Schedule Thursday Friday Tree Academy CEUs

Click on a presenter’s name to learn more about them.

Erin Demers Aaron ~ Stephanie Adams ~ Dr. A.D. Ali ~ Will Ayersman ~ Dr. John Ball ~ Megan Bujnowski ~ Scot Carraway ~ Dr. Kim Coder ~ Dr. Ed Gilman ~ Chaz Griffith ~ Dr. Richard Hauer ~ Mike Johnson ~ Paul Johnson ~ Dr. Brian Kane ~ Matthew Kirk ~ James Komen ~ Mike Larrivvee ~ RJ Laverne ~ Glynn Percival ~ Caitlyn Pollihan ~ Lindsey Purcell ~ Dr. E. Thomas Smiley ~ Jacob Taylor ~ Robert Vanderhoof ~ Timothy Walsh ~ James Wendt ~ Liz Westberg ~ April Wilson

Erin Demers Aaron has a background in education and is currently the Manager of Workforce Recruitment & Retention with the Tree Care Industry Association. In her role, Erin supports tree care companies and educational organizations with registering Arborist Apprenticeship programs, facilitates Student Career Day and the Women in Tree Care network, and oversees the Arborist Safety Training Institute. Erin supports workforce development in the tree care industry in an effort to recruit new workers and provide resources to positively impact training and retention.

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Will Ayersman is the geospatial services manager within DRG. He is a lead geospatial analyst with extensive experience applying spatial analysis and predictive modeling to natural resource issues. His daily responsibilities involve GIS project coordination for remote sensing and image analysis projects, LiDAR analysis, database and project management, and the creation and design of predictive and suitability models. Since 2011, he has been the project lead on all urban tree canopy assessment and forestry analysis projects for urban forestry and utility services, including generating custom mapping and reports for transmission right-of-way projects.

Mr. Ayersman plays a key role in developing DRG’s innovative GIS tools and solutions, focusing on the urban canopy effects of stormwater, watersheds, and ecosystem cost/benefits analysis. He has experience and knowledge in forestry resource management, cartography, landscape metrics, and spatial statistics. Mr. Ayersman holds a Master of Science degree in forestry and a Bachelor of Science degree in forest management from West Virginia University. He is also a certified geospatial information systems professional.

Scot Carraway is a ROW Specialist with DEMCO headquartered in Central Louisiana. Scot is a 1999 graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest and Wildlife Management. He worked as a Forester and Land Manager for various Timber Companies from 1999 until 2015. Scot began his career in Utility Vegetation Management as a Consulting Utility Forester for CNUC on the EPB Contract in Chattanooga, TN in 2015. In 2019, he joined DEMCO as ROW Coordinator and, in 2022, was promoted to his current position as ROW Specialist.

Scot has been a Mississippi Registered Forester since 1999; ISA Certified Arborist since 2016; Louisiana Licensed Arborist Since 2019; and Louisiana Licensed Pesticide (Herbicide) Applicator since 2019.

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Chaz Griffith, a Nashville native, serves as the president of the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council. With deep roots in the Volunteer State, Chaz has always had a passion for the natural environment and all things outdoors. He pursued this interest academically by studying Plant and Soil Science in college, where his education laid a strong foundation in sustainable practices, urban forest management, and the science of plant health.

A lifelong lover of trees and the outdoors, Chaz enjoys hiking through Tennessee’s scenic trails and fishing along its forested waterways. Throughout his career, Chaz has remained committed to enhancing Tennessee’s urban forests, promoting the benefits of healthy trees, and advocating for the many hackberries in the landscapes of middle Tennessee. As president, he brings his expertise and a lifelong connection to the Nashville community, leading efforts to educate, inspire, and empower volunteers across the state.

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Richard Hauer is the Director of Urban Forestry at Eocene Environmental Group and Professor Emeritus of Urban Forestry, University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point. He was honored as the 2023 Alex L. Shigo Award for Excellence in Education and the 2018 and 2024 L.C. Chadwick Award for Arboricultural Research. He has published over 200 publications and presented over 500 talks throughout the world.

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James Komen, Consulting Arborist, Class One Arboriculture

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Mike Larrivee is a Licensed Professional Geologist, the Director of Regenerative Initiatives for The Works Inc., and Managing Director for Memphis Urban Wood. He is a former National Operations Lead for Atlas Organics Composting and Hauling Operations, and the founder and president of The Compost Fairy. In 2019 Mike was a co-founder and Vice President of the Tennessee chapter of the US Composting Council. He received a Master of Science degree from the Earth Science Department at the University of Memphis, and a William J. Fulbright Scholarship Award Winner.

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Lindsey Purcell, principal of Lp Consulting Group, has been involved in the community landscape and urban forestry for over 40 years.  He is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, which has served communities around the U.S. as a landscape and tree professional at the state and municipal government level as well as private enterprise. Recently, retired from 21 years of teaching on a collegiate level at Purdue University and Vincennes University, he has recently published his new book, Arboricultural Practices; a science-based approach to tree care. In his role as an educator, author and arborist, Lindsey continues to provide many educational opportunities and products for professional arborists and urban foresters on an international level. Additionally, Lindsey serves as Executive Director of the Indiana chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.  He is an American Society of Consulting Arborists Registered Consulting Arborist and holds the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification as a certified instructor by the International Society of Arboriculture.

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Winner of the David H Nabi Award for dedication and service, Robert Vanderhoof earned his Ph.D. from the College of Forest Resources at Mississippi State University in 1995. He also holds certifications as an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, a Utility Specialist and is TRAQ qualified. A veteran natural resource manager, Robert spent 15 years as Florida’s deer management program leader during which time he coordinated range management activities across Florida’s seven-million-acre wildlife management area system. In 2004 Robert earned the Florida Chapter of the Wildlife Society’s award for “Extraordinary Vision, Leadership, and Dedication”. From 2008-2023 Robert applied his management experience as a Utility Vegetation Manager for PacifiCorp across Utah, Idaho and Wyoming. He currently teaches Urban and Community Forestry at the University of Wisconsin—Stevens Point and works as a Research & Consulting Subject Matter Expert for ARBORMETRICS. Robert also heads up Tall Tree Learning LLC which specializes in preparing students for ISA certification as arborists and Utility Specialists. Winner of the UAA Education Award in 2023, Robert currently serves on the UAA Board of Directors, has written several articles on natural resource management, and routinely speaks on utility vegetation management issues.

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Liz Westberg is originally educated as a Wildlife Ecologist, earning her B.S. from the College of Natural Resources at the UW - Stevens Point. Since transitioning to the Utility Arboriculture industry in 2018, she has earned the ISA Utility Specialist and TRAQ credentials. Liz manages the training, quality assurance, and safety programs for Growth Solutions - a tree growth regulator application company - and has been speaking on tree and safety topics around the country.

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Stephanie Adams, Assistant Professor and Extension Specialist, Plant Pathology & Microbiology, Texas A&M University

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Dr. John Ball is Professor of Forestry and Extension Forestry Specialist for South Dakota State University (Brookings, SD) where he offers courses in arboriculture and urban forestry, emergency medical technician, and rock climbing. John also serves as campus arborist. He has made countless appearances at conferences across the globe and remains one of the all-time most popular and requested presenters at arboriculture workshops and conferences.

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Dr. Kim D. Coder is the Professor of Tree Biology and Health Care & University Hill Fellow for Distinguished Outreach at the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, USA. Degrees from Iowa State University in forestry, tree biology, and forest ecology. Elected world President of the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and served as President of the Southern Chapter of ISA, the international Arboriculture Research & Education Academy (AREA), and the Georgia Urban Forest Council. Appointed to the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (NUCFAC). First person to receive four of ISA’s world awards – the Shigo, Harris, Lilly, and Merit awards. Granted the Arbor Day Foundation’s highest award -- the J. Sterling Morton award. Awarded the Mary Helen Ray Legacy Award by the Georgia Tree Council. International lecturer and consultant on tree biology and structure, tree health under climate change, tree biomechanics, and urban ecosystems.

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Michael Johnson is a Vegetation Management Specialist with Middle Tennessee Electric. For over 24 years Michael has worked in the field of Vegetation Management. He holds a bachelor's degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Tennessee. He also is an ISA Certified Arborist and Utility Specialist. He is a member of the ISA, UAA, and the Tennessee Vegetation Management Association. Michael was the president of TVMA in 2019 and currently serves on UAA events committee and the City of Franklin Tree Commission. Michael is married with 2 teenage daughters who keep him busy going to their sporting events in his spare time.

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Matthew Kirk has been a tree care professional for over 20 years and achieved his ISA certification almost 15 years ago.  Starting his career in the mountains of Virginia as a climber on a ROW crew, Matt has held a variety of positions such as Safety trainer, Supervisor and Manager.  Currently he works with Meriwether Lewis Electrical Cooperative in Tennessee as the ROW coordinator which affords him the opportunity to do what he enjoys, educating the public about tree and powerlines as well as managing a world class Right of Way program.

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RJ Laverne is Manager of Education and Training for The Davey Tree Expert Company. He is responsible for all Davey training programs including Davey’s flagship training program, Davey Institute of Tree Sciences.

RJ began his career with Davey Resource Group in 1997 as a consulting arborist and project manager for urban forestry clients. Laverne is an International Society of Arboriculture, Board Certified Master Arborist, is a Registered Consulting Arborist through ASCA where he also serves on the Board of Directors, and is an instructor for the ISA Tree Risk Assessment Qualification course and for the ASCA Tree and Plant Appraiser Qualification course..

Laverne has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Michigan, B.S. in Forestry from Michigan Technological University and a M.S. in Remote Sensing from the University of Michigan. He earned his Ph.D. in Urban Studies and Public Affairs at Cleveland State University.

Additionally, RJ has conducted research on soundscape ecology and how the devastation from emerald ash borer effects urban sounds.

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Caitlyn Pollihan serves as CEO and Executive Director for the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).  She began her role as Executive Director in 2017, with the Board adding the CEO title in 2020 to better reflect Caitlyn’s leadership responsibilities. During her tenure Caitlyn has successfully led the organization’s relocation to Atlanta, GA US, initiated the modernization of ISA systems and operations, and has increased the global connectivity and accessibility of the association.

Prior to joining ISA, Caitlyn served as the executive director of the Council of Western State Foresters (CWSF) and the Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC). In this role, she facilitated the development of the organization’s strategic goals and agendas and worked with members and CWSF/WFLC staff to ensure the organization’s success. Prior to this role, Caitlyn was the CWSF/WFLC governmental affairs director where she was instrumental in the creation of key legislation and educating members and partners on legislative proposals and national policy with western implications.

Caitlyn previously served as the staff vice president for government and environment affairs for the Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri. In this role, she worked on state and local legislative initiatives, green building programs, and helped create and implement a ground‐breaking approach to building site safety inspections with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Tom Smiley, conducts a wide range of research in different aspects of arboriculture and urban forestry. He focuses on tree biomechanics, nutrient and root system issues. Tom is also in several industry leadership positions. He serves on the International Society of Arboriculture’s (ISA) board of directors, the American National Standards Institute A300 committee for the development of arboriculture standards, and the Tree Care Industry Association’s member on the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers. Tom is a mentor instructor for the ISA’s Tree Risk Assessment Qualification (TRAQ) and an author of many of the ISA’s Best Management Practices publications.

After working for over 30 years at The Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories in Charlotte, North Carolina, Tom now resides in Washington state where he focuses on tree issues in the Pacific Northwest, while still serving the rest of the Company.

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Tim Walsh is the Vice President of Safety and Training for The Townsend Company, LLC. He is pursuing a PhD in industrial engineering and safety from the University of Massachusetts. He holds a master's in ergonomics from UMass-Lowell and master's and bachelor's degrees in Urban Forestry from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Tim's credentials include Certified Utility Safety Professional, Certified Treecare Safety Professional, ISA Certified Arborist, and Certified Tree Worker Climber Specialist. With over three and a half decades as a climbing arborist and ownership of a tree care business, Tim has global experience in the field.
He actively contributes to industry standards, serving as a voting member for ANSI 2133 revisions and as task chair for two groups for the 2024 revision. He is involved with the National Occupational Research Agenda Safety Workgroup, stimulating innovative research.
He is on the Board of Directors for the International Society of Arboriculture and is the Past President of the Utility Arborist Association (UAA), Tim has chaired the Safety and Professional Development Committees. In 2022, he received the UAA Will Nutter Silver Shield Award. Additionally, he serves on the Tree Care Industry Magazine Editorial Advisory Committee.

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Dr. A.D. Ali, Manager, Special Projects, Davey Institute, The Davey Tree Expert Company. Dr. Ali has over 40 years of experience in the Green Industry. For the past 25 years he oversaw Davey technical support programs in the US and Canada. Currently, he is a founding team member of Davey Global Consulting.

He is a Board-Certified Master Arborist, TRAQ qualified and served on the Board of Directors and on the Education Committee, Florida Chapter ISA as well as being Past President of the Chapter.

Dr. Ali has written a book on Pest Management in the Landscape. In addition, he has presented 130 scientific and training seminars and authored more than 300 scientific and trade-oriented articles.

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Megan Bujnowski is a professional trainer with an infectious enthusiasm for safety, as well as 20+ years of industry experience. ISA Certified Arborist, TCIA Certified Tree Care Professional, & SPRAT lvl 1 Rope Technician are a few of the qualifications she currently obtains, as well as both an Associates Degree in Forest Technology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Forestry. She has worked for industry leading companies such as Husqvarna, Wright Tree Service, and SAI Communications before moving on to train independently,  at her company Upward Training & Development LLC. 

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Ed Gilman, Professor Emeritus

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Paul Johnson leads SFI’s efforts to enhance the sustainability of urban forestry through the SFI Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard. He is an International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Board Certified Master Arborist, Municipal Specialist, and is Tree Risk Assessment, Texas Oak Wilt, and Wildfire Risk Reduction Qualified. He is also a Society of American Foresters Certified Forester. Paul has been recognized as a True Professional of Arboriculture by ISA and received the Leah MacSwords Current Achievement Award for Communications from NASF. He is Past President of the ISA Board of Directors and he graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Forestry. He has been a state urban and community forestry program leader, radio talk show host, newspaper columnist, university extension horticulturist, university adjunct instructor, and plant healthcare specialist. Paul believes that #TreesAreKey to healthier, happier, safer communities.

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Brian Kane, Ph.D., is the Massachusetts Arborists Association Professor of Arboriculture at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. He is an ISA Certified Arborist and TRAQ risk assessor who began dragging brush in 1988. He has written many scholarly and trade articles and given presentations all over the world on the mechanical aspects of tree work and tree worker safety.  

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Dr. Glynn Percival is the Senior Arboricultural Researcher at the Bartlett Tree Research Laboratory based in Charlotte, NC. He is the author of over 100 scientific papers, magazine articles and book chapters. In addition, Dr. Percival is on the editorial board for Arboriculture and Urban Forestry and Urban Forestry Urban Greening and is the co-editor of the proceedings of the Trees, People and Built Environment Conference, published by the Forestry Commission. Reading University made Dr. Percival an honorary visiting research fellow, citing his valuable contributions within the Plant Science Department and the University. Dr. Percival is also a visiting lecturer at the Kew Royal Botanic Gardens and was awarded the prestigious Arboricultural Association Award for Research and Education in 2017 and the International Society of Arboriculture LCC Chadwick Award for Research in 2020. Dr. Percival is actively involved in managing urban and rural landscapes for the Royal Households and Duchy of Cornwall.  

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Jacob Taylor began his career in the Utility industry January of 2005 with a subsidiary of the Asplundh Tree Expert company on the electrical line side providing health and safety support to local operations in the Southeast. In January, 2010, he joined the vegetation management division of the company providing health and safety support in the Southeast and obtained ISA certification and joined the Southern Chapter of ISA shortly thereafter. He accepted a role with the Company's corporate safety department in February 2015. He traveled North America executing an internal verification program (EHS Auditing). Worked in 48 states and one territory during 9 years of extensive travel. December 2023, he took on the role of Corporate Safety Director directly supporting daily operations for half of the core business. He has participated in storm work throughout the decades on a variety of customer properties. Additinally, he has handled multi-level incident investigations, Governmental agency actions, depositions, and acted as company and industry subject matter expert in a variety of contexts. Currently hold the certifications of ISA Arborist, CTSP, CUSP, OSHA 30 trained, CDL, etc.

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James Wendt brings over 20 years of expertise from his time in the USMC Special Forces, specializing in weapons and arms training, including high-angle rescue operations. After his military service, he transitioned to the private security sector for five years, sharpening his skills in high-stakes environments. For the past eight years, James has immersed himself in the tree care industry, starting as a groundperson and climbing the ranks to his current leadership role.

James’s connection to safety and training is deeply rooted in his military experience, where the margin for error often meant the difference between life and death. Whether coordinating high-angle rescues or ensuring operational readiness, he learned firsthand the importance of integrating safety measures seamlessly into training to prevent catastrophic outcomes. This perspective has carried into his civilian career, where he’s passionate about applying these principles to everyday workplace challenges.

Beyond his professional achievements, James has a love for challenges that test his limits. Whether scaling new heights in tree work or mentoring the next generation of safety leaders, he approaches every task with the same dedication that defined his military career. When not working, you’ll find him exploring the outdoors or perfecting his barbecue skills, because safety may come first, but good food is always a close second.

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April Wilson is a TRAQ certified Board Certified Master Arborist living in Sandymush, NC. She has been working as a production climber and sales arborist in the greater Asheville area since 2016 with various companies, including Arborpros of Asheville and her own company, Stump Sprouts.

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