Davey Tree Flipbooks

12 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | March /April 2025 Forty-two Davey employees traveled from all over North America to Kent, Ohio, for the annual, month-long Davey Institute of Tree Sciences (D.I.T.S.) training session. They learned about different facets of Davey's work and culture, as well as refined their knowledge and gained new skills to aid them in becoming better Davey leaders. Although David Miller, landscape crew leader, Columbus territory, Commercial Landscape Services, doesn't come across much "big tree" work, he said it was beneficial to learn about multiple areas of Davey work. "D.I.T.S. is the flagship learning opportunity at Davey," Miller said. "It's beneficial for those who want to improve them- selves in all areas of their work, and who are serious about looking at their role in Davey as a career versus just a job." Jim Kline, general foreman, Central Electric Cooperative account, Eastern Utility services, echoed Miller's sentiment of getting to learn beyond the scope of his everyday work while at D.I.T.S. Kline especially enjoyed learning about water management, as it isn't a topic he'd known about previously. "It was really interesting to see how big of a footprint Davey has in the industry, how we're growing, and what we're DAVEY'S FLAGSHIP TRAINING INSPIRES NEW LEADERS involved in," Kline said. "D.I.T.S. allowed me to better myself, and will allow me to better contribute to Davey as a whole." Georges Bois, foreman, Burnaby Residential office, Davey Tree Expert Co. of Canada, Limited, felt D.I.T.S helped broaden his horizons in the world of trees, and Davey as a company. He said he's excited to share what he learned with others at his office. "I see the world of trees and tree sciences as a big puzzle," Bois said. "Attending D.I.T.S. allowed me to get more pieces of that puzzle. Now, I can take a step back and know I'm going somewhere with what I'm learning." One of Leah Shertzer's favorite parts about D.I.T.S. has been the people and seeing how other Davey service lines and fellow R/C offices approach their work in addition to following the Davey way. Shertzer is a S&S technician, Arboristry, a Davey company office. "Since starting at Davey, I've heard great things about D.I.T.S.," Shertzer said. "I was initially intimidated to come due to the idea of spending four weeks away from your comfort zone and family, but from day one, I bonded with people. We found our own family here." DAUGHTER AND FATHER BOTH D.I.T.S. GRADUATES When Alexis Johnson, sales arborist, Santa Clara office, Residential/Commercial services, told her dad, Ben Johnson, safety supervisor, Davey Tree Surgery Company, and 2007 D.I.T.S. graduate, that she was going to D.I.T.S. this year, he encouraged her to enjoy her time and make every moment count. "It's been so nice to meet people from all different parts of the country, and further my Davey education," Alexis Johnson said. "I've been around Davey my entire life, and I've always looked up to the opportunities the company has given my dad. It's felt like a full circle moment to experience them now for myself." Justin Kysar, tree care coordinator, North Denver office, watches Mark Evans, sales arborist, Southeast Denver office practice tying a knot around a tree limb during the Rigging Dynamics, Precision, and Tree Felling session. LEADERSHIP

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