Joe Bones of the F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company and Dane Buell of SavATree
Presented by outgoing Chair Randy Owen during Winter Management Conference in Feb 2011

Each year, the Chair and President are given the privilege of selecting someone for special recognition. The Pat Felix Volunteer of the Year Award is presented to a TCIA member who has gone above and beyond the call of duty; committing a great deal of time and effort to the success of TCIA.

There is a saying in the world of volunteers that 100 percent of the work is usually accomplished by 20 percent of the people. While we’re not sure of the exact percentages, there are two individuals we’d like to recognize today who have certainly handled all of their share and then some of the voluntary duties of Student Career Days over the years.

Student Career Days (SCD) is a program under the Tree Care Industry Foundation that brings students enrolled in horticulture, forestry and related programs together for three days at TCI EXPO. It offers them an inside look at the field they’re studying. All of you who participated in yesterday’s golf tournament contributed to this great annual event, that drew 147 students from 18 colleges and universities around the country. In addition to funding, this event could not thrive without volunteers.

From day one of this event, the two people we are honoring today have been on the ground floor in the planning, in managing the logistics, in judging or scoring, even in raising the funds to ensure the event’s success.

Each has taken more than one turn serving as head judge and they have shared that role on at least one occasion. Keeping 50 or so student competitors and over 30 volunteers safe, happy, on task and on time is a truly awesome responsibility.

And that’s why we’d like to recognize Joe Bones of the F.A. Bartlett Tree Expert Company and Dane Buell of SavATree with the Pat Felix Volunteer of the Year Award.