16
The Davey Bulletin | September/October 2016
MY DAVEY
DAVEY PULLS TOGETHER TO SUPPORT ITCC
Sixty-four of the best male and
female climbers from across the
globe met in San Antonio to compete
for the World Champion title at the
40th Annual International Tree
Climbing Championship (ITCC),
sponsored by Davey.
The elite competition, held in April,
included Davey's Josh Hodson,
foreman on the Mid American-55
DesMoines account. Hodson fought
for the title at San Antonio's beautiful
Brackenridge Park.
"My initial goal was to qualify and
compete at the national level," Hodson
said. But his goal changed once he
won the Midwest Chapter to qualify
for the ITCC. Hodson then set out to
place in the top 15 overall at nationals.
Hodson was not the only Davey
employee to travel to the championship
that weekend. Davey employees came
from all service and support lines,
including corporate communications,
Davey's lead sponsor entity for ITCC,
recruiting and training, the local
Residential/Commercial (R/C) offices,
Utility, Commercial Landscape
Services and safety to support Davey's
18-year sponsorship of the ITCC.
As the ITCC presenting sponsor, Davey
plays many crucial roles in the success
of this elite championship. The entire
Davey recruiting and training team
was there to assist with event course
set up, safety support and to serve as
part of the ITCC group of event judges
– scoring the climbers on accuracy,
safety and style.
Eduardo Medina, recruiter/trainer in
the Chicago area, has been involved
with the ITCC for the last 12 years –
starting as a competitor in 1994 – and
now helps orchestrate the entire
weekend event. To honor Medina for
his loyalty to the championship, and
his general expertise of tree climbing,
organizers presented to him the 2016
ITCC Committee Chair position.
"My job was to pick the perfect tree
for each of the five preliminary events
and the Master's Challenge," Medina
said. His goal was to make the compe-
tition as efficient and safe as possible.
Each contestant, both female and male,
had to compete in five preliminary
events, including Work Climb, Aerial
Rescue, Throwline, Footlock and Speed
Children and adults who took the Nature's
Sunscreen pledge to protect their trees at
Davey's ITCC booth received visors and other
items that provide shade.
Davey's San Antonio District Manager
Tim Jackson led a three-hour workshop
about rigging and knots during the ITCC.
