*Editorial Note: The following article appeared in the July/August issue of the UAA Newsline.
Greetings UAA members and friends,
I have been working in the utility vegetation management (UVM) industry for more than 40 years, and for the past 10, I have proudly served as the UAA Executive Director. As some of you may know, in January, I announced my planned retirement. At that time, I also asked the UAA Executive Board to begin searching for a successor capable of leading the UAA into the future, guiding us along a path of growth and prosperity.
With a blend of emotions, I write this knowing that it to be my final Newsline contribution as the administrative shepherd of our beloved organization.
Friendships Gained
When I first accepted the position in 2011, I anticipated being with the UAA for no more than three to five years. I have stayed on much longer simply because I enjoy our industry—but more specifically, because I enjoy the people who make it so great.
Serving the UAA has allowed me to stay close with friends whom I have worked with for decades, while at the same time, it introduced me to new friendships that I have come to greatly cherish. During the past 10 years, I have worked with dozens of leaders who have served on the UAA Board, and I have enjoyed and learned from them all. I now see them not just as colleagues but as friends.
I have also been fortunate to work with literally hundreds of volunteers who are passionate about our organization and their industry, who want to make a meaningful difference. I think that is pretty cool.
A little more than five years ago, the UAA and ISA agreed it was time for the UAA to stand on its own two feet and expand. We hired our first ever employee, Diona Neeser. Diona came to us at a time of great transition—if not great uncertainty—and she helped bring order to chaos. Three years ago, Renée Phillips joined our team and helped accelerate our growth.
The UAA now has two to three times more members (5,000+) and three times the financial resources from when we originally separated from the ISA. Because of the hard work of Diona, Renée, and all of our tremendous volunteers, the UAA is now appropriately positioned to move from a part-time executive director and two staff members to a full-time executive director with a staff of four or more.
It is a big step, but my anticipation is that the administrative staff will need to double again in a few years.
Historical Perspective and Future Opportunities
When I entered the industry in 1978, safety was something that was hoped for but received far less attention than it deserved. Today, the industry has become increasingly committed to safety, and the UAA has embraced it as a core value. Just imagine what the UAA and our passionate Safety Committee will accomplish with additional resources and support staff!
It is also reassuring to see utilities growing their commitment to sustainability. Their customers, members, and investors demand it. In 1978, the environment was a hot topic among rights-of-way (ROW) managers. The industry was mostly arguing that its work was not doing much harm. Since then, the industry has adopted integrated vegetation management (IVM) as the standard.
In recent years, the bar has been raised by the Right-of-Way Stewardship Accreditation (ROWSC) Program, ANSI A300 Part 7, and the soon-to-be-published UAA/ISA Best Management Practices. Industry evolution is just getting started, and the UAA is going to have a big role to play.
In the past, managers wanted to do no harm. Today, we aspire to leave things better than we found them. Tomorrow, utility vegetation managers are going to be expected to actively steward our natural resources. There will be a growing demand for education and training, green contracts, and new tools.
Environmental stewardship, like safety, is a core value at the UAA and will continue to play a critical role in our activity and messaging moving forward. The UAA Stewardship of ROWs Committee has the expertise and will now have the additional staff and resources to help meet evolving industry needs.
Training and networking have remained at the heart of UAA activity since day one; in 1978, this meant one conference a year. Today, it still means national conferences (e.g., Trees & Utilities, the Environmental Concerns in Rights-of-way Management Symposia, ISA, and more), but there is and will be a growing demand for more. Expect more regional opportunities and more diverse methods of delivery (e.g., conferences, webinars, YouTube videos, self-guided online). Many UAA committees will be working to this end and the added staff will be able to provide much-needed support.
Safety, environmental stewardship, and education are three key areas where new staff resources can make a tremendous impact. But questions will remain. How can we build on the industry’s new education programs like the UVM Professional Development and the Line Clearance Worker Training? What do we need to do to meet the needs of those workers who do not speak English as their primary language? How can we work to promote our industry to the public and potential workers? Doubling the size of the staff will not be enough for long!
New Beginnings
Obviously, I am excited about the future of our industry and the UAA, but I am also excited about my own future. I now look forward to finally having the time to pursue my other passions. During the past 10 years, I have been managing a small non-profit that provides scholarships for kids and builds homes, chicken coops, tire gardens, microbusinesses, and more in a rural area of Belize. In the next 12 months, we hope to provide 125 scholarships, 66 computers, 660 desks, and 150 whiteboards while painting and doing light repairs on 27 village school buildings.
While I may be cutting back and spending time on a few other things, I am not going away completely. I have watched Nelsen Money, Bill Rees, Larry Abernathy, and others retire after long careers who have turned around and given back to the industry. I may be cutting back, but I look forward to staying engaged with the industry through my consulting practice and by volunteering with the UAA. So, with that, five grandkids, and a new flyrod, I expect to keep busy.
Thank you all for being a part of this wonderful, fulfilling journey. I cannot wait to see what awaits us all in the years ahead.
Cindy is the Senior Director, Vegetation Management Services and she manages departments responsible for maintaining vegetation in REC’s rights-of-way with the goal of reducing exposure of the electric grid to tree caused outages while encouraging habitat and species diversity. Cindy also has a consulting business, EcoAcumen, LLC that focuses on residential, commercial and government clients.
Kimberly Laing has had an exciting career in the energy industry, gaining valuable experience in various areas for almost 20 years. During her career, she has worked with numerous customers worldwide in a diverse cross-disciplined technical environment. She has extensive experience working with utilities, asset owners, equipment manufacturers, and consultants to facilitate transmission and distribution projects. Kimberly is particularly passionate about Utility Vegetation Management and its vital role in delivering safe and reliable power.
Josh Beaver is currently senior vice president of Eocene Environmental Group, a utility vegetation management (UVM) consulting and operations firm. Josh has more than two decades of experience within the UVM industry. He is currently responsible for relationship management and oversight of long-term UVM contracts throughout the United States and Canada. He considers customer and community communication to be vital aspects of his role, and he has a proven record of success working with utilities.
Sam joins the UAA crew with over a decade of non-profit experience behind her. As our Partnership Coordinator, her focused efforts on building relationships with diverse funders will include crafting proposals, cultivating connections, and cohesively earning dedicated sponsors to support the sustainability of UAA substantially and empowering our programs. Well equipped with professional skills which include program development, public speaking, proposal writing, donor relations, working with diverse stakeholders, coalition building, and public-facing service. Sam’s educational background includes a BS in Animal Ecology with a minor in Animal Science, and a MA in Philanthropy and Non-profit Development.
Sara Dreiser is a Senior Program Manager with ComEd. She works with a team to oversee ComEd’s routine cycle maintenance and ComEd’s interruption investigation programs. She has been working in the Vegetation Management industry for close to 15 years.
Matt Goff is a Transmission Vegetation Manager at Georgia Power Company. He lives in Brookhaven, GA with his wife, two daughters, and the family’s two dogs Sam, and Payton. For leisure, he enjoys sports with his family, bird hunting, and salt-water fishing.Matt holds a BSFR from the University of Georgia in Forest Resource Management and he graduated in 1997. He has worked in the vegetation management industry for 26 years. His work experience includes six years as a procurement forester for a forest products manufacturer, and 20 years in the utility vegetation management industry with Georgia Power.
Brandon graduated from Minnesota State University–Mankato with a B.S. in Geography. Brandon has been with Rainbow Tree Company since 2009 and has gained experience in several roles, including Business Developer for our utility products division, GIS Tree Inventory Analyst, and Technical Arborist. Brandon has been the Director of VM Services, the fastest growing division inRainbow Tree Company, since 2012.
A winner of the David H Nabi Award for dedication and service, Dr. Robert Vanderhoof earned his Ph.D. from the College of Forest Resources at Mississippi State University in 1995. A veteran natural resource manager, Robert spent 15 years as Florida’s Deer Management Section Chief during which time he coordinated range management activities across Florida’s seven-million-acre wildlife management area system.
Amanda Opp, Certified Utility Vegetation Management Professional Flathead Electric Cooperative, Integrated Services Manager, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Course Facilitator
Jim Neeser is a business developer for the Davey Resource Group, a division of the Davey Tree Expert Company. Jim primarily works with utility companies to provide innovative and customized solutions. Jim earned his AA from Vermillion Community College in 1997 and his BS in Forestry with an emphasis on Hydrology and Soils from the University of Minnesota in 2000. Jim is an ISA Certified Arborist with the Utility Specialist endorsement. Jim has been involved in the UAA training committee for nearly a decade as a past chairman and is currently the treasurer and Champion of the finance committee. Jim spent his first 7 years in the industry as a field arborist in the commercial and utility markets. The last 10 years, Jim has been working with utility companies to enhance their Integrated Vegetation Management programs. Jim’s other interests include spending time with his family, sports, hiking, fishing and coin collecting. Jim is also active with the Boy Scouts of America as an Eagle Scout. Jim lives in Forest Lake, MN with his wife and 2 children.
Adam’s experience includes leading business development strategies for a utility vegetation management consulting firm, vegetation management field operations at two major investor-owned utilities in the southeastern US, project management at a variety of utilities in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern regions, and vegetation management program development and assessments across the country. His utility arboricultural experience provides a broad understanding of the many different methods used to create a successful utility right-of-way, vegetation management program, including remote sensing, data analytics, optimization, and the utilization of third-party consulting foresters for planning and auditing duties.
Craig works for Pacific Gas and Electric as a Principal Program Manager in Land Management. His career spans 30 years in the utility industry serving numerous roles. He is an ISA Certified Arborist, Utility Specialist, and hold his TRAQ and is a TCIA Certified TreeCare Safety Professional. Craig has been engaged and involved in the UAA for many years, starting back in 2008. He then wanted more so he ran for UAA President and was elected in 2014. Today, Craig looks back over his 30-year career and wouldn’t change a thing, he’s made life-long friends and considers many as mentors. He also claims he would not be where is in his career if it weren’t for these people, and pledges to pay it forward to support others in their success.
Erin Creekmur has been in the UVM industry for over 20 years. After graduating with a Bachelors in Botany from Northern Arizona University she relocated to Northern California to start her professional career. Starting as a consulting utility pre-inspector with Western ECI she quickly moving up to the ranks to Supervisor under the tutelage of folks like Nelson Money. In 2004, Erin joined PG&E as a Quality Assurance Auditor for the VM program. Eventually becoming the Program Manager for the North Coast Division, helping stand up the beginnings of CEMA as the Emergency Drought Response Initiative Lead for the Enhanced Inspection & Mitigation Program, targeting off-cycle hazard trees across the system. In 2015, Erin moved back to her home state of Arizona and took the role of Division Supervisor with Arizona Public Service, managing both transmission and distribution UVM programs out of the Flagstaff area. As part of her role with APS Forestry Fire and Resource Management Department, Erin had responsibility for creating a Hazard Tree Mitigation program. maintaining APS’s ROW Stewardship Accreditation, FERC reporting, and the Transmission Lidar program. In 2021, Erin took a shift in her career and is now Supervising the Customer Construction and Design team for APS, expanding her overall understanding of the Utility industry. Erin continues to maintain her ISA Utility Specialist Certification and TRAQ. She has also completed certifications in both Six Sigma and Lean Sigma Green Belt through accredited universities. In addition to her current service on the UAA Board of Directors, Erin spent the last 6 years as an officer with the Arboretum at Flagstaff Board of Directors. In her free time, you can find Erin in the woods taking pictures of native plants and beautiful western landscapes.
Fallon is a Utility Arborist and Executive Director of the Utility Arborist Association. Prior to his current role he was responsible for leading vegetation management programs across several upper Midwest states on behalf of a large investor-owned utility. He’s also been an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he facilitated the 
Renée is our Member Services Manager. She is available to UAA members for questions on committee assignments, educational opportunities, scholarships, CEU questions, and any other assistance.
Diona has been with the Utility Arborist Association (UAA) since December 2015 and has worked in various capacities within the organization.