President's Perspective - Summer 2026
The 92 Annual Conference and Trade Show is a wrap! The venue and conference were sold out! What an amazing way to feel the love of those who cherish nature as much as I. This conference brough new friends and old into tree community! While Yosemite really does sell itself, we all learned that it still takes a village to bring together such an amazing group of speakers for us all to engage with. How many of you had hallway conversations with those old and new friends which were sparked by one of the fabulous speakers? I know I had several.
As this year of service comes to a close for me, Julia Gowan takes the gavel, as I took it from another amazing servant of trees, Sarah Maitland. Next year Julia will hand the gavel to yet another amazing woman that will lead us in a four-year consecutive reign of women in our industry. At one recent point in the past the entire board was comprised of women leaders!
We have seen our chapter grow in all dimensions – from sustained duration of woman leaders to diversity among our members and leaders. Thank you Natalie Krug for your leadership and courage. I would take the entire Western Arborist space if I was able to thank each person individually, suffice it to say that we are simply the best chapter in ISA (yep, that’s a brag).
For those of you fortunate enough to attend the conference, one take-home message I received was to be honest, be frank, and do not allow your message to be suppressed. Sometimes it takes a brave soul to say out loud what many are experiencing in solitude. I received many supportive comments on the courage and vulnerability exhibited by those willing to discuss their personal journeys within the industry, from those that felt seen for the first time in their uniqueness, and from many who found the discussions gave them permission to be more their authentic selves. From the diversity panel to the mentors panel, I was inspired to seek new solutions to some old questions and to entertain new questions in new ways. As Dr. Nadkarni explained to us, change is closure of a stage, and a “third stage” will evolve from that closing. I imagine this conference challenged many individual viewpoints in a variety of ways – which can be quite uncomfortable. So, what’s next?
From Dr. Nalini Nadkarni’s keynote, we learned that we might approach “the third stage” in creative, non-traditional ways – getting your fingernails painted with a tree design that sparks conversation from the manicurist to the grocery clerk. These are people that might not otherwise engage with trees or nature. I think everyone found inspiration from a little brown women (as she described herself) having the courage and determination to push back against corporate “no,” having the inner strength to overcome great physical injury from a near-death fall when her climbing rope failed, and who returned to service in her own “third stage” that brought education about trees to places of faith, including the faith that cooking could bring her own personal friends into increased community and intimacy. She made slowing down look like ramping up, gearing up, and climbing even higher. What a powerful “yes,” as Josh Gervertz told us – what is your “yes?” Find your “yes.”
Dr. Nadkarni certainly did – and I think those who heard her message walked away from that keynote almost as if they had been forest bathing – revitalized. She encourages us to tell our stories of trees, not just to teach about trees, but to inspire others with our own personal power stories about trees. TOUTI – The Our Trees Initiative founded by Dr. Nadkarni – tasks you to tell your story. You can do that on your own with painted fingernails or not or share it with Dr. Nadkarni at https://www.our-trees.com. I hope to see your story there soon.
So, we come to our final conversation – Know your Powerful Why (Josh Gevertz), determine your authentic self and lead in love with that (Diversity Panel), teach the next generation (mentor/mentee panel), and finally in seeking your current stage or your third – tell your story in new and creative ways.
In service and always striving for growth,
Tracey Takeuchi