Attention middle managers and leaders in utility vegetation management: there’s a top-notch, college-level professional development program that can take you deeper inside the industry and improve your career aspirations.
Here’s a recent conversation about the Pro-UVM Certification Program with Susan Barrett, Outreach Specialist, at the Wisconsin Forestry Center, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Susan, if someone asked you about the Pro-UVM Certification Course, what would be your brief elevator speech?
I would tell them the New Year is a great time to join the program. The first set of courses kick off on January 8, 2024 and people progress through the program from there. The training is composed of two certificates and a credential preparation course, which are designed to be taken in order.
The first, “Foundations of Utility Vegetation Management” Certificate, includes the study of these five topics:
- UVM 1: North American Electrical Systems
- UVM 2: Utility Arboriculture
- UVM 3: Leadership and Organizations
- UVM 4: Program and Project Management
- UVM 5: Integrated Vegetation Management
The second sequence of courses, the “Utility Vegetation Management Professional” Certificate, begins on January 15, 2024.
- UVM 6: Compliance and Stakeholder Management
- UVM 7: Scope, Cost, and Procurement Management
- UVM 8: Safety, Risk and Quality Management
- Credential Prep course: UVM 9: Program Planning
If anyone is interested, they should check out the website and register before December 29, 2023.
How do you know if the Pro-UVM Certification Program is the right fit for you?
While these courses are open to anyone, we find that people are most successful if they have been in the utility and/or arboriculture industries for a couple of years. The program is a college-level training program designed for those motivated individuals seeking management and/or leadership positions. The courses are 100% online, and reading and writing intensive, so decent writing skills and excellent time-management are important.
The Pro-UVM Program is designed to develop and enhance knowledge, rather than introduce people to the field of UVM. No degree is required for participation in the program and students will gain the knowledge and skills needed to plan and manage sustainable UVM program plans. It is often used as a pathway for career development and advancement within the industry.
Why is the Pro-UVM Program an important step for industry professionals?
This is a comprehensive training program that is designed and taught by industry professionals. These experts will lead you through the knowledge and skills needed to plan and manage sustainable utility vegetation management program plans. The courses will help enhance the understanding and application of the industry’s best practices, including safety, integrated vegetation management, project management, and sustainable utility corridor planning.
Are there scholarships available? How easy is it to apply?
Full-tuition scholarships are available to individuals living in California and bordering states through PG&E and in partnership with the UAA. Applying for funding is quick and painless on the scholarship website.
If you don’t live in the Western U.S., you should know that many utility companies will cover tuition costs so their employees can become “Certified UVM Professionals.” Contact your supervisor and/or human resources department directly for more information.
What kind of feedback have you received from those who have been through Pro-UVM Certification?
Here are just a few graduates sharing how much they benefitted from the program.
I am very grateful to staff from UWSP, the UAA, and PG&E for the high-quality exposure to UVM education and exposure to new facets of the industry. – Jesse Barajas, 2023 Pro-UVM Graduate
I was surprised by the knowledge I acquired in all of my courses and was shocked to learn all the stakeholders involved to manage a successful UVM Program. – Alejandro Hernandez, 2023 Pro-UVM Graduate
The Pro-UVM Credential Program has provided me the opportunity to be exposed to and develop an understanding about the program management within the UVM space, that previously I had little to no knowledge or understanding of. The knowledge I’ve gained in the program has helped me adjust, grasp, and execute new program tasks as a supervisor much faster. – Patrick Van Horne, 2023 Pro-UVM Graduate
The certification program helped me to better understand the industry, my department, and my job role. I was inspired by course instructors and participants!” – Leo Martinez, 2023 Pro-UVM Graduate
The Pro-UVM courses are also pre-approved for continuing education units with the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA). If you’d like to learn more, visit the Pro-UVM website or email us at uvm@uwsp.edu. Remember the deadline is December 29, 2023 for the courses starting in early January 2024.
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.