Upcoming Webinars
Educational webinars are offered throughout the year to UAA members which allows for additional CEU’s throughout the year. Please note the CEU’s are given only at the time of the webinar, similar to attending a conference.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2023 12P CST
Lessons from the first year of The UVM Podcast
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 29, 2023 12P CST
Smarter Vegetation Intelligence: Understanding Risk to Mitigate Wildfires and Improve Reliability at Scale
Satellite imagery and AI, together, are helping electric utilities prioritize high-impact vegetation management work with powerful network-wide analytics at a glance. With this satellite intelligence, utilities are minimizing wildfires and power outages while also optimizing both budgets and labor. Armed with span-level insights on things like tree species, encroachment risk, wildfire danger, and SAIDI impact, this technology helps vegetation management teams quickly understand and prioritize trimming in the places that matter most.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2023 12P CST
Protect Your Hearing in Less Time than it Takes to Damage It
Did you know that:
- Approximately 50 millionAmericans are affected by Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing sensation of the ear)
- On a daily basis 22 millionAmericans are exposed to hazardous sound levels in the workplace
The importance of protecting and preserving our ears from noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus, the most common permanent and preventable occupational injury in the world, in compliance with OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.95
If you have suggestions for webinars please reach out to us at office@gotouaa.org. For full access to past webinars, become a UAA member
PARTNER WEBINAR SERIES
AVAILABLE NOW!
Tree Fund Webinar Series –Risk Governance and Equity in Urban Forest Management
AVAILABLE PAST WEBINAR: December 6, 2022
This presentation and research was made possible by one of the TREE Fund research grants – Bob Skiera Memorial Fund. Thank you to our the Alabama Cooperative Extension Program for hosting the webinar!
The Tree Fund Webinar Series – Learn How to Comply with OSHA’s Gear Inspection Mandate
AVAILABLE PAST WEBINAR: November 1, 2022
Detailed and accurate observation of buried tree roots is difficult and elusive, and yet it is essential for the successful long-term management and protection of tree health. This presentation will describe the non-invasive methods and our efforts to improve GPR as a root detection technology.
Presentation hosted by TREE Fund and Alabama Cooperative Extension Presenters are Andrew Millward, PhD and Justin Miron, PhD Student
The Tree Fund Webinar Series- Enhancing the performance of urban storm water management schemes with tree selection
AVAILABLE PAST WEBINAR: April 19, 2022
Developing a new approach to assessing waterlogging tolerance of temperate trees: Presented by Andrew Hirons, PhD
Here are some of our popular webinars.
To see more of our past offerings, log in to the Member Portal. If you aren’t a UAA member, visit the Join/Renew Page
ROW Reclamation: Right-Of-Way Done Right
9/16/2020
Cutting the trees and eliminating brush is the easy part! Gaining consistency and support from internal and external stakeholders is the hard part. This is the ‘secret ingredient’ our presentation will focus on.
Topic: UVM 101- Perspectives
05/13/2020
Presented by: Will Ortiz
Contact Us
Office Hours
Monday - Friday 8:00AM/CST- 5:00PM/CST
Address
2009 W. Broadway Ave, Suite 400
PMB 315
Forest Lake, MN 55025
Additional Info
Phone: 800-680-4106
Email: office@gotouaa.org
Jim Neeser is a business developer for the Davey Resource Group, a division of the Davey Tree Expert Company. Jim primarily works with utility companies to provide innovative and customized solutions. Jim earned his AA from Vermillion Community College in 1997 and his BS in Forestry with an emphasis on Hydrology and Soils from the University of Minnesota in 2000. Jim is an ISA Certified Arborist with the Utility Specialist endorsement. Jim has been involved in the UAA training committee for nearly a decade as a past chairman and is currently the treasurer and Champion of the finance committee. Jim spent his first 7 years in the industry as a field arborist in the commercial and utility markets. The last 10 years, Jim has been working with utility companies to enhance their Integrated Vegetation Management programs. Jim’s other interests include spending time with his family, sports, hiking, fishing and coin collecting. Jim is also active with the Boy Scouts of America as an Eagle Scout. Jim lives in Forest Lake, MN with his wife and 2 children.
Adam’s experience includes leading business development strategies for a utility vegetation management consulting firm, vegetation management field operations at two major investor-owned utilities in the southeastern US, project management at a variety of utilities in the mid-Atlantic and southeastern regions, and vegetation management program development and assessments across the country. His utility arboricultural experience provides a broad understanding of the many different methods used to create a successful utility right-of-way, vegetation management program, including remote sensing, data analytics, optimization, and the utilization of third-party consulting foresters for planning and auditing duties.
Matt Goff is a Transmission Vegetation Manager at Georgia Power Company. He lives in Brookhaven, GA with his wife, two daughters, and the family’s two dogs Sam, and Payton. For leisure, he enjoys sports with his family, bird hunting, and salt-water fishing.
Craig works for Pacific Gas and Electric as a Principal Program Manager in Land Management. His career spans 30 years in the utility industry serving numerous roles. He is an ISA Certified Arborist, Utility Specialist, and hold his TRAQ and is a TCIA Certified TreeCare Safety Professional. Craig has been engaged and involved in the UAA for many years, starting back in 2008. He then wanted more so he ran for UAA President and was elected in 2014. Today, Craig looks back over his 30-year career and wouldn’t change a thing, he’s made life-long friends and considers many as mentors. He also claims he would not be where is in his career if it weren’t for these people, and pledges to pay it forward to support others in their success.
Erin Creekmur has been in the UVM industry for over 20 years. After graduating with a Bachelors in Botany from Northern Arizona University she relocated to Northern California to start her professional career. Starting as a consulting utility pre-inspector with Western ECI she quickly moving up to the ranks to Supervisor under the tutelage of folks like Nelson Money. In 2004, Erin joined PG&E as a Quality Assurance Auditor for the VM program. Eventually becoming the Program Manager for the North Coast Division, helping stand up the beginnings of CEMA as the Emergency Drought Response Initiative Lead for the Enhanced Inspection & Mitigation Program, targeting off-cycle hazard trees across the system. In 2015, Erin moved back to her home state of Arizona and took the role of Division Supervisor with Arizona Public Service, managing both transmission and distribution UVM programs out of the Flagstaff area. As part of her role with APS Forestry Fire and Resource Management Department, Erin had responsibility for creating a Hazard Tree Mitigation program. maintaining APS’s ROW Stewardship Accreditation, FERC reporting, and the Transmission Lidar program. In 2021, Erin took a shift in her career and is now Supervising the Customer Construction and Design team for APS, expanding her overall understanding of the Utility industry. Erin continues to maintain her ISA Utility Specialist Certification and TRAQ. She has also completed certifications in both Six Sigma and Lean Sigma Green Belt through accredited universities. In addition to her current service on the UAA Board of Directors, Erin spent the last 6 years as an officer with the Arboretum at Flagstaff Board of Directors. In her free time, you can find Erin in the woods taking pictures of native plants and beautiful western landscapes.
Fallon is a Utility Arborist and Executive Director of the Utility Arborist Association. Prior to his current role he was responsible for leading vegetation management programs across several upper Midwest states on behalf of a large investor-owned utility. He’s also been an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he facilitated the 
Kevin Puls is the president of ACRT. He has been with the company for more than 25 years and began his career with us as a work planner in western Ohio. He worked his way up to become an operations manager, senior operations manager, and director of operations. During his tenure he has managed utility vegetation contracts, municipal forestry programs, performed environmental compliance inspections, and many more items. He has worked with over 50 customers in over 40 states. He attended Mount Union College where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in ecology. He completed his internship at Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts as part of a grant from the National Science Foundation. Kevin performed studies on plant-soil-air interactions and presented his research in multiple forums. Kevin also holds an MBA in Executive Management from Ashland University. Kevin also serves as a committee member on multiple BSA troops and conservation organizations.
Tim is the Vice President of Health and Safety for the Davey Tree Expert Company.
Geoff Kempter is Technical Services Manager for Asplundh with 28 years of experience in arboriculture and urban forestry. He has served on the ANSI A300 Committee since 1996, and has served as ISA Certification Chair, the ISA Board and the TREE Fund Board. He also serves on the Michigan Urban and Community Forestry Committee, and the Grand Rapids Urban Forestry Committee. Geoff is ISA Certified, a TRAQ instructor and holds a degree in Natural Resources from the University of Michigan.
Tyler Sorensen has twenty years of experience in the Utility Vegetation Management industry and has been a certified arborist and utility specialist since 2007. He started on a tree crew in the spring of 2002 and quickly worked his way up through every available position, eager to learn and gain industry knowledge along the way. Promoting safety, teaching, and learning new practices have always been his passion. His work experience in Utility Vegetation Management has allowed him to work in various vegetation related capacities in the following states: Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and California.
Renée is our Member Services Manager. She is available to UAA members for questions on committee assignments, educational opportunities, scholarships, CEU questions, and any other assistance.
Diona has been with the Utility Arborist Association (UAA) since December 2015 and has worked in various capacities within the organization.