Encouraging Employees to Continue Their Arboreal Education Ensures that Our Customers Always Get Expert-Level Service
As of May 10, Evan Brumfield, is officially a Licensed Tree Expert (LTE) in the state of Maryland!
Evan has been with Cumberland Valley Tree Service – Landscaping for three years now, and he is currently our Recruiting Coordinator, an ISA-certified Arborist and a Foreman.
Evan explained that the Maryland State Tree Expert Exam is based heavily on the ISA exam in that they both emphasize safe cutting practices and tree health. However, a key difference is that the ISA exam is voluntary (but encouraged) while the Maryland State Tree Expert Exam is required to sell tree care work in the state. The license applies to trees that are over twenty feet tall.
He also said that Maryland has somewhat stricter rules governing how and when workers are able to enter and use someone else’s property than, say, Pennsylvania where CVTS currently has three offices (Chambersburg, Carlisle and Gettysburg). Accordingly, the state of Maryland provides a variety of handouts, pictures and other resources to help aspiring LTEs learn the details.
The bar is set pretty high for people seeking certification. According to maryland.gov, “To obtain a license, the applicant must possess adequate and related college education plus one year of experience under a Licensed Tree Expert OR have three years experience under an LTE, then have passed an exam and carry adequate amounts of liability and property damage insurance.”
The license lasts for two years before it will need to be renewed. However, if Evan demonstrates a commitment to education and completes eight credits before his renewal date, he won’t be required to retake the exam at that time. The credits need to be submitted to and accepted by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Becoming a Maryland Licensed Tree Expert will allow Evan to shift his energy towards serving our Maryland clients as a full-time sales representative.
For Evan, though, the reason to get certified is more personal.
“It shows initiative,” he said. “That’s number one. Initiative is huge. Without it, you won’t move up. Without it, you won’t make the right decisions. Without initiative, you don’t have really the ‘go-getter’ attitude to persevere through tough times. The second would be pride in your work.”
He continued: “We are for tree health care. The idea behind any of our practices is to make them healthier, make them better, make them safer. That is ultimately what drives our business.”
Learn more about Cumberland Valley Tree Service – Landscaping’s commitment to expert tree care here, and learn more about why you should only hire ISA-certified crews here.
