Stihl, a leading manufacturer of chain saws and outdoor power equipment, recently sponsored the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) 2010 "True Professionals of Arboriculture" award program. The award was presented to Dr. Bill Fountain (Lexington, Ky.), Steve Geist, (Denver, Co.), Tanja Grmovsek (Maribor, Slovenia), Scott Prophett (Loganville, Ga.), and Mike Robinson (Jacksonville, Fla.), for their positive representation of arboriculture to the public.
According to ISA President Tim Gamma, “These five individuals are an inspiration to professional arborists everywhere. Like many ISA members, they come from large and small communities in North America and around the world. Most importantly, they exemplify professional arboriculture in their daily work. Not only do they know trees, they excel in educating everyone from customers to community leaders about tree care and their value. They also demonstrate the professionalism, education, training and knowledge of the ISA members and Certified Arborists.” “We at Stihl are proud to sponsor an award that recognizes such distinguished professionals in the tree care industry,” said Anita Gambill of Stihl Inc. “With their knowledge of arboriculture and commitment to tree care, these five arborists deserve recognition for their positive contribution to the field and their communities.”
ISA launched “True Professionals of Arboriculture” in 2009 to increase public understanding of arboriculture and the professional skills of today’s arborists. ”True Professional” recipients are representative of the highly-skilled, highly trained professionals who work safely and smartly to protect the health and long-term added value provided by trees to homeowners and communities.”
In spring 2010 ISA began accepting nominations for the second group of "True Professionals." More than 45 nominations were collected from the industry's leading arborists and subsequently reviewed by the judging committee. The panel reviewed the entries and selected five arborists representing various attributes of professionalism including a commitment to community outreach and education, innovation in client communication techniques and unique achievements linking arboriculture with the general public.
The 2010 ISA "True Professionals of Arboriculture" judging committee included Tim Gamma (president, ISA), Justin Hancock (senior online garden editor, Better Home & Gardens), Jill Johnson (coordinator, Federal Urban & Community Forestry), Dan Lambe (vice president of programs, National Arbor Day Foundation), Sandra Mason (horticulture extension educator, University of Illinois Extension), Tom Mugridge (membership committee chair, ISA), Melinda Myers (author, broadcaster) and Philip van Wassenaer (president, Urban Forest Innovations, Inc.).
