24
The Davey Bulletin | May/June 2017
MY DAVEY
UNMATCHED EXCELLENCE IN UTILITY CLIENT EXPERIENCE
Jim Decker knows something about
customer service.
Decker, a utility vegetation management
senior specialist for Davey Resource
Group, works on the PG&E North
Valley account in California specializing
in high-voltage electric transmission
rights-of-way. His job is to make sure
trees and other vegetation do not grow
too close to the electric conductors
with the goal of reducing the potential
of a region-wide, catastrophic
power outage.
For transmission lines, the best
management practice has proven to
be removing a tree rather than prune
it if the tree has grown too close to the
lines and stands within the minimum
clearance zone. But that's not an easy
job, as a removal requires approval
from the property owner or land
manager – many of whom are reluctant
to approve a removal.
Yet Decker has seen truly
unprecedented success. For the past
two years, every tree that he has
recommended for removal to maintain
the lines has been removed – ensuring
safe operation of the lines while
satisfying the Davey client and its
utility customers.
Kevin McDonald, project coordinator,
and Decker's supervisor, said
Kirk Shearer, PG&E vegetation program manager, and Garrett Grider,
principal project manager, PG&E, thank Davey's Jim Decker (center) for
his stellar work providing utility vegetation management service.
because of his success rate – and
his persistence – Decker is called on
to work with the more sensitive
land owners.
"He's got the gift of gab," McDonald
said. "He's able to explain to our client's
customers the reasons why their tree
may need to be removed and help
them understand the greater benefits
that come from removing it."
