Davey Tree Flipbooks

32 THE DAVEY BULLETIN | March/April 2018 Larry Abernathy retired March 30, 2018, following 48 years of service. Larry was vice president, the Davey Tree Surgery Company. Abernathy started with Davey in 1969 in the field working vegetation control for the San Diego Gas & Electric account. He was eventually promoted to operations manager of the Davey Tree Surgery Company. In 2012, he was promoted to vice president and general manager of Davey Tree Surgery. In 2015 he was named a corporate officer of the Davey Company. Abernathy earned the prestigious John Davey Award of Excellence in 2018. In 2014 he received a lifetime achievement award from the Utility Arborist Association. He is a charter member of the Davey President's Council and a recipient of the International Society of Arboriculture Western Chapter Award of Excellence. A certified arborist, Abernathy graduated from D.I.T.S. in 1973. When asked about his proudest accomplishments, Abernathy pointed to helping build geographic diversity among the surgery company's utility accounts. RETIREMENTS Scott Avlakeotes retired Jan. 7, 2018, following 43 years of service. Scott was a general foreman on the PG&E Santa Rosa account. Avlakeotes started as a patrolman on the PG&E account and steadily moved up the ranks over the course of his Davey career. Richard Bergland retired Dec. 29, 2017, following 42 years of service. Richard was a sales arborist in the Barrington office and joined Davey as part of the 2008 acquisition of The Care of Trees. Ellen Curran retired Dec. 31, 2017, following 47 years of service. Ellen was a client experience coordinator, Hartney Greymont. Hans Gropp retired Dec. 31, 2017, following 32 years of service. Gropp was a foreman on the Idaho other work account. Vincent LaPorta retired Nov. 12, 2017, following 19 years of service. LaPorta was a landscape crew leader in the Tampa territory. "I really feel good about so many of the accounts that are outside of the state of California that I was able to take the lead on," he said. "I was the one given opportunities to build up Texas. Then we got Oklahoma. Then we got Hawaii and Idaho. Those were all places I was leading the charge on and feel really good about." John Smith retired Jan. 7, 2018, following 11 years of service. John was a project developer for Davey Resource Group. Jack Swayze retired Jan. 1, 2018, following 42 years of service. Jack was assistant district manager in the South Houston office. Peter Tyrell retired Feb. 4, 2018, following 23 years of service. Peter was a sales arborist in the Hamden office. Theodore Wales retired Dec. 31, 2017, following 33 years of service. Theodore was a sales and service technician in the Needham office. Sinclair Weeks retired Dec. 31, 2017, following 29 years of service. Sinclair was a sales arborist in the Needham office. Ronald Whitmire retired Dec. 31, 2017, following 38 years of service. Ronald was a foreman on the Habersham Electric account. Carl E. Wright retired Dec. 31, 2017, following 5 years of service. Carl was a groundman on the Alabama Power Distribution and Transmission account. Larry Abernathy retired March 30 after 48 years of service to The Davey Tree Expert Company. Ralph Ferry, retiree, passed away Feb. 3, 2018. Ralph retired in 1986 as corporate equipment manager after 40 years of service. Marilyn Linton passed away Jan. 7, 2018. Marilyn was a former employee of the Toronto, Ontario, office. She was the wife of Davey retiree Murray Linton. Leslie "Red" E. Shahan passed away Feb. 21, 2018. Red retired in 1996 as a utility supervisor after 12 years of service. Robert Salas, Sr., retiree, passed away Dec. 24, 2017. Salas retired March 26, 2016, following 34 years of service. He was a supervisor on the PG&E Santa Rosa account. IN MEMORIAM

• Cover