Meet Our Crew

Douglas Liva

Owner / ISA Certified Arborist

John Hill

Operations Manager / Safety Administrator

Born and raised in Massachusetts along the shores of Cape Cod, and the woods of Eastern Maine- John grew up sailing and hauling brush, depending on which Grandfather he was with at the time.

Bouncing around North America as a professional Chef, John arrived in Park City in 2011. Eventually, cooking and butchering for a living had reached a crossroads with his family roots, so he decided it was time for a change and got involved with the tree service industry. John joined the crew of Canyon Cutters in June 2018 during the company’s infancy. Covering all the bases in the woods from felling trees, to operating machinery, John hopes to continue learning the trade alongside the Canyon Cutters team.

Jesse Gardner

Foreman

A Utah native and born a rambling man, Jesse shares a passion for rock climbing, snowboarding, fly fishing, and anything outdoors. Jesse says that trees are his passion and that, “Life’s a garden and I’m a Gardener, so let’s get digging. I’m here to make people smile, so let’s keep it positive!”

Nate Potter

Foreman

Robert Valencia

Foreman

Hey, I’m Robert Valencia and I was born in Salinas, CA. Went to College and graduated from Notre Dame de Namur University back in 2015. Right after that I joined the Marine Corps and became a Combat Helicopter Mechanic and Huey Crew Chief. Deployed twice, and experienced the world. Rejoined the civilian world in 2020 and worked in Construction in Santa Rosa, CA.

There were major fires occurring in the area and I felt the need to do something about it so I joined a forestry division managing and preventing forest fires in the Napa Valley. In June of 2022, I signed a reservist contract for the Army National Guard and now continue to work on Helicopters and fight fires as a Crew Chief on Black Hawks.

I love tree work and it definitely keeps me humble. I went to academies to climb and remove/maintain trees and I have experience with tree felling. I enjoy operating equipment and have the desire to upkeep and hold standards to make the tree industry great.

Patrick Quino

Patrick was born in Torrance California but grew up in Port Orchard, Washington, and Las Vegas, Nevada. With a history of horticulture, spending 6 years as a head grower in the cannabis industry, becoming an arborist was an easy transition. Patrick would rather be outside than in, breathing as much fresh mountain air and exploring as many landscapes as possible. Plants, trees, and wildlife are his passions and he takes great pride in all his work to help them thrive.

Logan Duvall

My name is Logan, and I was born and raised in Ogden Utah. I love Mother Nature and everything she has to offer us, and I love our relationship with her. I’m constantly learning who I am and what I’m here to do, so I’m glad to be lucky enough to work on the Canyon Cutters crew making a difference. I’ve done many different things for work, and nothing compares to being in the woods bettering the environment as part of a meticulous company with a drive to be the best. It’s a dream to be running power saws with happy, inspired, hardworking individuals!

Jake Cahoon

My name is Jacob! I’m from Mesa, Arizona and I moved to Northern Utah in 2017. I originally worked for the Forest Service doing wildland fire and trail maintenance. 2022 is my first season being an arborist with Canyon Cutters. I’m grateful I made the switch and get to fell trees every day with an awesome crew! During my off time, I love to snowboard and mountain bike. I also love camping and exploring new places in this beautiful country.

Lou Chiappetta

Louis was born in Central Maine and raised in the great outdoors. Louis has been working in various outdoor industries for the last decade including rafting, skiing, and leading backcountry trips. He found a passion for forestry work while involved with the Maine Conservation Corps in 2018. This is his first season with Canyon Cutters, and he most enjoys picking up small twigs off the ground.

Brian Barnes

Raised in Lake Murray, South Carolina, Brian originally came to Utah to pursue a college degree. He fell in love with the mountains and now works winters as ski patrol for PCMR and in the summers as a commercial fisherman in Alaska. off the Alaskan coast before joining Canyon Cutters

Tyler Johnson

Born and raised in Summit County, Tyler is no stranger to the surrounding areas that Canyon Cutters serves. Working with this crew provides Tyler with the opportunity to work outside, which is his favorite place to be. Tyler enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, such as mountain biking, hunting, fishing, hiking and kayaking. He can even be spotted, on occasion, crew chiefing a hot balloon or two. Tyler has lived and worked throughout the mountain west, and both coasts, and has returned to his home state. He enjoys learning this trade along a great group of guys.

Atley Putnam

I’m from Utah, born and raised, and I love to spend my time out in the wild. Besides choppin’ trees, some of my hobbies include snowboarding, climbing, camping, and mountain biking. I graduated from Bonneville high school in the spring of 2021 and did work in a variety of different industries. I spent the summer of 2022 in Healy, Alaska as a Zipline Guide. There I fell even more in love with the wilderness, got my first taste of tree cutting, and was lucky enough to find my place with the Canyon Cutters crew in the fall of 2022. During the off-season, I find positions at local ski resorts to stay out in the pow.