Noel Boyer

Almost nine years. That’s how long I’ve been serving on the TCIA Board of Directors. I was appointed to finish the term of a vacated seat back in February 2017 and made it through a couple of at-large elections. I was then elected as an officer three years ago, and I’m about to finish my term as chair. When I first became a director, I was by far the smallest company represented on the board, having just crossed the $1 million mark the year before. At that time, and still today, I run all my opinions and decisions in the boardroom through the “What does this mean to small businesses?” filter.

A lot has happened in the last nine years personally, professionally and at TCIA. My daughters have grown up, married and moved away. My company has more than quadrupled in size, and we’ve joined a private-equity partnership with more than a dozen other TCIA member companies. And TCIA looks like a very different organization than it did nine years ago. It has to. The changes in the market, technology, science, equipment, labor, insurance and public policy demand it.

I’ve committed hundreds of hours to TCIA, and I don’t regret a single one of them. My time spent with industry leaders, the TCIA staff, the other volunteers on the board, the policy team in Washington, D.C., and hundreds of discussions with other entrepreneurs have made me a better listener and a more confident leader. I have seen TCIA jamming at peak performance, and I have seen TCIA struggle and dig deep to find a new path that works with the changes in our trade and to our members. I’m proud to say that the current state of the organization is the former of these two, with the board and staff working well together to build strategy and then execute it.

TCIA is not perfect, and never will be. With 10 board members coming from diverse company locations, sizes and specialties, our opinions can clash. But I believe it’s necessary to have a variety of viewpoints so we avoid tunnel vision and maintain a broad perspective on the industry. Likewise, with 45 staff members of varying skill sets and tenures, we see the strategic plan implemented through collaboration and thoughtful, ongoing adjustments. These folks are giving everything they’ve got to serve the members and the industry in a very personal way. And even as they introduce new technologies into their business offerings, the staff at TCIA continues to prioritize human expertise and decision-making.

As I inch toward the exit door of the TCIA boardroom, I want to share a couple of takeaways. First, I want to express what a privilege it has been to participate at this level with my favorite people in my favorite industry. Second, I encourage anyone reading this to find ways to get involved, whether with your local ISA chapter, a tree-climbing championship or with TCIA. Attend the events. Network with the companies you know that need the kind of help TCIA offers. Support your local college’s apprenticeship program. Be an advocate for safety and bring more arborists into the fold of professionalism. “Advancing Tree Care Businesses” is our mission, but it can’t be accomplished by 10 board members and a staff of 45. It takes all of you, too.

Huge thanks to David White and the staff at TCIA for being patient with me. Thank you to all of the other board members I’ve served with for helping this dirty tree guy survive the boardroom, and for all the kindness and knowledge you have shared with me. Thank you to my entire team at All About Trees, who have tolerated years of me being absent from work or distracted by my TCIA duties. Finally, thank you to my sweet wife, Myria, who has given me support for the last 31 years, but especially during the last years of double duty with work and TCIA. Cheers to you all!

Noel Boyer, Board Certified Master Arborist (BCMA) and Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP), is president of All About Trees LLC, a Tree Guardian company and a 14-year TCIA member company based in Springfield, Missouri. He is the outgoing chair of TCIA’s Board of Directors.