Dear TreePeople Community,
As I step into my new role as Board Chair at TreePeople, I am filled with gratitude and excitement for what lies ahead. I am honored to work alongside such an inspiring group of individuals, united by a shared mission: to create a greener, more sustainable future and nurture the connections that strengthen our community.
TreePeople has always been more than just an environmental organization—it is a community, a place where individuals from all walks of life come together with the belief that each tree planted, each seed sown, and each act of care can create ripples of positive change.
This year we are starting a project that I’m particularly excited about: TreePeople will install 6,000 milkweed seedlings propagated for fire scar sites in the Angeles National Forest, significantly increasing the scale and impact of existing habitat efforts for monarch butterflies and other pollinators. Project sites have been selected along with the US Forest Service and Los Angeles County Parks on 280 acres. TreePeople and partners will collect seeds, propagate, prepare sites for planting, plant, perform care, and then monitor.
In these times of uncertainty, TreePeople remains steadfast in our mission to heal and protect the environment while empowering the people who call it home. In fact, we’re not just holding our ground—we’re getting smarter, more innovative, and more resilient. We’re deepening our commitment to planting not just trees but the seeds of community, knowledge, and sustainability.
Our roots are strong, and with your support, we will continue to grow. Whether it’s through planting trees, championing green spaces, or equipping the next generation of climate leaders, together we are making a difference across Southern California.
Thank you for being an integral part of this incredible journey. I am excited to walk this path with you, as we nurture hope, cultivate resilience, and build a future that thrives.
Warmly,
John D. Bunzel
Board Chair, TreePeople
About John D. Bunzel
First Vice President | Financial Advisor | Global Sports and Entertainment Director, Certified Financial Planner™ Insurance Planning Director THE 310 GROUP Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
John Bunzel is a Global Sports and Entertainment Director with The 310 Group at Morgan Stanley in Beverly Hills and is a Certified Financial Planner.®
In addition to his role as Chairman of the Board at TreePeople, Bunzel has served multiple nonprofits as a board member including Camp Nor’wester, a summer camp in Washington State; Shakespeare Center Los Angeles, which delivers theater and arts education; and serves as a Trustee for The Franklin Cole Foundation. Bunzel’s past board service includes: board member (and former chair) at New Horizons, an organization that serves individuals with special needs; Trustee at The Wesley School, an independent K-8 school located in North Hollywood; and board member at The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company. He is former board chair for The C5 Youth Foundation of Southern California (formerly the Camp Coca-Cola Foundation of L.A.).
Bunzel is also an accomplished playwright and is a graduate of the Juilliard Drama Division. He lives in Sherman Oaks with his wife, Florie, and three crazy dogs.