Davey Tree Flipbooks

32 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | November/December 2022 ORIGINAL EMPLOYEE OWNER ENJOYS FISHING, TRAVELING AND SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY Jack Swayze was a pre-med student until his sophomore year in college when he switched to forestry. He had work experience with the U.S. Forest Service as a smokejumper and fell in love with the industry. Swayze was hired by former Davey President Joe Myers, in 1975, as a sales trainee in the Houston office, retiring from the South Houston office in 2018. "Myers had a program to hire college grads and turned them through a 90-day program to become district managers. I had five years' experience in the industry already, so, I survived," Swayze said. He was one of the original 114 employee owners who made financial commitments to help make the purchase of the company from members of the Davey family possible in 1979. "That was phenomenally successful," Swayze said. In 2010, Swayze was part of Texas A&M University's project to restore their Military Walk, a quarter-mile path connecting north and south campus. Initially a dirt road in the 1880s, the Military Walk became a narrow paved road in the 1900s, and later, a sidewalk for pedestrian use in the 1970s. For decades, the Corps of Cadets marched in formation along the path. "To the Texas Aggies, it is a revered walkway," Swayze said. Initially a member of the design team of the Military Walk restoration, Swayze surveyed oak trees along the path, and he recommended an aeration system to allow enough oxygen to reach the root zones of the trees. Davey later became involved in the construction phase when other Retirees! Have stories to share about retirement or your life at Davey? To be featured, or to nominate a fellow retiree, call 800-447-1667 ext. 8615 or email bulletin@davey.com. ADVICE FROM JACK SWAYZE: 1. I encourage everyone to buy shares of Davey stock. 2. My philosophy is, take care of your employees and you don't have to worry about the client. The employees take care of them. 3. Enjoy what you're doing and do it well. contractors failed to bid on the job, as they were unfamiliar with how to install such a system. He worked on projects around the state with Texas Parks & Wildlife. Earning his pilot's license in the 70s, Swayze had a small plane and would fly from Houston to Austin to pick up an architect, go to a park site, then fly the architect back to Austin, all in one day. Swayze said people are what Davey is all about. "To me, that's a rare trait in companies today. Davey has employees retiring with 30 to 40, sometimes 50 years of service. That says a lot about a company," Swayze said. He likes to hunt, and practices target shooting. Swayze also enjoys fishing. "I'm lucky to have friends with large ranches. Some have big boats, so I have the privilege of going out with them on the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, for marlin and trout fishing," he said. Swayze and his wife, Beverly, have traveled all over North America, and they have taken many trips to Europe. He is an avid fly fisherman. "I've taken my fly rod with me on most trips to Europe," Swayze said. The Swayzes live in Spring, Texas, a small city north of Houston. "Houston is a dynamic city, with really great people who have a can-do attitude," Swayze said. They have two children and five grandchildren, all of whom live in their subdivision, so they are able to spend time with each other often. The eldest grandchild is at the University of Vermont and the youngest is 4 years old. RETIREE CORNER Jack Swayze holds up a silver salmon while fishing in Lake Illiamna, located 200 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska.

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