In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Corey Parsons, President of Rogue Tree Solutions and John Lewis, Manager of Member Engagement for the Midwest Region, and discuss why company culture is a company wide phenomena. Arboriculture has been a part of Corey's life since he was a little boy. His entire family has been rooted into the industry for many years. Corey followed his father's, uncles' and brothers' footsteps working for the largest utility line clearance company in the...

Episode Summary In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Joe Cordova and Matt Gleason of ArborForce and discuss why education and safety go hand in hand. Joe Cordova is the owner of ArborForce. He has been working in commercial forestry for 20 years.  In April of 2008, he went out on his own with the launch of ArborForce.  ArborForce will celebrate its 14th anniversary on April 16, 2022.  From a single-person company back then they have grown to a “family” team 29 people strong.  Joe...

In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Carolina Paredes of Beast Coast Tree Climbers and discuss why self-care is an absolute must in tree care. Carolina Paredes is originally from Guayaquil, Ecuador. She holds certifications in Life, Nutrition, Health, and Fitness Coaching and owns Healthy Strong and Happy AF. She also owns Beast Coast Tree Climbers with her husband Almon Cox, and is working steadily towards her Arborist certification. Part of her life mission is to help people...

In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with Josh Morin of We Love Trees, and discuss the value of the human relationship with trees, as well as his role on the TCIA Board of Directors. Josh is married to Amy Morin and they have two young children Lyla 12 and Lucien 7 and they live in Niwot, Colorado. In 2020 he started his own tree care company, We Love Trees. We Love Trees is a small tree care company based in Niwot CO working to expand human relationships with trees while supporting...

In this episode of the podcast, we sit down with John Haehnel of Tree Tech Inc, and discuss the value of the CTSP Credential for both him and the company he works for. John began working as a teenager with his uncle and father while learning tree work/equipment operation. He then joined the United States Marine Corps in 1991 and served four proud years in the Infantry until 1995. After leaving the Marine Corps, John found himself wanting to return to tree work and operating machinery. His...

In this episode, we celebrate Women in Tree Care Month with Amy Burkett and talk about running a business, work-life balance, and her commitment to furthering safety in the industry. Amy is President and CEO of Burkett Arbor Care, a full-service tree care company out of Boerne, Texas. She obtained a B.B.A. in Finance and Marketing from Texas Tech University. She currently serves as At-Large Director on the Tree Care Industry Association Board of Directors, Treasurer of San Antonio Arborist...

In this episode, we celebrate Women in Tree Care Month with Megan Bujnowski, and talk about being a woman in a male-dominated industry and how she has navigated it. Megan Bujnowski was, until recently, a safety supervisor in Charlotte, North Carolina, for a large tree care company. She is currently working for various training companies and pursuing starting her own business in the industry with a focus on women-led training as well as women-specific courses. Our sponsor for this episode is...

In this episode, we celebrate Women in Tree Care Month with Bear LeVangie, Rebecca Seibel, and Melissa LeVangie Ingersoll, and talk about the Women's Tree Climbing Workshop. Bear LeVangie is an ISA TRAQ Certified Arborist, CT licensed arborist, and MA Qualified Tree Warden. She is the co-founder of the Women’s Tree Climbing Workshop and serves as a lead instructor and as the Executive Director. Bear's career in arboriculture includes utility, research, invasive species inspection, education,...

In this episode, we celebrate Women in Tree Care Month with April Petree, owner of Petree Arbor Lawn and Landscape Inc., and talk what to do when disaster strikes your business. April Petree, is the owner of Petree Arbor Lawn & Landscape, INC.  She has been in the tree care industry since 2000. She has been presented with the Patriotic Award from ESGR along with other awards the company and employees have won through the ISA and TCIA. Currently, she is in the process of obtaining...

In this episode, we sit down with Stephenie Drago, Director of Marketing and Communications at TCIA, and talk about the marketing strategies that she believes will help make a brand successful. Stephenie is a seasoned communications and business development professional who has partnered with a variety of companies to grow their professional brands. Her focus is building human-to-human relations with one common goal: to provide information, products, and educational services to consumers by...

In this episode, we sit down with Heather Dirksen, President of Arbor Masters Tree and Landscape and talk about the strategies that she implements that have led to her becoming a successful leader. Heather is the President of Arbor Masters, a 3rd generation family-owned business located mainly throughout the South and Midwest. She served in the military and became an entrepreneur at the age of 28 when she started a flight school to mitigate the cost of training. A few years later she joined...

In this episode, we sit down with Aiden O'Brien, Advocacy and Standards Manager at TCIA, and talk about Leg Day, WMC, and the tree care standards for OSHA. Aiden is TCIA’s Advocacy & Standards Manager. Previously, he worked as a Government Affairs Associate, representing corporate and trade association clients before the New Hampshire Legislature. He has experience in both public policy and campaign politics and is working towards expanding the use of the ANSI A300 Standards and...

In this episode, we sit down with John Lewis and Bob Longo and talk about the importance of networking. John and Bob are both Membership Engagement Coordinators (MECs) at TCIA. John is the MEC for the Midwest Region, while Bob is the MEC for the South Region. As MECs, their job is to provide our members with the resources they need to help their businesses succeed. This means not only are they knowledgeable about all of our TCIA programs and offerings, they are also knowledgeable in how to...

In this episode, we sit down with Tana Byrd, Star Quintero, Nicole "Carni" Benjamin-Harden , Maria Tranguch, and Betsy Park to talk about climbing competitions and the connections that they have made by participating in them. Our sponsors for this episode are Samson Rope, Bobcat and COPMA.

In this episode, we sit down with Peter de Vries and Josua Hundertmark to go over access lines and the safety standards of tree care in other countries. Peter de Vries is the owner of Designs by de Vries and North American Courant Vertical Living Promoter. He has been in the green industry for 25 years and specifically trees for the last seven years. Peter is also a volunteer firefighter for the past 15 years and is am currently the Fire Chief at my local hall. He has also been married for...

In this episode, we sit down with Tim Walsh and discuss his achievement of being CTSP 000001 and his support of the program. Tim is the Corporate Safety Director for the Davey Tree Expert Co. Tim is working on his doctorate, in ergonomics and safety. His research looks at risk in the tree care profession. He has a Master’s degree in ergonomics from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell. He has Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Urban Forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point....

In this episode, we sit down with Bryan Dalton and talk about the how he has been leading TCIA through the transition to online learning. Bryan is the Director of Training and Credentialing at TCIA  and has had over 15 years of experience in the training and credentialing space over his career.  During his time at TCIA he has implemented our online learning services and is working hard on bringing our education and other content into the 21st century. Our sponsors for this episode are...

In this episode, we sit down with Tana Byrd and talk about the way she has gone out and created her own opportunities in the world of arboriculture. Tana is a professional arborist and the owner of T-N-T Tree and Landscape. She has 7 years of experience in taking care of different types of trees throughout Texas. Tana has gone on to say that "tree climbing is my life." If you are interested in learning more about the project she worked on, visit the Comoe Monkey Project Facebook page. Our...

In this episode, we sit down with John Lewis and Bob Longo and talk about the differences between working on your business and working in your business. John and Bob are both Membership Engagement Coordinators (MECs) at TCIA. John is the MEC for the Midwest Region, while Bob is the MEC for the South Region. As MECs, their job is to provide our members with the resources they need to help their businesses succeed. This means not only are they knowledgeable about all of our TCIA programs and...

 On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Tchukki Andersen, Staff Arborist at TCIA, to discuss working with Grapple Saws as well as the Grapple Saw Pannel that is going on at TCI EXPO 2021!  Tchukki is the Staff Arborist at TCIA . She has worked for TCIA for 14 years and during that time she has been an expert on all things arboriculture. She has helped plan many of our events as well helped create many of the training and educational materials we use. Tchukki is Board Certified...

On this episode, we sit down with John Lewis and Bob Longo and talk about TCIA membership and the role they play in giving you the best experience they can. John and Bob are both Membership Engagement Coordinators (MECs) at TCIA. John is the MEC for the Midwest Region, while Bob is the MEC for the South Region. As MECs, their job is to provide our members with the resources they need to help their businesses succeed. This means not only are they knowledgeable about all of our TCIA programs...

On this episode, we sit down with Casey Jones and Kirsten Locke, and talk about how their friendship started and what role they both play at this year's Women in Tree Care Pre-Conference Workshop. Casey has a background in fine arts and found digital art to be the natural next step. Her tree climbing themed work is inspired by the passion and strength she sees within the arborist community. A natural-born artist, Casey utilizes her creativity to stay grounded. She gains much of her...

In this episode, we sit down with Aiden O'Brien, Advocacy and Standards Manager at TCIA, and talk about  OSHA,  California, CDL, and so much more. Aiden is TCIA’s Advocacy & Standards Manager. Previously, he worked as a Government Affairs Associate, representing corporate and trade association clients before the New Hampshire Legislature. He has experience in both public policy and campaign politics and is working towards expanding the use of the ANSI A300 Standards and enhancing the...

On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by David White, President and CEO of TCIA, to discuss his first experiences at TCI EXPO! David is currently the President and CEO of TCIA. Previously, he was the executive director of the Northeast Public Power Association, a nonprofit trade association that represents consumer-owned utilities in New England. Additionally, he served as the director of external affairs and strategy for the Massachusetts Dental Society. Dave has a bachelor’s degree...

 On this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Amy Tetreault, Senior VP at TCIA, to discuss her experiences working the Exhibitor side of the show at TCI EXPO! Many of our attendees don't see the work that goes in with the exhibitors, logistics, and planning, on the other side of the show.  Amy is the Senior Vice President of Corporate Engagement at TCIA . She has worked for TCIA in the marketing department and sponsorship before she transitioned into her current role in Corporate...