City Trees

4 CityTREES President's Message Sam Oludunfe Executive Director's Message Leslie Berckes Whew—what a whirlwind and wonderful first few months on the job! I've had the oppor- tunity to travel to Malmö, Sweden to represent you at the ISA Annual International Conference and Trade Show, attend my first Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI), and speak with the many people who value and support SMA. Of particular note during these first few months was meeting the 2022 MFI graduates, who come from a broad representation of backgrounds, urban forestry experience, and years of service. José is looking for the next level of urban forestry job and spoke so passion- ately about his love of trees; I felt myself leaning in as he spoke, eager to hear more. Lee talked about how to meet people where they are—including the front stoop if that's what it takes to talk about trees. Jerry started working with trees while in high school, worked his way up through various roles on a crew, and now serves in a leadership role. Lizzie is working hard to help her city adapt to a new green and tree-friendly future after industry shifted many jobs overseas and left many vacant plots of land. These individuals represent the future of our industry; you'll recognize their passion for the work and will be eager to work alongside them. With this in mind, I'm excited for this issue of City Trees. Sure, you'll get to learn a little more about me, but I'm so excited for you to learn more about the people who are doing the important tree planting, maintenance, and planning work every day. This work can be challeng- ing and frustrating and it can be easy to focus on the moments that don't go perfectly. But when you take a step back and realize the cumulative impact of all those trees in the ground, remember that none of that would have happened without you and your team. YOU are of critical importance to enriching your communities, and you have a network of SMA peers who understand you and your work—and who stand in your corner. Whew—what a whirlwind and wonderful first few months on Conference and Trade Show, attend my first Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI), and With the 58 th Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA) Annual International Conference and Trade Show upon us, it will be time for me to turn over the SMA President reins to Earl Eutsler. Currently SMA Vice President, Earl serves as Associate Director/State Forester for the Urban Forestry Division in the Washington, D.C. Department of Transportation. I am looking forward to seeing Earl and many of you at the conference, which will take place in Seattle, Washington on November 14-15, 2022, followed by the Partners in Community Forestry Conference. Thematically, the SMA Conference will focus on the successful melding of trees and other infrastructure, as well as effective part- nerships between municipalities and nonprofits to further forest canopy goals in communities. Educational sessions will address using green infrastructure to improve tree equity and the mitiga- tion of urban heat islands; integrating trees into planning and budgeting for gray infrastructure; adoption of municipal codes to accommodate green infrastructure design; and how collabora- tion with engineering and public works departments can improve the integration of green and gray infrastructure. Several sessions will also address climate change, a topic that is dear to me. Conference goers will also have the opportunity for exciting field experiences. One of the destinations will be Washington Park Arboretum, founded in 1934. It was designed by the famed Olmsted Brothers firm and contains one of the most diverse and important plant collections in North America. Other desti- nations include the Beacon Food Forest, the Kubota Gardens and Natural Area, Olympic Sculpture Park, and more. The event promises to be fantastic, and I would like to thank our major sponsors, including the ones confirmed as of this writing: TreeDiaper; Dudek; ABT, Inc.; Greenwell; and many exhibitors. A full list of sponsors and exhibitors will be recognized in the SMA Conference recap in the March/April issue of City Trees. In advance of the conference, this issue of City Trees has pro- files of SMA Executive Director Leslie Berckes and SMA Board Members Jamie King and Michael Martini. It also features intro- ductions to dynamic newer SMA members—some students, oth- ers newly entering the profession, and still others who fit both categories as they pursue advanced degrees while working. As immediate Past President, I will be sitting on the SMA Board of Directors until fall 2023. As I sign off, I'd like to emphasize that urban forestry is America's first line of defense against adverse climate change. Plant trees: nur- ture nature, nurture life, and make the world beautreeful! With the 58 Urban Forestry Division in the Washington, D.C. Department of Transportation. I am

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