19
May/June 2018
|
THE DAVEY BULLETIN
HAVING THE SKILLS TO WIN
"What do I like about climbing?" Sean Fennessy asked.
"The physicality and challenge of it. You keep your body
active and get your brain working. It's like a puzzle. It's
just you and your thoughts up in the tree – figuring out
how to climb it best."
Fennessy, foreman, The Care of Trees, a Davey company,
Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Residential/Commercial office, joined
the company in 2015. A few of his friends, who already
worked at the office, referred him.
"I was stuck at my last job as a mechanic. Seeing the
advancement opportunities for me at Davey was a major
reason I made the career switch," Fennessy said.
Fennessy now works alongside his pals, including Jake
Colliander, trimmer, Matt Hexom, foreman, Shane
Koehring, foreman, Josh Messina, foreman, and Ryan
Zieche, groundman.
In addition to the jobs they tackle together daily, they
also dabble in local climbing competitions. All of the above
individuals have participated and placed in the Illinois
Arborist Association's Climbing Competition. Fennessy
was the only one to do so in both 2016 and 2017.
"The first year, in 2016, I really didn't know what I was
getting into. But being there with the competitors who
have been doing this for a long time, you pick up tricks of
the trade. You also make new friends and see how other
people do things differently," Fennessy said.
Pictured from left to right, Sean Fennessy, foreman, Shane Koehring,
foreman, and Ryan Zieche, groundman, pose with their 2017 Illinois
Arborist Association's Tree Climbing Competition trophy.
In 2017, Fennessy finished 18th out of 32 climbers.
Koehring finished in 19th place, and Zieche finished in 31st.
In addition to sending competitors, Davey employees also
volunteered to help organize and run the Illinois climbing
competition. Eduardo Medina, recruiter/trainer, and Don
Roppolo, manager, arboricultural training, are co-chairs for
the championship and help run and set it up. Jason Austin,
sales and service coordinator, North Chicago office, Luis
Guaman, foreman, The Care of Trees (TCOT) Chicago office,
and Charles Shonts, district manager, TCOT Naperville office,
all helped set up the competition. Sean Zieche, assistant
district manager, TCOT Glen Ellyn office, judged the aerial
rescue competition.
Through the competitions, Fennessy and his coworkers
continue to improve their current skill set while learning
new tactics as well. Personally, Fennessy strives to do
better than he did in the previous year.
"Climbing competitions have a lot to do with challenging
yourself. Just get out there, try it and do your best. It's
a fun experience and a great way to meet new people in
the industry," Fennessy said.
