Last month, we had the opportunity to share some time with one of Sacramento Tree Foundation’s founding members, Angelo K. Tsakopoulos, to talk about his love of trees, his humble beginnings, and how he made his way to our beloved City of Trees. 

A Hellenic tradition

Sitting behind his stately desk, Angelo looks across with a sparkle in his eye, eager to share his life story with us and how his deep love of trees developed. He is full of wonderful memories, and he uses the array of colorful paintings that hang on the walls around us of Greece and where he grew up, along with family photos he surrounds himself with to bring his vibrant stories to life.  

It’s surprising to imagine that one of the region’s most notable real estate developers, entrepreneurs, and philanthropists was born and raised in a small village in Arcadia, Greece. It was here that Angelo’s love of trees began at a young age. Angelo’s father fostered this affection by passing on the legends and myths of the forests surrounding their village and teaching his children to love and care for the trees.  

“The love of trees and nature is a Hellenic tradition,” says Angelo as he describes how early on in his life he was inspired by the efforts of villagers to protect their beloved forests, a lesson that has stuck with him throughout his life. He recalled how each dry season, valiant volunteers would carry gallons of water on their backs to guard the cherished trees around the clock, ready to extinguish any threat of fire. From these early experiences, Angelo learned to respect nature, and understand his own responsibility in caring for our trees. 

Planting roots in Sacramento

At the age of fifteen, Angelo and his family moved to the United States and eventually planted roots in Sacramento. Angelo became a proud Hornet, studying political science and business administration at California State University, Sacramento. To support himself during his studies, he waited tables at the local Johnson’s Del Prado restaurant at night and sold real estate on the weekends. Because of his many contributions to education and CSU, Sacramento, Angelo was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters by the CSU Board of Trustees in 1998. 

In 1964 Angelo established his successful real estate business, AKT Investments, Inc. in the city. Since then, AKT has developed over 60,000 homes and 30 million square feet of office space throughout Northern and Central California. The company also manages nearly 20,000 acres of farmland in the region. Over the years, Angelo has supported many local organizations throughout the Sacramento region, even donating land for schools, hospitals, and museums. A great lover of the arts, Angelo and his wife Sofia provided crucial funding to building the Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts, home of the B Street Theatre. 

Building strong communities: a front porch and tree for every house

As a real estate developer, Angelo understands the importance of building strong communities. AKT Investment’s decision to build front porches on new housing developments and plant shade trees is perhaps one of the most impactful initiatives for the region. It is Angelo’s vision that these porches continue to be gathering places for friends, families, and neighbors to share a meal, a social occasion, or a quick chat together. The trees planted in these developments continue to grow tall and provide beauty and shade to the community.  

When asked how he balances the need for trees and real estate development, he enthusiastically responded with, “Well they go together of course!” His philosophy is simple: plant as many trees as you can and preserve the existing ones whenever possible. If a tree must be removed, Angelo emphasizes how imperative it is to see it replaced.   

The Sacramento Tree Foundation

“Wouldn’t it be nice if we had an organization to promote planting more trees?”  

Angelo and the late Jane Hagedorn—another Tree Foundation alum—along with many other tree advocates, would find themselves asking that question over dinner and get-togethers and wondered how they could make a difference in their community. In 1982 they came up with the answer: The Sacramento Tree Foundation was founded by this group of individuals dedicated to protecting and growing Sacramento’s urban forest. In addition to providing early seed money to support operations, Angelo would often host fundraising dinners at his home to raise money for the organization. These funds enabled the Tree Foundation to plant and care for trees throughout the region and laid the foundation from which SacTree has grown these past 40+ years. 

Throughout the years, Angelo has remained dedicated to supporting the Sacramento Tree Foundation. When the Urban Wood Rescue program launched back in 2018, it marked the first time an organization anywhere in the world cared for its urban forest throughout its entire life cycle–from seed to rescued wood slabs. Angelo was thrilled to watch the continued growth and evolution of the Tree Foundation and made the first donation of logs from his walnut tree farm. And when the large pine tree had to be removed from his backyard, he had the log delivered to Urban Wood Rescue. He continues to share the vision that these trees won’t end up in the landfill, but will enjoy their second life as dimensional lumbar, beautiful wood slabs and special art pieces in the hands of makers throughout the region. If you ever have the chance to visit the AKT Development office, Angelo will proudly show off the beautiful conference tables created with wood from Urban Wood Rescue. 

Hope for the future

Through years of dedicated effort and unwavering commitment to the Tree Foundation, Angelo has worked tirelessly to expand and care for our urban forest. His commitment to planting and preserving trees as both a developer and lifelong tree advocate will leave a legacy on the region. Angelo hopes that tree stewards will continue to grow this legacy and keep planting and caring for as many trees as possible, so that we can all enjoy a greener future.