Davey Tree Flipbooks

27 July/August 2024 | THE DAVEY BULLETIN RETIREE FINDS PASSION IN ARTWORK AND VOLUNTEERING Kim Ball knew it was time to move on from her previous employer once she reached the pinnacle of her career. Looking for some change, she searched around the Kent, Ohio area for a new job and came across an open position at Davey. As a local resident since 1999, she thought that working for a Kent company would be perfect. Ball started with Davey in 2008 as an operations administrator, corporate office, later moving over to Residential/Commercial (R/C) services. Her original plan was to stay there until retirement in 2021, but then an opportunity came to work in the legal department as a contract manager, so Ball took that position for one last year at Davey before retiring in 2022. One of Ball's most memorable projects occurred when a company approached Davey because they had a problem with one of their lawn chemicals, which caused the degradation of thousands of pine trees across the United States. "I learned a tremendous amount about the ins and outs of the entire R/C service line and met so many people across the company," Ball said. The project helped Ball forge relationships and gain knowledge that she'd be able to use for years going forward. "Teamwork and communication were the greatest pieces of knowledge to have because there were so many moving parts, from operations to accounting to legal," Ball said. "We had to make sure that every step we took was in the right direction so there wouldn't be any issues along the way." Projects were Ball's favorite part about working at Davey. She enjoyed immersing herself in them, learning how things worked, and getting to collaborate with teams 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. from both the corporate office and out in the field. Now that Ball is retired and has moved to Waverly, Georgia with her husband, she's able to use her teamwork and communication skills in a different way. Some of her free time is spent volunteering at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center where she performs things like creature features, turtle walks, and turtle patrols. "The longer I volunteer, the more doors are opening up for me to try other things, and I love that about it," Ball said. "After turtle season, I want to become certified in handling the non-venomous snakes and then the alligators." On top of volunteering at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, Ball also volunteers at the Jekyll Island Arts Association as a demo artist, along with working in the art gallery and in the gift shop on occasion. By volunteering, she is able to sell her art, which are three-dimensional stained glass seabirds, in the gift shop. "The biggest part of retirement is having fun. I like filling my time with the Turtle Center and Jekyll Island Arts because it gives me purpose," Ball said. "It gives me something to really look forward to and keeps me busy." Ball and her husband enjoy driving around Jekyll Island on their golf cart, exploring the country in their RV, or watching the sunset on their screened patio that overlooks the marsh. ADVICE FROM KIM BALL: 1. Buy stock! 2. Once you're retired, find your passion. 3. Find your people and build strong relationships. Left: Kim Ball is pictured on diamondback terrapin patrol on the Jekyll Island Causeway. Right: Kim is pictured with her stained-glass artwork of a seagull and a pelican that she created for the Jekyll Island Arts Association. RETIREE CORNER

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