News Release – 8 August 2013

ISA Reveals “True Professionals of Arboriculture” for 2013

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (August 2013) – Five arborists selected from a global pool of applicants for their  commitment and professionalism in tree care have been chosen as “True Professionals of Arboriculture” for 2013 by the International Society of Arboriculture (ISA).

Honorees received special recognition on Monday, August 5th at the 89th annual ISA Conference and Trade Show, August 3rd—7th in Toronto. This year’s prestigious class of “True Professionals of Arboriculture” includes:

• Terrill Collier (Clackamas, Ore.)
• Richard Herfurth (Lyndeborough, N.H.)
• Scott Liudahl (Fargo, N.D.)
• James McCready (Carleton Place, Ontario)
• Edward Milhous (Haymarket, Va.)

The ceremony was hosted by ISA President Terrence Flanagan.

“ISA recognizes these True Professionals of Arboriculture for their incredible skills and achievements, but that’s only half of the equation,” explained the ISA President. “These arborists are of high character and are committed to helping others understand the importance of our industry.”

Some of the accomplishments of this year’s “True Professionals of Arboriculture:”

• Committed to leadership in sustainable landscape practices and the constant promotion of proper tree care and green landscape design to the general public. (Collier)
• Encouraged safety and training to thousands of tree care consumers in the U.S. and Canada. Instrumental in maximizing production during Asian longhorned beetle trunk injection projects. (Herfurth)
• Led special initiatives including a real-world experience mentorship in forestry for at-risk teenagers, the creation of a living snow fence to protect homeowners during winter, and the development of a pre-mitigation programme for ash trees to curb future destruction by emerald ash borer (Liudahl)
• Provided volunteer guidance as a town arborist in his retirement to improve urban forestry, and promote and ensure healthy trees in Eastern Ontario. (McCready)
• Responsible for the development of a tree care website, which was eventually taken over by ISA and became www.treesaregood.org. Founding member of the ISA Mid-Atlantic (MAC) Chapter and helped establish the ISA Certified Arborist programme for MAC-ISA. (Milhous)

ISA launched the “True Professionals of Arboriculture” recognition programme in 2009 to increase public understanding of arboriculture and the professional skills of today’s arborists. Since the programme’s inception, hundreds of nominations have been collected from around the world from the industry’s leading arborists and tree care professionals testifying to their positive impact in and around their communities. 

This year’s ISA “True Professionals” judges included John Ball (professor of forestry at South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D.), SK Ganesan (deputy director of landscaping and arboriculture, National Parks Board, Singapore), Alan Jones (vice president and division manager, Bartlett Tree Experts, Afton, Va.), Lauren Lanphear (president, Forest City Tree Protection, South Euclid, Ohio, ISA Past President, 2007-09, and 2011 ISA “Award of Distinction” winner), Randy Lidkea (retired arborist, ISA committee member, St. Thomas, Ontario), Paul Revell (urban and community forestry manager, Virginia Department of Forestry, Charlottesville, Va.), Rip Tompkins (arborist and principal at ArborMaster, Willington, Conn.), and Philip van Wassenaer (president, Urban Forest Innovations, Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, and 2009 ISA “True Professional of Arboriculture”).

Profiles and case studies of the “True Professionals” will be featured on the ISA website at www.isa-arbor.com and highlighted in future ISA publications such as Arborist News.

About ISA
The International Society of Arboriculture (ISA), headquartered in Champaign, Ill., U.S., is a nonprofit organisation supporting tree care research and education around the world. To promote the importance of arboriculture, ISA manages the consumer education web site, www.treesaregood.org, which fulfills the association’s mission to help educate the public about the importance and value of proper tree care. Also, as part of ISA’s dedication to the care and preservation of shade and ornamental trees, it offers the only internationally-recognized certification programme in the industry. For more information on ISA and Certified Arborists, visit www.isa-arbor.com

About Bartlett Tree Experts
The F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company was founded in 1907 by Francis A. Bartlett and is the world’s leading scientific tree and shrub care company. The organisation’s current chairman, Robert A. Bartlett Jr., represents the third generation of Bartlett family management. Bartlett has locations in 27 U.S. states, Canada, Ireland and Great Britain. Services include pruning, pest and disease management, fertilisation and soil management, cabling and bracing, tree lightning protection systems and tree/stump removal. Its corporate offices are located in Stamford, Connecticut.