City Trees

6 CityTREES I appreciate having this President's Message to tell our stories, to share success stories of our mem- bers and partners. The Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI) leadership training is one of SMA's greatest success stories and is helping to advance the careers and programs of our members and partners alike. Kateri Savory's story with Owen Croy's introduction in this issue explain how Diversity in MFI was a step forward in helping to recognize and promote diversity and inclusion in the leaders and future leaders in municipal forestry and urban forestry. MFI 2019 was a more diverse class of participants, more representative of the professionals in municipal forestry and the communities we serve. I don't think anything tells this MFI story bet- ter than Kateri's experience and the testimoni- als from several other 2019 graduates: Julie Fukuda, Portland Parks & Recreation: "I was so inspired and felt very empowered to look around the room each day and see the new face of urban forestry; there is simply no substitute for seeing people like myself represented in the group of professionals where I seek belonging— women and people from minority groups and mixed ethnic backgrounds. I can see this MFI expe- rience was carefully planned and prepared with inten- tion. I want you to know you succeeded in your goal." Carlos Campero, LA Conservation Corps: "I thought that I was a good leader and communicator before I came to MFI, but having been exposed to the Cadre, to new learning and tools, and to other participants, I realized that I have not reached my full leadership potential. This experience has filled me to over-flowing. I cannot wait to go back and build bridges to further success and to maintain bridges to/from learning and peers." Emily Day, City of Albany Parks and Recreation: "MFI has been such an eye-opening and inspiring opportunity for me. I have learned so much about how I can become a better lead- er in my position and a better communicator to my commu- nity. I now better understand my relevancy and importance to our city's urban forestry program. Thank you, MFI Cadre!" We hope to continue Diversity in MFI, and the partnerships that made it all possible this year, well into the future. In this issue of City Trees, you will read a lot about MFI, one of SMA's best programs, made even better this year by the emphasis on diversi- ty. We are so appreciative of the opportunity to collaborate with the US Forest Service and Southern University to not only provide leadership training to this audience, but also for the opportunity to move in the direction of our vision for SMA: A thriving and inclusive society of engaged leaders. No organization is successful without the dedication and involvement of its members; it takes a small vil- lage to put on SMA programs like MFI. A huge shout out to this year's Cadre members who made it all hap- pen: Keith Cline, Owen Croy, Paul Ries, Walt Warriner, John McNeil, Andy Hillman, and Sharon Jean-Phillipe. Our annual conference is another program that takes lots of volunteers. This year's program committee is headed up by Dorothy Abeyta and Stephen Harris. They are busy now reviewing proposals and putting together the educational sessions. Walt Warriner is heading up the committee to solicit exhibitors and sponsors, the ones who make it possible for our attendees to pay a lower registration fee. One of my favorite parts of the annual confer- ence is the awards luncheon, where we get a chance to recognize people who give so tireless- ly to SMA. Nominations are open now for awards, so if you know someone who deserves a pat on the back and a really nifty plaque, head on over to the website and fill out the nomination form. We have lots of ways for you to get involved. If you have participated in programs like the Arborist Exchange or SMA Accreditation, you would be a good fit for helping us evaluate this year's candidates. If you like to keep up on all things urban forestry, we could use your help in reviewing our website. If you are tech savvy and have a flair for Hollywood, answer the casting call, as we will be making videos of some of our programs and participants. If you've been sitting on the bench, now's the time to get in the game. Our vision of a thriving and inclusive society of engaged leaders includes you. President's Message Keith Cline Executive Director's Message Jerri J. LaHaie

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