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2024 Agenda

  Monday, Sep 9, 2024

  • 11:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Registration Open
    4:00-5:00 p.m. Women in VM Workshop Ice Breaker/Happy Hour *workshop attendees only

  Tuesday, Sep 10, 2024

  • 7:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Registration Open
    7:00-7:45 a.m. Workshop Breakfast
    8:00–11:30 p.m. Women in VM Workshop Session *additional registration required
    11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Boxed Lunch with Exhibitors*included with conference registration
    1:00-1:10 p.m. Opening Dan Morrow; Arbor Day Foundation & Dennis Fallon; Utility Arborist Association
    1:10-1:20 p.m. Platinum Sponsor Welcome Mike Mittiga; The Davey Tree Expert Company
    1:20-1:25 p.m. Keynote Sponsor Introduction Leslie Kass; Lewis Trees
    1:25-2:30 p.m. The Rally Mentality Shannon McKain
    2:30-3:00 p.m. Opening Ceremony Awards
    3:00-3:45 p.m. Break with Exhibitors
    3:45-4:45 p.m. Reimagining Energy Efficiency Panel: How to tap into additional funding and make the case for trees Moderated by Kristen Bousquet, Arbor Day Foundation

    Panelists:
    Jason Grossman, Liberty Utilities
    Natalie Miller, ADM Associates Inc.
    Ann Koenig, Missouri Department of Conservation


    5:30 p.m. Exhibit Hall Closes
    5:30-7:30 p.m. Networking Reception at Hotel *included with conference registration

  Wednesday, Sep 11, 2024

  • 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Registration Open
    7:00-8:00 a.m. Coffee and Pastries with Exhibitors
    8:00-8:40 a.m. Continental Wildfire Panel Moderators: Kim Laing; ArborMetrics & Bob Urban; ACRT Panelists:
    Thaddeus Petzold, Associate Director, Wildfire Risk & VM, from PNM in New Mexico
    EJ Cockrum, Utility Forester, Salt River Project in Arizona
    Keith Chucci, Manager of Transmission Vegetation Management at Oncor in Texas.
    Steve Kerr, Manager of Forestry at Fortis Alberta, in Alberta.
    Jeff Labelle, Distribution Vegetation Program Manager for BC Hydro, in British Columbia.
    Nigel Berry, CEO, from Intelfuse in Melbourne

    8:00-8:40 a.m. Aggressive Homeowners: Training for a Mindset of Deescalation Liz Westberg; Growth Solutions View Slides
    8:00-8:40 a.m. A Utility Perspective on Optimizing Vegetation Management Jonathan Rizzo & Jenna Turner; Eversource Energy View Slides
    8:45-9:25 a.m. Continental Wildfire Panel
    8:45-9:25 a.m. PG&E's Vegetation Management Competency Assessment Program Rigoberto Ortiz; Pacific Gas & Electric & Sean Eylar, MFE
    For more information about this presentation, please contact Rigoberto Ortiz at [email protected]
    8:45-9:25 a.m. Eocene Utility Vegetation Management Industry Survey Randall H. Miller; Eocene Environmental Group View Slides
    9:30-10:45 a.m. Brunch with Exhibitors*included with conference registration
    10:45-11:25 a.m. Continental Wildfire Panel
    10:45-11:25 a.m. Friend or Foe: Training Crews to Identify Compatible Vegetation Lindsey Wall & Mike Stein; Grow with Trees View Slides
    10:45-11:25 a.m. Importance of a Robust UVM Software Solution Justin Walters; The Davey Resource Group & Kaleb Smith; Versant Power
    11:30 a.m.-12:10 p.m. Wildfire Mitigation and Resiliency Through Fuel Reduction Paul Ohlman; The Davey Resource Inc.
    For more information about this presentation, please contact Paul Ohlman at [email protected].
    11:30 a.m.-12:10 p.m. 360 Degree UVM Communication: The Case for a Comprehensive UVM Program Susan Barrett; University Wisconsin Stevens Point & Robert Vanderhoof; Tall Tree Learning, LLC View Slides
    11:30 a.m.-12:10 p.m. The Making of a Resilient Community Tru-Kechia Smith; Bridging The Gap View Slides
    12:15-1:30 p.m. Utility Arborist Association Awards Lunch *included with conference registration Dennis Fallon
    1:30-2:10 p.m. Mastering Cost-Effective Grid Reliability with Veg Intelligence Alex Husby; Overstory & Steven Frazier; Oklahoma Gas & Electric
    1:30-2:10 p.m. Bridging the Labor Gap in UVM James Greene; Environmental Consultants View Slides
    1:30-2:10 p.m. Innovations in VM Technologies: An Inside Look at Predictive Analytics Rich Alexander ACRT
    For more information about this presentation, please contact Rich Alexander at [email protected].
    2:15-2:55 p.m. Into the Metaverse: How AR and VR Can Aid UVM Operations Lawrence J. Kahn, Director, Tulane University Law School Utility Vegetation Management Institute View Slides
    2:15-2:55 p.m. Building Bridges in a Multicultural Industry Juan Contreras; Wright Tree Service
    For more information about this presentation, please contact Juan Contreras at [email protected].
    2:15-2:55 p.m. Normalizing Forestry Costs Using Drones for New Construction Will Ayersman; The Davey Resource Group Inc View Slides
    3:00-3:40 p.m. Risk-Based Decisions for Vegetation Management and Beyond Jonah Keim, E-Source
    3:00-3:40 p.m. Safety Differently Tim Walsh; Townsend Tree Service
    3:00-3:40 p.m. Can eDNA be used to monitor pollinators on rights-of-way? Ashley Bennett; Electric Power Research Institute (IND TREND) View Slides
    3:45-5:00 p.m. Break with Exhibitors*included with conference registration

  Thursday, Sep 12, 2024

  • 7:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Registration Open

    7:00-8:15 a.m. Coffee and Pastries with Exhibitors *included with conference registration
    8:15-8:45 a.m. Unlocking Potential: How Colleges and Universities are Tackling the Skilled Labor Shortage in UVM Robert Vanderhoof; Tall Tree Learning, LLC View Slides
    8:50-9:20 a.m. Branching into Brilliance: The ChatGPT Approach to Vegetation Management Phil Swart; ClearWay Industries & Jason Grossman; Liberty Utilites View Slides
    9:30-10:45 a.m. Brunch with Exhibitors*included with conference registration
    10:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. ANSI Z133 Panel Discussion Moderator Tim Walsh; The Townsend Company, LLC Panelists: Hollis (Les) W. Day ; Mountain F. Enterprises, Inc.
    12:15-12:30 p.m. Closing Ceremony Logan Donahoo, Senior Manager, Programs, Arbor Day Foundation | Matt Goff, President, Utility Arborist Association