The Award of Merit is the highest honor paid by TCIA to an individual or company that represents leadership in the field of arboriculture and long-term commitment to the industry. TCIA doesn’t give an Award of Merit each year, one reason why this Award is considered our industry’s most prestigious recognition.
Interested in nominating an individual or company?
Deadline
September 24. Winners are announced at TCIA’s annual Winter Management Conference.
Current winner
Houser and Girouard honored with Award of Merit
Presented by Kevin Caldwell at WMC in St. Kitts in February.
We don’t always give an Award of Merit each year, one reason why this is considered our industry’s most prestigious recognition. Members of the TCIA Awards Committee this year were past chairs Scott Jamieson, Randy Owen and Terrill Collier. The Board of Directors wholeheartedly endorsed their selection.
This year we have joint honorees who together have been involved with TCIA for decades, serving on and chairing committees, serving on and chairing the TCIA Boards of Directors.
Their nearly continual presence at TCI EXPO and Winter Management meetings have made them both icons that many members look forward to interacting with at these events. Even after their official service ended with TCIA, they stayed active by weighing in on issues facing the association and the industry.
TCIA is pleased this year to honor Jeanne Houser, vice president/general manager of McFarland Landscape Services, Inc. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Rusty Girouard, business manager for Madison Tree Care & Landscaping, Inc. in Milford, Ohio.
Among Jeanne’s official contributions are steadfast support TCIA’s safety and government affairs initiative in Washington. She has been a strong and consistent supporter of Student Career Days and the Robert Felix Memorial Scholarships and served on the TCIA Foundation Board of Trustees.
Her list of volunteer committee commitments is long and includes Awards, Finance, Nominations, Business Management, Conference Site Selection, and Audit committees.
Rusty Girouard has also been a consistent supporter of TCIA’s safety and government affairs endeavors, both financially through donations to the Voice for Trees and with her time by travelling to Washington for our Legislative Days on the Hill. Her volunteer time on committees included service on Winter Management Conference Site Selection, Industry Statistics, Education & Employee Development, Awards, and Finance committees.
Jointly and separately, they have served TCIA and our industry with grace and professionalism. While they weren’t the first women to serve on this association’s Board, they both have been able to break through gender barriers in a quiet, humble manner within our industry by serving in leadership positions – not only with TCIA but also with their own firms. Their management abilities within their companies served them well during their long service for TCIA. Those of you who have been fortunate enough to speak with them at length during conferences know that their expertise has always been freely shared with fellow members.
The manner in which they have conducted themselves for many years in service to TCIA, our industry, and their own firms is an outstanding example for not only other women within our industry but for all of us who may be called to serve.
Congratulations and thank you to Jeannie and Rusty.
Past winners
Review our archive of past Award of Merit winners.
