Davey Tree Flipbooks

May/June 2016 | 13 A highway in Illinois is going to get a lot cleaner this year thanks to utility vegetation managers for Davey Resource Group working on the ComEd account. Davey utility foresters working in the Lombard, Illinois, office with ComEd partnered with local officials to join the Adopt-A-Highway program and help clear trash from almost 2 miles of Swift Road. The fairly rural two-lane road connects two of the area's busiest highways–North Avenue and St. Charles Road–and runs right in front of the ComEd hub office for the region. Matt Millette, emergent field supervisor, and Mike Priller, work order field supervisor, developed the idea after hearing from their nearly 50 fellow employees on the ComEd account who expressed a desire to create a team-building event that also gave back to the local community. "We had just gone to a presentation from ComEd, and the client was talking about community stewardship and being a part of the community," Millette says. "And it got me thinking, 'what could I do for ComEd?'" Priller had previous Adopt-A-Highway experience through personal involvement with the Boy Scouts. "Reaction to the idea from our team was outstanding," Priller says. "I was so pleased the team came together to support the idea and jump on board." Davey volunteers will gather four times in 2016 to pick up trash along the road. Signs will be installed at both ends of the stretch of road adopted by Davey telling motorists about the clean-up efforts. Participants at the first event in March included: Adam Maille, Geoff Watson, Abby Watson, Mike Priller, Colby Priller, Chloe Poole, John Pfalzgraf, Matt Millette, Clark Graffeo, James Marok, Nick Day, Dakin Wright, Jay Mahoney of ComEd and Mac McCullough of ComEd. Priller said the program is set for one year, but he and Millette are hopeful to continue it beyond 2016. ILLINOIS TEAM ADOPTS A HIGHWAY Steve Westerkamp (left) and Phil Godwin of Davey's Cincinnati R/C office stopped to help corral runaway calves on a busy road. On a spring morning, a herd of rambunctious calves left their grassy pasture and, briefly, ran wild on State Route 232 outside of Bethel, Ohio. Instinctively, foreman Phil Godwin and trimmer Steve Westerkamp pulled over to herd the cows back to their property. "Everyone who knows Phil and Steve know they will always go out of their way to help someone who needs it," says Bob Meoak, district manager of Davey's R/C Cincinnati office. "In this case, they were helping not only the farmer but the general public, as the cows in the roadway were creating a safety hazard." Davey's Jeff Polvado, consulting arborist, witnessed the whole event. No doubt the farmer and other drivers that morning, including Polvado, were thankful for the crew's helpful efforts. "I understand this crew could have just kept driving and ignored the calves, but they elected to take the time and help out," Polvado says. DAVEY HELPS 'TIL THE COWS COME HOME Members of the Davey crew after their first clean-up.

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