Davey Tree Flipbooks

20 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | January/February 2021 Natalie McNeill, district manager, Fort Collins office, received the ISA True Professional in Arboriculture Award, a recognition that "spotlights arborists who have achieved notable success in their public relations efforts to educate the public and the arboriculture industry about the importance of trees, the necessity for proper tree care and the role today's arborists play in tree care service and education." As a longtime member, she has worked extensively with the ISA Rocky Mountain Chapter as well as the Women in Arboriculture Committee. "Natalie is the first to step up and volunteer any time a community event needs assistance, and she has represented Davey faithfully over the years," said Kevin Marks, market manager, R/C services. McNeill was also voted Arborist of the Year for the ISA Rocky Mountain Chapter. EXPERTISE ISA Virtual Conference 2020 Experts Featured to Students During two breakout sessions, sponsored student attendees heard from two Davey experts over Zoom sessions: Dan Herms, vice president of research and development, the Davey Institute; and Eduardo Medina, arborist skills trainer. Herms presented "As Earth Warms, Trees Feel the Heat," which discussed climate change and its effects, such as increased frequency of wildfires, changes in precipitation, overall drier weather, and migration of pest populations on the tree care industry. Medina gave a presentation about his career path, how he got into the arboriculture industry and the work he's done outside of his role at Davey in Latin America, specifically working with local forestry programs, as well as training sessions he conducted with fire departments in Mexico, which are in charge of tree work in Mexico. The breakout speakers were arranged by Davey's recruiting department as a way to raise awareness of the career opportunities Davey has to offer. Cindy Schwab, regional recruiting manager, said the conference did not have a student-focused track in mind, so Davey filled the need by recording the presentations and passing them along to professors for use in class. "Times have changed with how we're able to reach students and showcase Davey as a credible opportunity for future employment," Schwab said. "Most college courses rely on hands-on work, which can't really be done this year. But if we can bring our experts to them, that keeps Davey at the forefront of their mind." As most events did in 2020, the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Annual Conference, which is typically held in July, went virtual in December. Davey was a sponsor of the event and provided event scholarships so 123 college students in tree care related fields could attend the conference, a virtual networking room with live question-and-answer sessions, and breakout speakers. Davey was also represented by several speakers, leadership attendees and an industry award recipient. • ISA Board members Dana Karcher, project developer, Davey Resource Group (DRG); Gail Nozal, area manager, DRG; and Shirley Vaughn, project developer, DRG • New England ISA Chapter board member Doak Marasco, regional manager, National Business Development Team; Rocky Mountain ISA Chapter board member Natalie McNeill, district manager, Fort Collins office; Penn Del ISA Chapter board member Tim Bushnell, arborist skills specialist; and current Penn Del ISA chapter board president Robert Kruljac, assistant district manager, North Pittsburgh office • Society of Commercial Arboriculture representative Alex Julius, employee development and safety training specialist • Society of Municipal Arborists representative Dorothy Abeyta, project developer, DRG. ISA Leadership Workshop In late October, nine Davey employees attended the ISA Leadership Workshop, which brought together ISA leaders, staff and volunteers to network and exchange industry-related ideas in a virtual conference setting. Davey attendees were: A 'True Professional' Creating Industry Equity and Inclusion Jessika Mitchell, project coordinator, Davey Resource Group (DRG), presented a session titled "Expanding Crews and Views," which focused on the importance of building gender inclusive work environments, expanding hiring pools and providing communication tools that can be used by all members of the arboriculture community to help create a more inclusive and equitable environment. An active member of the Western Chapter ISA Women in Arboriculture Committee, Mitchell also presented preliminary results of a WCISA-backed industry-wide survey focused on experiences in and perceptions of the tree care industry. The overall goal of the survey, Mitchell said, is to develop and eventually provide opportunities for education and professional development at future conferences and events. Eduardo Medina Dan Herms

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