the crew leader. I’ve learned that it starts at the top — you have to have positive re- inforcement for safety and leadership. Q : For young professionals just entering the field, what is one piece of advice you would give them about building a long, suc- cessful career in arboriculture? A : I would say probably the most im- portant thing is to gather and learn as much information as you can and apply it as you need it. And be patient. You will move up, but experience comes first. There’s plenty of people looking for good quality employees. And we’re looking for people that are willing to learn. Q : What moments or experiences on the job make you step back and think, “This is why I love what I do”? A : This is probably the most rewarding career I’ve ever had, including being in the fire department. Like I say, I enjoyed my job there and I was good at it. But I just love this job. I love going to work. I’ve been doing this for almost 49 years, and it’s a rewarding career. Every day I get up and I’m ready to go to work. I want to go to work. I look for- ward to going to work. I look forward to seeing my coworkers, clients, and ven- dors. It’s just a big conglomeration of things that make me appreciate what I have and can do. I also like seeing the outcome of what we’re able to do. When a client comes outside and says, ‘That’s beautiful. How did you do that?’ There’s nothing more rewarding than that. When you take down a tree that’s technically chal- lenging to remove, that’s rewarding, too. You get to say, ‘I did this without anybody getting hurt, without anything getting damaged.’ That’s probably the most rewarding part of the job — the end product.
68 | Fall 2025 ArborTIMES ™ Safety begins with leadership — it takes consistent, positive reinforcement from the top.
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