In these crazy and uncertain times, it is reassuring to be part of a tight-knit industry where the people quite literally watch out for one another. At least, that is the way it is from my perspective, and I hope from yours as well. I would like to use this column to give some credit where it is due.
Our advertisers get a collective thank you. Every month they give at least as much as they receive, because it is advertising revenue that allows us to send this publication free to almost 24,000 readers in the U.S.
Sometimes, contributors to TCI Magazine offer an article or photo for publication but are not looking to get paid for doing so. Instead, a donation is made in their name to the Tree Care Industry Association Foundation’s (TCIAF’s) Student Career Days (SCD), to help fund student travel to and from TCI EXPO, or to TCIAF’s Arborist Safety Training Institute (ASTI), to help make affordable safety training available to all tree workers.
We would like to acknowledge and thank the following TCI Magazine contributors for donating their honoraria in 2019 and 2020: John Ball, CTSP, BCMA, South Dakota State University; Cary Shepherd, North American Training Solutions (NATS); Randy Miller, CN Utility Consulting; Alexander Subak and Craig Murk, both with ACRT, Inc.; Meggan Hargrave, Metropolitan Forestry Services, Inc.; Marcy Carpenter, NATS; Tom Smiley, Bartlett Tree Experts; Ned Gerhold, Lezear Capital Partners; David’s Tree Service, Inc., Huntington Beach, California; Christine Balk, The Davey Tree Expert Co.; and Rick Weden, Corcoran & Havlin Insurance Group.
Similarly, several TCI Virtual Summit ’21 presenters donated their honoraria to ASTI. They were Christine Balk, The Davey Tree Expert Co.; Tad Jacobs, CTSP, QCL, Treemasters; Erick Palacios, CTSP, Crux Climbing, Rigging & Training Corp.; and Tim Walsh, CTSP, The Davey Tree Expert Co.
Incidentally, TCIAF is the charitable arm of TCIA, dedicated to advancing education and professional development in the green industry, improving safety and reducing accident rates in the tree care industry, as well as disseminating information key to practitioners and consumers about proper tree care. For more information, go to https://www.tcia.org/TCIA/TCIAF/About_TCIAF.aspx.
We would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge another TCI VS ’21 presenter who donated his honorarium to benefit his fellow arborists. Lindsey Purcell, Purdue University, contributed his honorarium to his local ISA Chapter, the Indiana Arborist Association.
Finally, I would like to thank another group that, in the coming months, will be making a very significant contribution of its time and expertise for the betterment of this publication and the benefit of its readers. The newly formed TCI Editorial Advisory Committee will provide subject-matter expertise to TCI’s editorial team (inclusive of magazine, website and blog) on trending issues and depictions of proper or improper practices, among other things. We will formally introduce you to the committee members in a future issue.
Peter Gerstenberger, publisher
