City Trees

6 CityTREES It is an honor for me to be writ- ing my first Society of Municipal Arborists President's Message. As a young woman starting my career in 1976, having this opportunity would have never crossed my mind. I am on the back end of my career now and am so very appreciative of the opportunities the green industry has given me; the highest honor being elected to President of SMA. Like so many other municipal arborists, my career has taken many twists and turns. I have worked in nursery and garden center jobs and worked as a supervisor in both nature pre- serves and urban parks. My current position, in the depart- ment where I've been for twenty years, involves working with capital projects in the City of Charlotte. I serve as the liaison between the City's Engineering staff and Landscape Management staff. Together we review construction plans to prevent damage to existing canopy, and we ensure that the appropriate infrastructure is in place to sustain new land- scapes. I have worked with wonderful, well-educated, and passionate people. In 2012 I got connected to SMA by attending the Municipal Forestry Institute, which lit a new fire in me. It was career altering. It made me want to improve my own skill set but also provide whatever knowledge I could to the green industry. That is why I was so excited when asked to join the Board of SMA, where I knew I could help make a difference on an inter- national level. As your President, I hope to positively influence the programs of SMA, help provide an outstanding conference in California next November (Nov 5-6), find ways to ensure SMA's contin- ued relevance in our industry, honor and respect the extreme hard work of the great municipal arborists in our midst, and to listen to each one of you and your needs. Please join with me in forging the best, most professional industry we can be, working together to create sustainable municipal streetscapes and city forests for the folks who will come after us. We can all be proud of and passionate about our work in our individual municipalities and in the vast green industry. I can't tell you how excited we are at SMA about the coming year. We have new Board members in place—all MFI grads, by the way—and we are eager to help you make SMA the best profession - al association for urban forestry managers. I say help you because we are committed to being your tribe, the colleagues you look to for information and exper- tise, the people you grow alongside in your leadership jour- ney, the place where you can feel comfortable asking ques- tions. SMA is truly a family of professionals who share their knowledge and expertise willingly. We have plenty to do and we need all of our members to contribute in whatever way you want to engage. Sarah Morris has already started off her presidency with a bang. Sarah is only the third woman to serve as SMA President, and if she is anything like the last female president we had, we are about to get some things done! Newly elected Board members Stephen Harris, Sam Oludunfe, and Scott Altenhoff (or "the three S's" as I like to call them) are enthusi - astic about beginning their tenure. Owen Croy has once again accepted a one-year appointment and will continue to lead us in our strategic planning efforts. In the meantime, we are getting ready for MFI 2018 in Litchfield, CT in February. MFI has become well known throughout the green industry, and we have our graduates to thank for that, as they, like Sarah, step into leadership roles in various positions. We are going to be making a serious effort to increase our influence this year as we work on growing our membership. If you know of someone in your community who would benefit from being connected to the best and brightest in municipal forestry, point them in our direction. Let them know that the small membership fee is better described as an investment in your professional growth. Tell them what SMA has meant to you. Let's continue to help each other and make 2018 our best year yet. President's Message Sarah Morris Executive Director's Message Jerri J. LaHaie

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