“CTSP, it’s who I am,” states Kristoffer Rasmussen,

TCIA Accreditation auditor and the owner of arboriststrong.com, a tree care safety consulting company based in Azle, Texas. Talking with him, it immediately becomes clear that he is a true Certified Treecare Safety Professional (CTSP) at his core.

“The CTSP certification is by far my most valuable credential,” says Rasmussen. “After I discovered that the arboriculture industry was the path I wanted to pursue and obtained my ISA certification, I came across TCI Magazine and began devouring its contents month after month.”

Among those pages, Rasmussen discovered the CTSP credentialing program. “What drew me to the CTSP (credential) was its focus on leadership. CTSP really goes hand in hand with Crew Leader Qualification, because it always goes back to that leadership,” says Rasmussen, who served on the curriculum-development committee for TCIA’s Crew Leader Qualification credential.

From his early days

From his early days working as crew leader with Arbor Masters Tree Service, an accredited, 26-year TCIA member company headquartered in Shawnee, Kansas, Rasmussen says he knew that safety training was his calling. He found it to be a natural progression in his career, advancing from Crew Leader Qualification to CTSP, then to Qualified Trainer, Accreditation auditor and finally to owning his own business, fostering a culture of excellence and safety within the tree care community.

Credentialing has opened door after door to the success of his career every step of the way, Rasmussen says. He recently left his position at the city of Dallas, where he built an Urban Forestry Division from the ground up within the Department of Public Works.

“The CTSP certification provided me with the essential tools and framework needed to build a highly successful urban-forestry team for the city of Dallas,” he says.

Establishing a robust safety culture was fundamental to creating a productive and efficient team.

Assembling his own team

Through the knowledge and skills he acquired from both the Crew Leader Qualification and the CTSP certification, he was able to assemble a team that shared his vision and mission. “I believe that one of the crucial aspects of this process was recognizing the unique learning styles of each team member and fostering a relationship built on trust,” Rasmussen says.

By understanding how each employee learned best, he was able to tailor training and development programs to suit their individual needs, he says. “This personalized approach not only enhanced their skills, but also helped in nurturing their talents, ensuring that each team member could contribute to the collective goals effectively.

“In essence, the CTSP certification equipped me with the leadership and safety-management capabilities necessary to build a cohesive, skilled and motivated urban-forestry team, which has been instrumental in achieving our objectives in Dallas,” he says.

Rasmussen’s story is a reminder that with the right credentials, a passion for safety and a commitment to individualized growth, one can cultivate a thriving, resilient community that stands tall, not unlike the very trees they care for.

For more information on the CTSP credential and upcoming workshops, go to www.tcia.org/ctsp. Or, in the digital version of this issue, click here.

Arabella Arden is a freelance writer based in Texas.