City Trees

4 CityTREES President's Message Scott Altenhoff Executive Director's Message Jerri J. LaHaie Like all of you, we at SMA are adjusting to change. This year we welcome two new board members, Claudia Alzate from Florida and Rachel Habig-Myers from Virginia. Both MFI grads, these profes- sionals bring years of experience to our SMA Board, and they will be helping us adapt to the changes the pandemic has foisted upon us. While we plan to gather in Louisville, Kentucky in November for the SMA/Partners in Community Forestry Conferences, we had to postpone the Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI) from February to September, when hope- fully we will feel much safer about meeting in person. Since we couldn't have the SMA Annual Conference Gumby Reunion* for MFI grads in 2020, we held an online MFI Day on February 24, 2021. Besides discussing some of the lead- ership and communication strategies from MFI and host- ing some of our favorite guest speakers, we held a joyful, virtual happy hour on the evening of February 23rd. You'll read about these events in a future edition of City Trees. During the coming months, we will be hosting webinars and town hall meetings as a way to give our members municipal-specific CEUs and as a way for our sponsors to stay in touch with us. We kicked off the Muni Mini Series last month with a two-hour session on Storm Preparedness and Management, led by Darren Green and Heather Dionne. If you are interested in leading a webi- nar or town hall meeting, we want to hear from you! While no substitute for in-person events, virtual events have allowed us to stay connected, learn from one another, and see one another's faces. They also allow members from around the world to join us, where pre- viously, distance may have inhibited attendance. No doubt the virtual space will continue to be a big part of our world in the coming years as technology continues to evolve and becomes easier to use. We hope to "see" you soon—that's one thing we don't want to change. *Known to MFI Grads from the MFI motto, "Semper Gumby"—Always Be Flexible! As leaders who are committed to build- ing a thriving and inclusive society of engaged professionals and fellow leaders, and who wish to create more livable, equitable, and resilient com- munities through the use of urban trees and green infrastructure, it would appear that our moment of truth has arrived. Never before has our planet experienced a crisis as complex or widespread as the one we're in currently. It's a "perfect storm" of human suffering, socio-political turmoil, economic calamity, and ecological collapse. As painful as it all is, we shouldn't despair. We can still turn things around if we recognize this disaster for what it is: 1) a longstanding leadership failure characterized by working against nature, scientific truths, and the principles of community, and 2) an opportunity for a new generation of lead- ers to shine—locally and globally—by working with nature and scientific truths and embracing the principles of community. As Winston Churchill advised back in the 1940s, we lead- ers should "never let a good crisis go to waste." Clearly, we have a "good crisis" on our hands, but what can we possibly do to change things for the better? I believe it all starts with responsible leadership. Responsible lead- ers focus on using scientific evidence and historical facts to promote a common understanding of problems and issues; they work to create a unified vision for the future and a shared purpose among all stakeholders. Responsible leaders build and sustain high-func- tioning teams and coalitions by cultivating trust and mutual under- standing. They promote connection and harmony, rather than divisiveness and conflict. Perhaps most importantly, responsible leaders resist the urge to turn ideological opponents into enemies. From its inception almost 60 years ago, our organization has championed the causes of responsible leadership, scientific understanding of our natural world, and community building. Our members have long known that trees play a primary role in human/societal wellbeing, and that they positively influ- ence how people feel, how we think, and how we behave. Although it's so easy to feel hopeless these days, espe- cially when reading the news, I've found that the easiest way to refresh my spirit is to focus on trees and the peo- ple who care for them. With this in mind, I hope you enjoy and find community in this edition of City Trees.

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