professional and 30-hr OSHA Certified. When not working, Refugio enjoys time with his wife, his dog and his bass guitar.

Larry Winters, Project Manager

Larry has been in the landscape industry for over 25 years. His skill set is vast, ranging from hardscape construction to the installation of artificial turf fields. During his leisure time, Larry enjoys taking bike rides and watching football games. Interestingly, Larry has a unique background in that he used to play professional football.

Geritt Rapp, Assistant Project Manager

Geritt brings 4 years of landscaping experience, starting as an Administrative Assistant, and working his way up to becoming a Project Manager. He possesses a wealth of expertise in office and field support, managing tasks ranging from accounts payable, budgeting, crew scheduling and much more. Outside of work Geritt enjoys riding motorcycles, taking hikes and rock climbing.

Luis Sapon, Superintendent

Luis has over 11 years of landscape experience. With a background in large scale commercial projects, his main focus is hardscape construction. He holds an OSHA 30 certification. He enjoys spending his free time with his family and playing soccer.

Jose Rosales – Assistant Superintendent

Jose has been with the company for almost 20 years now. He started as a Crew Member, grew into a Foreman position, and successfully led crews for many years. Recently, Jose stepped into the position of Assistant Superintendent.

Outside of work, Jose loves being with his family and spending time outdoors, going to rivers, parks, and visiting different states. He also enjoys playing and watching soccer, going shopping, and eating healthy. When at home, Jose takes good care of his chickens and ducks.

Maximo (Tio) Garcia – Assistant Superintendent

Tio brings many years of proven experience in supervising multiple crews performing lawn maintenance and small planting jobs. Outside of work he enjoys time spend with family and friends and as well watching soccer.

Steve Gilmore, Purchaser

Steve has worked in the landscape industry for 22 years. His duties at AME include purchasing, inventory management, and yard management. When not at work, Steve enjoys competitive bass fishing and Ravens football.

Amanda Raman, Controller

Amanda brings a wealth of experience, having spent over 16 years in accounting, finance, HR, and IT, with 12 years of experience in the construction industry. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, WIP schedules, project-specific analysis, and cost-at-completion estimates. Amanda has held key positions at Mechanical Contractor Shapiro & Duncan and, most recently, at General Contractor the TW Construction Group, where she served as Controller and CFO, demonstrating her exceptional skills and leadership. Amanda also holds a CPA and a CCIFP certification.

Mark Kaercher, Controller

Mark brings more than 30 years of corporate accounting experience in construction, IT and landscape industries to AME. He earned his accounting degree at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA. When not at work, Mark can be found playing golf, skiing and always enjoying music.

Jessica Ramos, Human Resources Manager

Jessica brings an extensive background in human resources, payroll, and office management. Prior to AME, she served as HR Director and Payroll Manager at Lyn-Phill Construction in Washington, DC. Jessica is bilingual in English and Spanish. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys traveling with her family, especially to warm tropical destinations. She also has a love for animals and cares for four dogs and a Quaker parrot named Pancho.

Maya Zheleva, Senior Human Resources Generalist

Maya brings extensive HR experience to AME, with expertise in benefits administration, payroll, compensation, compliance, and training. Originally from Bulgaria, Maya is not only culturally diverse but also multilingual. She holds a degree in International Business Relationships from New Bulgarian University. Outside of work, she enjoys watching soccer, gardening, and cooking for family and friends.

Ibis Cortez, Training & Safety Specialist

Ibis is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and graduated from the University of Maryland University College with a bachelor’s degree in business. She brings over ten years of customer service and administrative experience to AME. Ibis is primarily responsible for delivering training and safety support to the production teams, tracking training and safety data, and reporting trends to the leadership team.

Micaela Nunez, Office Manager

Micaela has an extensive background in customer service, front desk, events planning, and office management. Prior to joining AME, Micaela worked at Marriott International, as an Event Manager. She holds a degree in Hospitability Management. Outside of work, Micaela enjoys being outdoors – whether it’s kayaking, hiking, or exploring scenic backroads. She also likes experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen, whenever she has the opportunity.

Manuel Luis, Master Mechanic

Manuel has been working in the fleet and equipment repair sector for more than 15 years. He can maintain and fix just about any piece of equipment. He works directly with the Fleet Manager on a daily basis to keep all AME trucks and equipment operating safely.