With advice and support from some amazing
folks at the Society of Municipal Arborists, New
York State Urban Forestry Council (NYSUFC), and
NYS Department of Environmental Conservation/
NY ReLeaf, I was able to participate in the 2021
Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI) (see class photo
in the 2022 MFI announcement on page 18).
For a golden week in late September, I joined 40
fellow learners in Bowling Green, Ohio for an intensive
and inspiring leadership and professional develop-
ment journey. Through pre-conference work and
five very full days in person, eight instructors and a
half dozen guest speakers worked with our group of
city arborists, urban foresters, state and municipal
urban forestry staff, landscape architects, consul-
tants, and non-profit leaders and advocates.
A veteran of several leadership development processes,
I was thoroughly impressed with the passion, dedica-
tion, and careful preparation of the teaching cohort.
They were not only experts in urban forestry with a
wide range of experience in the field; they were also
well-versed and totally dedicated to cultivating leaders
for urban forestry and to expanding the capacity of
individuals and organizations across the country to
build more successful community tree programs.
The four primary components of the MFI program were:
• Developing a Leadership Approach to Your Position
• Thinking and Planning Strategically to
Advance Urban Forestry Efforts
• Working Effectively with Boards, Coalitions,
and Non-Profit Organizations
• Managing the Relationship Between People and Trees
These were covered through a great combination
of reference materials, presentations, slides, car-
toons, videos, TED talks, problem-solving breakout
sessions, role playing, and practical advice.
The most valuable part of the entire process for me
was hearing in some detail the lived experience of folks,
whether they were in settings similar to my own or quite
different. It was particularly enlightening to learn in
more depth about the trials and triumphs of arborists
working at city or state levels, dealing with bureaucra-
cies and both public interest and public misperceptions.
Kathy Lawrence on her
2021 MFI Experience
Kathy Lawrence is the dynamic Board Chair for
the Greater Newburgh, NY Parks Conservancy.
16 CityTREES
