About
Our Mission
At White Pearl Management, we believe our clients deserve reliable, comprehensive landscape management with a personal touch. We believe that homeowners should not have to juggle separate service providers to maintain their valuable landscapes.
We believe that every homeowner should have an easy button for their landscaping. We believe in building lifelong relationships with our clients, so they never have to worry about how to handle landscape maintenance again.
Because of these beliefs, we set out to build a company that offers complete, integrated service that allows clients to check landscape maintenance off their to-do list for good. White Pearl Management is the fulfillment of that mission, and if you believe in it as much as we do, please give us a call.
If you are looking for landscape construction services, visit Black Pearl Management.
Why White Pearl?
A Customer-Centric Approach
White Pearl takes on only clients whose philosophy matches our own. We have constructed our company around our ideal client and partner with whom we will have enduring relationships with.
Integrated Service
Forget about communication mishaps. We manage everything outdoors with our in-house staff and industry associates. We handle all of your exterior needs.
We aim to service multiple properties for each client over decades with all-inclusive packages that do not nickel-and-dime clients for extras.
Single Point of Contact
A dedicated Client Representative will ensure our client’s expectations are met if not exceeded, oversee our technicians, and actively monitor progress onsite each week. Your Client Representative will be available and communicative at all times.
You will see the same teams working on consistent schedules and never have to wonder about who is coming or when.
Your Vision
Our experts work with you to define your vision for your landscape management program and craft detailed plans to make it a reality.
We meticulously plan with you to handle every need your landscape could possibly have. We believe all planning is good and do not fear complicated properties.
A Culture of Training
Learning and growing is part of the DNA of White Pearl Management. Training is a big part of our culture, and we pride ourselves on having the most knowledgeable staff in the region.
Our staff takes part in continuing education opportunities and we have experts certified for many specialized tasks.
Meet the Team
Kohler Brafford, Principal
Kohler Brafford has loved working outdoors his entire life. As an eighth-grader, he got a summer job working on the grounds crew at Norwood School in Bethesda,
Maryland. He used his paychecks to buy landscaping equipment and start maintaining pool grounds in and around Potomac.
Kohler went on to major in horticulture and turfgrass management at the University of Georgia, with an emphasis on landscape contracting. He refined his craft at one of the most prestigious landscape design firms in the D.C. Metro Area before striking out on his own with Black Pearl Management, a landscape construction company. Now with White Pearl Management, Kohler aims to bring his detail-oriented management style to full-service maintenance clients.
Tom Kniezewski, Principal
Tom has always had a love for the outdoors and for plants. From the time he was eight years old, he was helping out on his neighbor’s farm in Pennsylvania. He came to Washington DC to attend American University where he earned his degree in Applied Mathematics. Even during college, he ran a small landscaping business to keep his hands in the dirt, but stopped when he graduated to accept a full-time office position related to his area of study.
After a very short time, Tom realized the “concrete jungle” atmosphere was not how he wanted to spend his days. Ultimately, he returned to the landscape industry where his passion resides.
Tom is married with two boys. He is an avid ultra trail runner and obstacle course racer. When he is not working or training, he loves to go hiking with his family and play in his landscape at home.
Joni Desherow, Client Representative
Joni can honestly say she found her passion when it comes to landscaping. She has been in the “Green Industry” for over 20 years now and is still learning something new with each day. Flowers have become a passion of hers and she has always been fascinated by creating beauty in a landscape and maintaining that beauty for years to come. She channels this into her position with White Pearl and extends it to all aspects of the client care she provides. Her vast plant knowledge has had an amazing impact on the company and the overall results of each client’s landscape.
Joni has raised two children, who are now off on their own pursuing their own passions. Her next challenge has been vegetable gardening. It has been a lot of work, but very rewarding with an occasional harvest of fruits and vegetables.
Sara Marks, Client Representative
Sara’s childhood obsession with plants led her to a degree in horticulture from Virginia Tech. Since then, she’s been working in the landscape industry in a number of different roles, from installation to garden centers to maintenance. You’ll find her happiest when she’s helping to further beautify your landscape. She has one daughter and her hobbies include gardening.
M. Hoopes, Irrigation & Lighting Technician
Wilber Rodriguez, Crew Leader
Erick Ayala, Crew Leader
Elmer Ayala, Crew Leader
Thinking of his family and a more lasting world, Elmer decided to learn more about gardening and landscaping. He has over 11 years of experience in the field and enjoys every minute of it. He has a passion for plants and providing the best service to White Pearl clients. He enjoys working with his peers and dedicating himself to each project.
Luis Argueta, Crew Leader
Andrew Tilley, Human Resources Manager
Andrew has enjoyed being mobile and the outdoors for most of his memory. Having worked in several other industries, mostly in client-facing and service roles, he decided during the pandemic to change industries to become even more aligned with his passions and natural skills. White Pearl Management has provided an exciting and healthy transition into the landscaping industry, working with good, down-to-earth, and hard-working staff team. He has been gaining experience as a landscape manager, being hands-on and in the dirt with our talented crews getting the work done, while also building relationships with and communicating with clients and coordinating with staff members. When he’s not at work, he somehow often finds the energy to play lots of volleyball, flag football, or go for hikes with his wife and dog.
Julio Carballo, Landscape Professional
Manuel Martinez, Landscape Professional
Mario Maradiaga, Landscape Professional
Ronald Francis, Landscape Professional
Jose Anibal, Landscape Professional
Estella Cruz, Landscape Professional
Brian Perez, Landscape Professional
Rafael Martinez, Landscape Professional
Outreach
The White Pearl team works with our community partners to create wonderful environments beyond the backyard. White Pearl Management is proud to be an active member of the National Association of Landscape Professionals. We believe in constant training and continuing education and believe that helping the NALP develop professional standards can bring the industry to the next level.
We are also proud to sponsor the Iron Dog Competition. The event is hosted by The Fauquier Canine and Community Organization, in conjunction with the Virginia Police Canine Association. The competition tests the skills of about 50 police and military K-9 teams from across Virginia and D.C.