27
May/June 2026
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THE DAVEY BULLETIN
WHITEMAN BECOMES MORE OUTDOORSY IN RETIREMENT
After his wife, Sue, visited Oregon and told him about her
wonderful trip, Gery Whiteman had to see it for himself in
retirement. Following years of vacationing to the state, the
couple moved from their city of 200,000 people in Colorado
to a more rural Oregon town of 20,000.
Now, they spend even more of their time outdoors at Crater
Lake National Park and Redwood National Park, which is
not too far from where they live, along with going on many
more adventures.
"There's so much to do," Whiteman said. "We're very
outdoor people, so we've spent a lot of time hiking, visiting
the coast which is only a few hours away and traveling to
California, which we live on the border of. We loved
Colorado, but Oregon is also beautiful, too."
Whiteman retired in January 2019, following 37 years of
service. Whiteman joined Davey in 2007 after the acquisition
of his Colorado-based company, Alpine Tree Spraying. He
owned the company for 26 years. Whiteman retired as a
sales arborist, Fort Collins office, Residential/Commercial
(R/C) services.
"The acquisition was a good way to transition into retire-
ment, and Davey is a great company," Whiteman said. "They
treat their employees well, and there's so much opportunity
for advancement. I met great people there, too. If I were to
go back in time, I would still sell my company to Davey."
Whiteman said he still keeps up with things going on at
Davey, and he loves to see people he worked with, like
Natalie McNeill (market manager, New England operations,
R/C), move up through the company. He also looks back
fondly on his time with coworkers.
For anyone thinking about visiting Oregon, Whiteman
recommends they take the time to appreciate the gorgeous
water and luscious forests found throughout the Beaver State.
"The coast is beautiful, and one thing I really like about it is
the entire coast is public land," Whiteman said. "The ocean
coming up to such big rocks and the tide pools really make
it so beautiful. The state's ecology, its biodiversity and those
awesome trees make Oregon such a great place to visit and
to live in."
ADVICE FROM GERY WHITEMAN:
1. Enroll in the stock and retirement programs
available to you. The younger you start, the better.
2. Take advantage of all the tools provided to you,
like training and other educational opportunities.
Chances for advancement are there; you just
need to grab them and work for them.
3. Be grateful – not only for your job but for where
you are in life.
Gery Whiteman in front of a redwood
tree at Jedediah Smith Redwoods
State Park in northern California.
Gery Whiteman snaps a picture of a lighthouse
at Cape Disappointment State Park in
Washington.
Sue Whiteman peers out her binoculars on
the shore of Gold Beach on the coast of
southern Oregon.
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.
RETIREES!
RETIREE CORNER
