Staff Bios
Eric Cross - CLT, CLP, Owner, President
Eric started the company in 1983 while still a sophomore at Delaware Valley College. After graduating in 1985 with a BS in Ornamental Horticulture and a Minor in Business, he steadily grew Duke's Landscape Management into a industry star in New Jersey and the United States. Eric has always played a major role in trade associations whether they be state or national. Eric is one of the only four individuals in New Jersey who holds the Certified Landscape Professional certification, which is only attained by passing a seven hour exam on insurance, risks, and business law. Eric's goal with Duke's was to build and run a professional company that its clients and employees feel respected and appreciated. In his spare time, Eric enjoys salt water fishing, coaching youth teams, skydiving, and white water rafting.
Send a message to Eric at eric@dukeslm.com.
John LeFante - Hackettstown Branch Manager
John joined the Duke's team early in 2006 as Branch Manager. Educated at Rutgers University, John has over 17 years of experience in all facets of the landscape field. He has a broad knowledge of pesticide application and has spoken at several recertification trainings on this topic. His chief responsibility is to focus on the overall satisfaction of the client. Prior to joining Duke's, John was a manager for several major companies within the green industry. John is committed to the overall care of our clients properties. In his spare time John likes to travel, spend time with his family and generally be outdoors.
Send a message to John at johnl@dukeslm.com.
Mikey Smith - CLT, Hackettstown Production Manager
Mikey has been with Duke's since 1988. He has worn about every hat possible at Duke's excluding office work. Mikey has worked his way up from our entry level position to Account Manager. People who work with Mikey place him in the category of one of the "nicest people." He thrives on satisfied and smiling clients and employees. Mikey has recently passed the certified landscape technician course and is now a "CLT". Duke's is proud to have Mikey on board. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing and quality time with his wife and two kids.
Send a message to Mikey at mikey@dukeslm.com.
Steve (Sport) Mincevich - Fleet Support Manager, Snow/Ice Manager
Sport has been with Duke's since 1991 and has always managed to keep up with the companies impressive growth. Before he came to Duke's, Sport worked for John Deere and attended advanced training courses pertaining to hydraulics and air-cooled engines. He won't admit it, but we know most of expertise was transferred from his father who is a long time mechanic and NFL great. Sport is certified in multiple brands of commercial power equipment. Sport relies on his staff, John O'Gara and Ray LeMasters, to work in the shop and on the road to keep our crews running at peak efficiency. The members of our Fleet Support Team are our unsung heroes. In his spare time, Sport enjoys deep sea fishing, hunting, and camping.
Tanya King, Human Resource Manager
Tanya King joined the Duke's family in May of 2005 as manager of human resources. She has led the development of the human resources function within Duke's, encouraging staff development at all levels and addressing the many facets of organizational development that helps Duke's achieve it's mission. Tanya is highly respected as a focused, bilingual communicator who has delivered significant results across a variety of assignments. Prior to joining Duke's, Tanya served as a management trainer/recruiter for a large retail company. Educated at Montclair State University, Tanya is currently continuing her education through Society for Human Resources. challenging self-study program. Tanya's passions include her husband, their two sons, photography, knitting, sewing, and all things crafty.
Send a message to Tanya at tanya@dukeslm.com.
Laverne Carnero, Office Manager
Laverne is our latest addition to the Duke's team! She joined the Duke's team in March 2007 as Office Manager. Her responsibilities include job costing, sales reports, accounts receivable, management of all client information and management of support staff. Her role as office manager is quite diverse and new issues arise daily that Laverne is able to deal with intelligently and enthusiastically. Prior to joining Duke's, Laverne has had a diverse background in the landscape, retail and computer consulting industries. She is fluent in Spanish and is currently attending DeVry University for her Bachelors in Business Administration~Business Information Systems.
Send a message to Laverne at laverne@dukeslm.com.