Davey Tree Flipbooks

September/October 2015 | 29 John Green retired June 26. He was a trimmer on the Detroit Edison account. "John was always a very humble man; one of those 'old school' types, hardworking and always giving a full day's work without com- plaints," says Dave Fulk, production manager on the Detroit Edison account. Robert Jones, Jr., general foreman on the Detroit Edison account, adds, "He was a very hard worker back then and was up until the day he retired. John is a very genuine man and has a heart of gold." Robert Lamar retired June 19 after 15 years of service. He was a trimmer on the FirstEnergy account. "Robert was the type of person who was the first to offer to help someone in any situation; he was the person to call for help with work and personal situations," says Shane Adams, general foreman on the FirstEnergy account. "He was always in a cheerful mood in the field." Rick Ramsey retired July 24 following 43 years of service. He was corporate vice president of Canadian operations. Ramsey began his Davey career as a groundman at the North Detroit Residential/ Commercial (R/C) office. After being promoted to a sales arborist at the same office, Ramsey transferred to the Akron R/C office, where he was promoted to district manager in 1976. In 1977, Ramsey transferred to the Columbus R/C office as district manager, a position he held until 1984 when he became assistant vice president of R/C services. Ramsey was appointed to vice president of operations for R/C services in 1986 and promoted to vice president and co-general manager for Davey Surgery in 1989. Ramsey returned to R/C services as vice president of western operations in 1992. He became vice president and general manager of Commercial Landscape Services (CLS) in 1996. Four years later, Ramsey joined Canadian operations as vice president and general manager, a position he served for 13 years. "As a corporate officer, Rick has always provided valuable input on company strategies, personnel issues and operational challenges," says Karl Warnke, chairman, president and CEO. "His perspective on these and other issues comes from considerable experience and a deep understanding of the values, culture and aspirations of the Davey Company. I have enjoyed the many years of working directly and indirectly with Rick and truly believe that our company is stronger and more capable today because of Rick's lifelong commitment to this exceptional employee-owned company." Ramsey is a graduate of the Davey Institute of Tree Sciences and the Davey Institute of Horticulture Sciences. He is a current director of the Davey Tree Expert Co. of Canada, Limited, and a past director of the Davey Tree Surgery Company. Jose Reyes retired May 7 after 10 years of service. He was a climber on the PG&E Sierra Division account. "Jose worked as a climber for his entire career with Davey," says Doug Byers, area supervisor for utility services. "He was a reliable, hardworking employee and was very well-liked by all other employees." Retirements Robert Riley retired April 13 after 33 years of service. He was a foreman at the Columbus office. Riley began his Davey career in 1989 when the company acquired The Ohio Tree Company. Ever since, Riley has held several positions in the field, from groundman to manual foreman, then to bucket foreman and ultimately crane operator—a field in which he was "very skilled." "Rob will be missed by Davey and his coworkers," says Scott Lindesmith, district manager of the West Columbus R/C office (pictured left above). "We wish Rob all the luck in his future endeavors. Thank you for all the years of hard work you made look so easy!" Kathy Zahirsky retired June 12 after 25 years of service. She was manager of environmental programs at the Davey Institute. Zahirsky earned her bachelor's degree in biology from Kent State University in 1974. She began her Davey career in 1990, during which Zahirsky contributed to the development of environmental management systems and provided technical assistance in all aspects of pesticide stewardship and hazardous material to Davey operations. Zahirsky is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) certified arborist and has completed several chemical management and hazardous materials training programs throughout her career. She is also a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS). Rick Ramsey, with a cake presented during a farewell gathering at the corporate office. Scott Lindesmith (left) with Robert Riley

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