The UAA Team
UAA is a volunteer-led organization supported by a small staff which includes the Program & Operations Manager, the Member Services Manager, and the Executive Director. The Board of Directors partner with the staff, and this includes the President, President Elect, Vice President, Treasurer, and 6 Directors supported by the immediate Past President.
2024 – 2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Brandon Hughson
Past President
End of Term: August 2025
INFO + CONTACT
ProtecTerra LLC, Lexington, KY
Josh Beaver
President-Elect
End of Term: August 2027
INFO + CONTACT
Eocene Environmental Group, Asheville, NC
Jim Neeser
Secretary-Treasurer (3-Yr Term)
End of Term: August 2025
INFO + CONTACT
The Davey Resource Group, Forest Lake, MN
Cindy Devlin Musick
Director
Dr. Robert Vanderhoof
Director
End of Term: August 2026
INFO + CONTACT
Tall Tree Learning, Stevens Point, WI
Amanda Opp
Director
End of Term: August 2025
INFO + CONTACT
Flathead Electric Cooperative in Kalispell, MT
INTERNAL TEAM
PAST UAA PRESIDENTS
2023 Tim Walsh, Davey Tree
2022 Geoff Kempter, Asplundh
2021 Paul Hurysz, Duke Energy
2020 Eric Brown, SMUD
2019 Bob Richens, ArborMetrics
2018 Sara Sankowich, Unitil
2017 Craig Kelly, PG&E
2016 Joe Osborne, Empire District
2015 D. Fleischner, Trees, Inc.
2014 P. Jelen, Arizona Public Service
2013 A. Beard, Public Service New Mexico
2012 R. Hendler, Dow AgroSciences
2011 W. Nutter, Wright Tree Service
2010 N. Money, Pacific Gas & Electric, Ret.
2009 R. Miller, PacifiCorp
2008 W. Peterson, Davey Tree Expert Co.
2007 J. Orr, Asplundh
2006 B. Fisher, BC Hydro
2005 L. Grayson, American Electric Power
2004 R. Bell, Pacific Gas & Electric
2003 K. Eckert, Arborglobal
2002 S. Cieslewicz, CN Utility Consulting
2001 M.A. Neal, Arizona Public Service
2000 S.A. Asplundh, Asplundh Tree
1999 R. Johnstone, Conectiv
1998 J. Arkett, Duquesne Light
1997 J. Downie, Public Service Colorado
1996 M. Simons, Atlantic Electric
1995 S. Hallmark, Puget Sound P&L
1994 D. Holewinski, ECI
1993 R. Bailey, Tampa Electric
1992 J. Goodfellow, Puget Sound P&L
1991 R.N. Thiessen, TransAlta Utilities
1990 M. Watson, Potomac Edison
1989 R.Wells, Philadelphia Electric
1988 D.Van Bossuyt, Portland GE
1987 D.Konieczka, Wisconsin Electric
1986 J. Oatman, Florida Power
1985 H. Wilder, Houston L&P
1984 S.T. Griffiths, Ontario Hydro
1983 M.E. Treece, Duke Power
1982 R. Van Bossuyt , N.E. Power
1981 C.J. Pilkerton, S. California Edison
1980 E.S. Ulrich, Metropolitan-Edison
1979 W.B. Clowney, Philadelphia Electric
1978 E.T. Naese, Georgia Power
1977 G.A. Kihl, Indiana P.S.C.
1976 B.F. Swisher, Columbus & S
1975 I.O. Bauer, Baltimore G&E
1974 W.P. Jenkins, Ontario Hydro
1973 J.E. Knight, Detroit Edison
1972 C.E. Lee S., California Edison
1971 G.K. Brown, Georgia Power
1970 J.J. Crann, Connecticut L&P
2005 - 2022
2022 Geoff Kempter, Asplundh
2021 Paul Hurysz, Duke Energy
2020 Eric Brown, SMUD
2019 Bob Richens, ArborMetrics
2018 Sara Sankowich, Unitil
2017 Craig Kelly, PG&E
2016 Joe Osborne, Empire District
2015 D. Fleischner, Trees, Inc.
2014 P. Jelen, Arizona Public Service
2013 A. Beard, Public Service New Mexico
2012 R. Hendler, Dow AgroSciences
2011 W. Nutter, Wright Tree Service
2010 N. Money, Pacific Gas & Electric, Ret.
2009 R. Miller, PacifiCorp
2008 W. Peterson, Davey Tree Expert Co.
2007 J. Orr, Asplundh
2006 B. Fisher, BC Hydro
2005 L. Grayson, American Electric Power
1988 - 2004
2004 R. Bell, Pacific Gas & Electric
2003 K. Eckert, Arborglobal
2002 S. Cieslewicz, CN Utility Consulting
2001 M.A. Neal, Arizona Public Service
2000 S.A. Asplundh, Asplundh Tree
1999 R. Johnstone, Conectiv
1998 J. Arkett, Duquesne Light
1997 J. Downie, Public Service Colorado
1996 M. Simons, Atlantic Electric
1995 S. Hallmark, Puget Sound P&L
1994 D. Holewinski, ECI
1993 R. Bailey, Tampa Electric
1992 J. Goodfellow, Puget Sound P&L
1991 R.N. Thiessen, TransAlta Utilities
1990 M. Watson, Potomac Edison
1989 R.Wells, Philadelphia Electric
1988 D.Van Bossuyt, Portland GE
1970 - 1987
1987 D.Konieczka, Wisconsin Electric
1986 J. Oatman, Florida Power
1985 H. Wilder, Houston L&P
1984 S.T. Griffiths, Ontario Hydro
1983 M.E. Treece, Duke Power
1982 R. Van Bossuyt , N.E. Power
1981 C.J. Pilkerton, S. California Edison
1980 E.S. Ulrich, Metropolitan-Edison
1979 W.B. Clowney, Philadelphia Electric
1978 E.T. Naese, Georgia Power
1977 G.A. Kihl, Indiana P.S.C.
1976 B.F. Swisher, Columbus & S
1975 I.O. Bauer, Baltimore G&E
1974 W.P. Jenkins, Ontario Hydro
1973 J.E. Knight, Detroit Edison
1972 C.E. Lee S., California Edison
1971 G.K. Brown, Georgia Power
1970 J.J. Crann, Connecticut L&P
Contact Us
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 8:00AM/CST- 5:00PM/CST
Address
2009 W. Broadway Ave, Suite 400
PMB 315
Forest Lake, MN 55025
Additional Info
Phone: 800-680-4106
Email: office@gotouaa.org
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.
Amanda Opp, Certified Utility Vegetation Management Professional Flathead Electric Cooperative, Integrated Services Manager, University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, Course Facilitator
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.
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.