TCI Magazine is pleased to introduce its 2024/25 Editorial Advisory Committee (EAC), including some new members.

EAC members provide subject-matter expertise to TCI’s editorial team on trending issues and areas of interest to the industry. The group brings a wide range of knowledge and experience from all aspects of the industry.

We are honored to have this talented and knowledgeable team helping guide TCI Magazine staff in our effort to provide the industry with topical, relevant and interesting content.

Objectives for the committee are to:

• Suggest ideas for articles and other content for TCI Magazine and its website.
• Provide subject-matter expertise on selected articles or areas of focus.
• Assist editorial staff in locating sources and contributors for content.
• Advise editorial staff on responding to feedback from readers, e.g., letters, emails, comments, etc., as needed.

EAC members

David M. Anderson TCIA Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP), Massachusetts certified arborist, is a manager with Mayer Tree Service Inc., a 31-year TCIA member company based in Essex, Massachusetts. He is also a Massachusetts Nursery and Landscape Association board member and a Massachusetts Certified Landscape Professional.

Craig Bachmann, CTSP, ISA Certified Arborist, ISA Tree Risk Assessor Qualification (TRAQ), is lead arborist and founder of Tree133 LLC, a five-year TCIA member company based in Seattle, Washington. Bachmann is a head technician for the International Tree Climbing Championship and a frequent presenter at arboriculture conferences.

John Ball, Ph.D., BCMA, CTSP, A-NREMT (Advanced – National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians), is a professor of forestry and TCIA member/student advisor at South Dakota State University, as well as a frequent presenter on industry safety and other topics at industry events throughout the U.S.

Noel Boyer, BCMA, CTSP, is owner of All About Trees LLC, a 12-year TCIA member company based in Springfield, Missouri, and vice-chair of TCIA’s Board of Directors. Boyer also is a 20-year ISA International Tree Climbing Championship (ITCC) competitor and a seven-time ISA Midwestern TCC champion.

Ash Connelly, ISA Certified Arborist, is an assistant market leader at SavATree – Charleston, South Carolina. She also holds the TRAQ credential and serves on the TCIA Women in Tree Care Taskforce. Connelly previously was a paralegal for 12 years, where she gained a professional edge and perfected her writing skills. She seeks to advance the industry through frequent community outreach and is a regular presenter at TCI EXPO and other industry events.

Howard Gaffin, ISA Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA), American Society of Consulting Arborists (ASCA) registered consulting arborist (RCA), Massachusetts Certified Arborist, is owner of Gaffin Tree & Landscaping, located in Rowley, Mass.

Rebecca Johnson, CTSP, TCIA Qualified Trainer, ISA Certified Arborist, is founder and owner of Arborholic LLC, a four-year TCIA member company based in Austin, Texas. Johnson also holds her TRAQ credential and is Texas Oak Wilt Qualified and Texas Wildfire Risk Reduction Qualified.

Andy Jones, CTSP, ISA Certified Arborist, TRAQ credentialed, is founder of Rooted Arbor Care in O’Fallon, Mo. Prior to his career in tree care, Andy had a background in emergency medical services (EMS) and served for six years in the U.S. Air Force. He is also a contributing writer for both Arborist News and TCI Magazine, and is a TCI EXPO presenter.

Geoff Kempter recently retired from Asplundh Tree Expert LLC, a 48-year TCIA member company headquartered in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, and is now principal of Arboricultural Consulting Services LLC in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He served as the Asplundh representative on the ASC A300 Committee from 1996 to 2020, and was chair of the 2017 ASC A300 Pruning Revision Subgroup. He was the recipient of TCIA’s 2018 Pat Felix Volunteer of the Year Award.

Todd Kramer, CTSP, QCL, is training and performance manager with Kramer Tree Specialists Inc., an accredited, 36-year TCIA member company based in West Chicago, Illinois.

Jennifer McPhee is the co-owner of Harrison McPhee Inc., an accredited, 9-year TCIA member company located in Millis, Mass., and is a member of TCIA’s Board of Directors. She launched her career serving the New England green industry as a staff member of M.V. Wood Co. Inc. – the association-management firm that oversees the Massachusetts Arborists Association, Massachusetts Association of Landscape Professionals and New England Nursery Association. M.V. Wood also managed the former New England Grows conference and trade show.

Randall H. Miller, BCMA, ISA Utility Specialist, is director of research and development at Eocene Environmental Group, a subsidiary of Wright Tree Service, a utility-vegetation-management company based in West Des Moines, Iowa. His writing credits include “Utility Arboriculture: The Utility Specialist Certification Study Guide,” which he wrote along with Geoff Kempter (2018). He serves on the ISA Board of Directors and is an alternate on the ANSI A300 integrated vegetation management (IVM) subcommittee.

Lindsey Purcell, BCMA, RCA, is principal of Lp Consulting Group and executive director of the Indiana Arborist Association. He is a former extension specialist and instructor for Purdue University Forestry and Natural Resources.

Kristoffer Rasmussen, CTSP, QCL, TCIA-approved instructor and Accreditation/Loss Control Auditor, is owner of arboriststrong.com, providing consultation, safety training and Red Cross CPR/first-aid certifications.

Michael J. Raupp, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus in the Department of Entomology at the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. He has published many articles, made numerous presentations and frequently appears on television and radio. His websites include www.bugoftheweek.com and www.youtube.com/user/BugOfTheWeek.

Elizabeth Schulte, ISA Certified Arborist, is vice president of marketing for PlanIT Geo, a four-year TCIA corporate member company based in Arvada, Colorado, and developers of TreePlotter software. She has 13 years of experience in the tree care and urban-forestry industry in the role of advocate, advisor and project manager, as well as in communications, engagement and technology innovation.

Mike Tilford, CTSP, ISA Certified Arborist, Municipal Specialist, Certified Tree Worker – Climber Specialist, is director of general tree care for SavATree, an accredited, 36-year TCIA member company headquartered in Bedford Hills, New York. He also is the ISA International Tree Climbing Championship (ITCC) head technician.

Timothy M. Walsh, CTSP, is vice president, safety & training, with The Townsend Company LLC, a dual-
accredited, 47-year TCIA member company based in Muncie, Indiana. He holds two master’s degrees and is working on his doctorate. He has served as a voting member of the ASC Z133 and serves on the Utility Arborist Association as past president, and on the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) safety workgroup.

Rick Weden is a vice president and account executive with Corcoran & Havlin Insurance Group, a 15-year TCIA corporate member company based in Wellesley, Mass. He is actively involved with the TCIA-sponsored ArborMax insurance program.

Tchukki Andersen, BCMA, CTSP, is staff arborist for the Tree Care Industry Association in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Susan DiPietro is managing editor for TCI Magazine and website editor for tcimag.tcia.org at TCIA in Manchester, N.H.

Peter Gerstenberger is TCIA’s senior vice president for industry support and TCI Magazine publisher at TCIA’s offices in Manchester, N.H.

Don Staruk is editor of TCI Magazine at TCIA in Manchester, N.H. Starting as managing editor in 2003, he is in his 21st year working on the magazine.