City Trees is a premier publication focused on urban + community forestry. In each issue, you’ll learn how to best manage the trees in your community and more!
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/723399
6 City Trees Time flies when you're having fun, and it is hard to believe that this is my last message as SMA President. As I write this, I am flying at 30,000 feet (9144 m) returning from the ISA Conference in Fort Worth, Texas and still processing all of the excitement, energy, and rush of ideas from the event. I was proud to represent the SMA with my "Professional Affiliate President" ribbon on my name tag. The SMA was very well represented at the ISA Conference, starting with past president George Gonzalez being honored with the Award of Achievement at the opening ceremony for his hard work in developing the Municipal Forestry Institute (MFI). SMA members and fellow municipal arborists gave pre- sentations throughout the conference, and that should bring us all great pride that our work is being recognized. Special thanks to SMA Past President Gordon Mann, Sam Olundunfe, and Gretchen Riley for conducting the Municipal Specialist Certification Preparation Course that sold out and is sure to have more people joining the 833 Municipal Specialists that have passed the exam. This is all great momentum for our upcoming SMA Annual Conference November 14th and 15th in Indianapolis. I can't wait to see everyone again! The conference committees have been working hard to produce another strong conference and we have a goal of 200 attendees. Help us reach that goal! If you have never been or it has been a while since you last attended the SMA Annual Conference, it's a great time to check it out. The conference truly is where the three C's of our mission come together: competence, confidence, and camaraderie. The educational sessions build competence that leads to con- fidence—and time together with our family of professionals is the best way to build camaraderie. Indianapolis is a great city and there's a lot of exciting things happening in urban forestry in the Midwest; I look forward to seeing you there! It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your president and I am proud of the work we have done on the SMA Board this year. I can feel us getting stronger and the momentum building. Can another SMA presiden- tial year be drawing to a close? Seems like only yesterday when we drafted new board member Jeremy Barrick into officer ser- vice and gave him the SMA 50th Anniversary Committee to head up. Being the trooper he is, he did a great job, stepped into leadership, and has been a real joy to serve alongside. I know he will stay just as involved with the board as SMA Past President, though, so this isn't goodbye yet Jeremy! I hope you are thinking, how could I become an SMA Board Member and maybe even SMA President one day? Here's the secret. Get involved in a committee. That is truly the best way to get acquainted with SMA, learn how things work, bring your ideas and experience to the group, and make things happen. Sure, it takes some time and effort, but it is so rewarding to work with your fellow SMA members from around the world (yes, we do have members from other countries serving on our committees) and develop what generally turn out to be life- long friendships. We would also like to get to know you better and learn about what you want, need, and expect from your professional asso- ciation. I know we have asked you these questions in surveys, but the real nuggets are mined in actual conversations. Talking with you at the conference, spending a week together at MFI, helping you through the SMA Accreditation process—these are just some examples of ways we get to know our members better. If I've convinced you, remember that our annual conference is coming up in Indianapolis. There are many, many ways for you to get involved; if you are going to be there, we will need help with the silent auction, the MFI reunion, the conference program, and the exhibit hall, just to name a few. If you can't make it this year, there is still plenty to be done leading up to and immediately after the conference. Just let us know that you would like to participate in some way and we will find the perfect task for you. I know it looks like everything just hap- pens right on schedule, but trust me, there are many, many volunteers working to make it look so seamless. We'd love to have your helping hands joined with all the others! President's Message Jeremy Barrick Executive Director's Message Jerri J. LaHaie